UUP councillor defects to UKIP!

[Thar an Phail]

Northern Ireland's first UK Independence Party councillor is to stand for a seat in the Assembly, he has confirmed.

Newry and Mourne councillor Henry Reilly, who defected this week from the Ulster Unionists to UKIP, announced plans to run in the March 7 Assembly Election in South Down.

"I have always enjoyed national politics."

The new UKIP councillor said there had been a positive response to his decision to switch party allegiances and he expected more people to follow his lead.

"UKIP is bringing a non-sectarian platform to Northern Ireland politics."

http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=79940&pt=n

[RBinge]

Was there a falling out between Bob McCartney and the UKIPs? As recently as the last European Elections the UKUP was boasting about it's links with Britain's most risible party.

The most logical home for disaffected UUPs would be the Tories, still hanging on organisationally in the Six counties, but obviously David Cameron's New Conservatives are too likely to appeal to real British people to suit a disaffected UUP head.

[The Analyser]

Northern Ireland's first UK Independence Party councillor is to stand for a seat in the Assembly, he has confirmed.

Newry and Mourne councillor Henry Reilly, who defected this week from the Ulster Unionists to UKIP, announced plans to run in the March 7 Assembly Election in South Down.

"I have always enjoyed national politics."

If he enjoys national politics why is he joining a bunch of wasters like UKIP?

Or maybe he was misquoted and meant "nationalist" meaning "British nationalist". BTW Are there many unionist politicians called Reilly?

[QuizMaster]

BTW Are there many unionist politicians called Reilly?

About the same number as there are republicans called Adams (a Scots name if ever there was one).
One of the Shankill butchers was called Murphy.
What's in a name? 400 years is a long time, you can't expect everyone to stay on their own side of the fence the whole time. Plenty of mixing and matching has gone on over the years.

[beardyboy]

I think there is another defection in Coleraine

[Jozer]

The UKIP are very similar to RSF/32 CSM. They are logically right, but they have no support and in the near future they never will have.

[jmcc]

"I have always enjoyed national politics."

Which apparently is why he is seeking election to a regional assembly and in the process defecting from a party with a (British) national parliamentary representation to one with a leader with an ego so big (and membership so small) that he himself has to run in a number of constituencies. At least he'll probably get a lot of time on his hands to indulge in his hobby of watching national politics.

Regards...jmcc