Gavin Robinson: Making NI work is how we will secure and sustain our place within the UK

By Gavin Robinson

Published 1st Jun 2024, 00:01 BST

Every vote will matter.

I remember the frantic phone calls and recounts in 2010 when Rodney Connor was four votes short in Fermanagh & South Tyrone. I also remember the stories afterwards of unionists who foolishly listened to the wrong people and spoiled their votes. Those people helped elect Michelle Gildernew to Parliament rather than the pro-Union MP in Rodney Connor.

Let’s ensure there are no missed opportunities or regrets when the votes are counted on July 5.

Our goal over the next 33 days is to get as many pro-Union MPs elected in NI as possible.

That’s why we have stood aside in Fermanagh & South Tyrone and in North Down. Whilst we are the largest unionist party in both constituencies, the chances of electing a pro-Union MP are massively boosted by having a single pro-Union candidate.

I urge all unionists to unite behind the pro-Union candidate in their constituency best placed to win.

Let’s set aside the bitter words that have been said and step back with a focus on the bigger picture during this campaign and give positive leadership.

Of course, there will be disagreements within unionism over tactics, but we are united in a belief that NI must remain part of the UK.

Within wider unionism going forward, where we differ, we should all do so respectfully rather than in narrow and hurtful terms.

To those, particularly from outside NI, who have said they want to ‘dispose’ of fellow unionists, I urge them to reflect on their approach. Is their long-term goal to help non-unionists get elected or is it to strengthen the Union by getting more pro-Union voices in Parliament?

I would rather have an Ulster Unionist MP than a Sinn Fein MP in Fermanagh & South Tyrone and I would rather have an independent unionist MP than an Alliance MP in North Down.

We launched our campaign last Wednesday evening in Lagan Valley where our DUP candidate Jonathan Buckley set out his vision for the constituency. Before the evening was finished, Jim Dillion MBE, the long-standing Ulster Unionist councillor in Hillsborough, had endorsed Jonathan as the unionist best placed to win in Lagan Valley.

As I travel around Northern Ireland, people know they need to back the unionist best placed to win.

As they look at the Alliance agriculture minister, they are reminded of the consequence of split unionist votes. When the Alliance Party gained a seat in North Antrim due to the unionist vote being split, it helped them gain another seat at the executive table.

Let’s remember that in North Antrim, there were enough votes to elect four unionist MLAs but due to the votes being divided too many ways, the Alliance Party took a seat from unionism. This was repeated elsewhere in the same election.

These are acts of self-harm to unionism.

On July 4 NI needs to send a strong team of pro-Union MPs to Westminster.

Since being elected in 2015, I have witnessed first-hand how our team, by taking their seats, have been able to speak up and deliver for NI.

It was DUP MPs who led the challenge to Treasury about NI being underfunded. We were initially dismissed by the other NI parties as playing distraction politics, but we were proved right in the end.

Over the next few weeks we have framed our campaign around five themes of:

l Promoting the Union;

l Putting you first;

l Removing barriers within the UK;

l Protecting against illegal immigration;

l Delivering in the constituency.

Our campaign will be based on ‘Making Northern Ireland Work’ because that is how we will secure and sustain our place within the UK.

Let’s remember the future of Northern Ireland within the UK lies in the hands of the people, not a court or a parliament.

This place we love and call home does work and will continue to work so long as we collectively keep moving forward and taking new ground.