Irwin Armstrong, chairman of the Conservative party in Northern Ireland, congratulated the successful candidates in the recent Assembly and Council elections, but noted that the real winner Is ‘none of the above’.
“Well done to our new crop of MLAs. They’ve campaigned hard and won the support of the voting public”, Irwin noted, “but it must be said that 45% of people in Northern Ireland chose not to make their voices heard in this election”.
“That is a startling figure, which dwarfs the vote share of any single party, and it tells us something about our electoral options here in Northern Ireland. For a huge swathe of society there is nothing on the menu of parties to tempt their political palates.”
“A growing section of the electorate is crying out for something new to vote for, something relevant to them. A recent Belfast Telegraph survey confirmed that the average voter in Northern Ireland is moderate and to the centre-right. He or she is not adequately represented by the current parties at Stormont. In future elections we intend to provide an option for such people”.