23/10/2026
🇬🇧 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿.
I watched 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘦𝘸 last night and found it uncomfortable and deflating viewing.
With just over six months until the Assembly election, watching three unionist leaders publicly at odds with one another left me asking a simple question. Who actually benefits from this?
There are genuine differences between our parties, but surely we need to be smarter about how we handle them.
𝗗𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀.
Jon Burrows MLA warned early about the wider consequences of Drumcree, including the danger of reopening other long-standing parading disputes and undermining years of hard-won progress. Political leadership means looking beyond the immediate argument and understanding the consequences of our decisions.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗹𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼-𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
We can challenge Sinn Féin firmly, demand proper standards in public office and strengthen accountability without bringing down the institutions we believe should deliver for Northern Ireland.
People want stable government, better public services and a positive vision for the future. They deserve to see unionism working towards those goals, not constantly arguing among itself.
By pulling down the institutions we only give Sinn Féin the argument that we’re a failed state and put our care into the hands of the SoS, the man that some in unionism are deeply opposed too.
𝗔 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
There is far more that unites us than divides us. We don’t have to agree on everything, but we should recognise that our shared commitment to Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom matters more than political rivalries.
𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.
The future of the Union is bigger than any one party or personality. We need to start acting like it, because if unionism continues to fight amongst itself, there will only be one political winner: nationalism.
