Purvis to take political ‘break’
Former Progressive Unionist leader turned Independent politician Dawn Purvis has told UTV she is taking a break to consider her options, after the disappointment of losing her seat in the Stormont Assembly.
“I’ve had since Friday for the news to sink in, so I think it’s just time to rest, recharge my batteries and decide what the future holds for me,” she said on Monday.
Ms Purvis, who took over the reins of the PUP after the death of David Ervine but quit the party in June last year in the wake of Bobby Moffett’s murder, failed to retain the support of her East Belfast constituents and took just 1,702 first preference votes at the polls.
She admitted that “wasn’t what we’d hoped for” and said she had been very disappointed.
“We hadn’t contemplated losing, so it’s felt all the more deeply when you do lose,” Ms Purvis added.
But while she has accepted defeat, she insists her team’s campaign was the right one.
“It was a positive campaign, it was certainly the right issues,” Ms Purvis said. “I think I was appealing to a new electorate – certainly when I look at the first preference votes and I look at the transfers, it wasn’t the PUP votes that I got. It was ‘middle unionism’ – Ulster Unionist votes, if you like.
“And there just wasn’t enough of them.”
Concerned by the under-representation of working class loyalists in the new Stormont administration, Ms Purvis said work still needs to be done to tackle a number of key issues.
“When you look at the issues concerning working class people, particularly the issue of educational underachievement – they haven’t been addressed by the big parties over the last 20 years,” she said.
“They are unpopular issues, but nonetheless, they need to be addressed. And I’m hoping that there are other ways that we can hold those parties that do now represent working class loyalism, to make sure that those types of issues are addressed.
“Because if they are serious about building a shared and better future for everyone in NI, they cannot leave anyone behind.”
But as for Ms Purvis’ next move, a break from the political scene is on the cards.
“I’m going to make sure that my staff are okay, because I’ve four members of staff who are all about to lose their jobs,” she said. “Then I’ll take a break and consider what my options are.”
East Belfast will be represented in the next Assembly by DUP leader Peter Robinson – who topped the poll with 9,141 first preference votes – and his party colleagues Robin Newton and Sammy Douglas.
The remaining three seats went to Judith Cochrane and Chris Lyttle of the Alliance Party and Ulster Unionist Michael Copeland.
