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John McCallister resigns from the UUP John McCallister resigns from the UUP
(35 minutes later)
The former Ulster Unionist Party deputy leader John McCallister has said he has resigned from the party. The former Ulster Unionist Party deputy leader John McCallister has said he has resigned from the party following the decision to field a unionist unity candidate in Mid Ulster.
Mr McCallister said he informed UUP leader Mike Nesbitt of his decision on Thursday. Mr McCallister said he informed UUP leader Mike Nesbitt and his constituency association of his decision on Thursday.
He said he had also told his constituency association. He said the party leader had not attempted to make him change his mind.
Mr McCallister made his announcement on BBC Northern Ireland's politics programme The View. Mr McCallister made his announcement on BBC NI's politics programme The View.
He said he would sit as an independent unionist in the Assembly.He said he would sit as an independent unionist in the Assembly.
Mr McCallister's announcement follows the decision to select Nigel Lutton as the single unionist candidate for the by-election in Mid Ulster. Mr McCallister's announcement follows the decision to select Nigel Lutton as the unionist unity candidate for the by-election in Mid Ulster.
In a letter to Mr Nesbitt, Mr McCallister said he had first voted for the UUP in 1992, because of the party's values and had "no interest in supporting other narrow expressions of unionism, committed as they were to confrontation and triumphalism".In a letter to Mr Nesbitt, Mr McCallister said he had first voted for the UUP in 1992, because of the party's values and had "no interest in supporting other narrow expressions of unionism, committed as they were to confrontation and triumphalism".
He said that since becoming an MLA in 2007 he had sought to ensure that these values were "central to my words and actions as a political representative".He said that since becoming an MLA in 2007 he had sought to ensure that these values were "central to my words and actions as a political representative".
'Grave damage'
Mr McCallister said that since Mr Nesbitt's election as leader he had shared with him his "grave concerns over the direction" in which he had "been taking the party".Mr McCallister said that since Mr Nesbitt's election as leader he had shared with him his "grave concerns over the direction" in which he had "been taking the party".
"Your failure to articulate and communicate a distinctive UUP stance - based on Ulster Unionism's core values - on last year's parades controversies, on the Covenant centenary, on the Union flag debate, on the misguided Unionist Forum and on the potential of electoral pacts with the DUP has unfortunately inflicted grave damage on the Party," he added. "Your failure to articulate and communicate a distinctive UUP stance - based on Ulster Unionism's core values - on last year's parades controversies, on the Covenant centenary, on the Union flag debate, on the misguided Unionist Forum and on the potential of electoral pacts with the DUP has unfortunately inflicted grave damage on the party," he added.
"Under your leadership a profound disconnection has occurred between UUP policy and Ulster Unionist values. The policies have increasingly become alienated from the values which should guide and shape an Ulster Unionist leader."Under your leadership a profound disconnection has occurred between UUP policy and Ulster Unionist values. The policies have increasingly become alienated from the values which should guide and shape an Ulster Unionist leader.
Above all, your determination to act in concert with the DUP - over parades, flags and Forum - has significantly contributed to forcing Northern Ireland politics back into the sectarian trenches. "Above all, your determination to act in concert with the DUP - over parades, flags and forum - has significantly contributed to forcing Northern Ireland politics back into the sectarian trenches.
"At a time of division and uncertainty in our society, Northern Ireland needed the UUP to set out with courage a pro-Union alternative to the politics of sectarian headcounts."At a time of division and uncertainty in our society, Northern Ireland needed the UUP to set out with courage a pro-Union alternative to the politics of sectarian headcounts.
"It gives me no pleasure to say that, under your leadership, the UUP has utterly failed to do so. Rather than building a confident and generous pro-Union centre ground, you have opted instead to become Peter Robinson's junior partner." "It gives me no pleasure to say that, under your leadership, the UUP has utterly failed to do so.
Mr McCallister said that Mr Nesbitt's "unwillingness" to advance the cause of an opposition in the Assembly had similarly damaged both the UUP and Northern Ireland politics. "Rather than building a confident and generous pro-Union centre ground, you have opted instead to become Peter Robinson's junior partner."
"You have taken no action or measures to move towards the creation of an Opposition, offering instead merely half-hearted words," he said. Mr McCallister said that Mr Nesbitt's "unwillingness" to advance the cause of an opposition in the assembly had "similarly damaged" both the UUP and Northern Ireland politics.
"The creation of an Opposition would not only offer genuine accountability in the Assembly. It would also offer an alternative to the politics of the sectarian headcount propagated by the DUP and Sinn Fein. "You have taken no action or measures to move towards the creation of an opposition, offering instead merely half-hearted words," he said.
"The creation of an opposition would not only offer genuine accountability in the assembly. It would also offer an alternative to the politics of the sectarian headcount propagated by the DUP and Sinn Fein.
"Your failure to act on this issue has resulted in a UUP incapable of meaningfully challenging the DUP's current electoral position. ""Your failure to act on this issue has resulted in a UUP incapable of meaningfully challenging the DUP's current electoral position. "
Mr McCallister said Mr Nesbitt had "abandoned pluralist and progressive pro-Union politics for a backward-looking, insular politics that is in the interests of neither Northern Ireland nor the Union". Mr McCallister said Mr Nesbitt had "abandoned pluralist and progressive pro-Union politics for a backward-looking, insular politics that is in the interests of neither Northern Ireland nor the union".
"The decision to repeat a failed electoral strategy and run a 'unionist unity' candidate in Mid-Ulster demonstrates the extent to which you have decided to abandon any pretence that your leadership can make the UUP a home for pluralist and progressive pro-Union politics," he said."The decision to repeat a failed electoral strategy and run a 'unionist unity' candidate in Mid-Ulster demonstrates the extent to which you have decided to abandon any pretence that your leadership can make the UUP a home for pluralist and progressive pro-Union politics," he said.
"'Unionist unity' is an exercise in the politics of tribalism, declaring to voters that our society is forever divided between 'Orange' and 'Green' blocs. It states that all other political issues and debates can be sidelined, because tribal identities must determine our politics." "'Unionist unity' is an exercise in the politics of tribalism, declaring to voters that our society is forever divided between 'orange' and 'green' blocs. It states that all other political issues and debates can be sidelined, because tribal identities must determine our politics."