‘Dictatorship’ claims as TUV man resigns
THE TUV has lost its first councillor as internal disagreements surface, the News Letter has learnt.
Castlereagh councillor Charlie Tosh, one of the first DUP councillors to leave for the TUV, has now left the party, accusing leader Jim Allister of emulating former DUP leader Ian Paisley by “running the TUV like a dictatorship”.
Mr Tosh, a retired businessman who donated large sums of money to the DUP during 21 years in the party, said that he had also made substantial financial contributions to the TUV.
The News Letter understands that another wealthy TUV donor is considering leaving the party over internal disagreements.
Mr Tosh made much of his money in the music industry, founding Hawk Records UK and Hawk America, part-owning a recording studio south of Nashville, Tennessee, and also owned Belfast Fireplaces, formerly of York Street.
Speaking to the News Letter, he said that he had been unhappy within the party for some time and, although he is now an independent councillor, was considering taking the UUP whip on the council.
The south Belfast man said that his disagreements with the party leadership partly stemmed from when he and another TUV member approached Mr Allister to form a South Belfast Constituency Association, funding it with £2,000 of their own money.
“We were informed that the only association in Belfast was ‘Belfast Central’, although we had the numbers and members to form a successful South Belfast association.
“We got no cooperation whatsoever from Jim Allister who wanted to start what was known as the Castlereagh Association which would have had no standing within the party as it is not a Westminster constituency and under RPA, Castlereagh council is being abolished.”
In a parting attack on Mr Allister, Mr Tosh said: “It seems that he is just another Ian Paisley – it’s a dictatorship; to him it’s my party, not the party of the membership.”
TUV leader Jim Allister said that he regretted Mr Tosh’s decision and rejected the Castlereagh councillor’s criticisms of himself and the party: “We are very open and I had several conversations with Charlie, but he did not respond positively to them.”
And, hinting that defectors are considering joining his party, the former MEP said that he was anticipating “several additions” in the near future.
Mr Tosh said that he was also unhappy at being asked by the party to act as election agent for Castlereagh, an area he said was too large for one person to adequately cover.
“I rang the acting chief executive of Castlereagh Borough Council and asked for my designation to be changed from ‘TUV’ to ‘Independent’.
“Whilst I am an independent at the moment, I would be contemplating at least taking the UUP whip, if not joining the party.”
