Cameron eyes Tory-UUP alliance
Thursday, 24 July 2008 12:00 AM
The Conservative party is seeking to broaden its appeal beyond England with an alliance with the Ulster Unionist party (UUP).
Tory leader David Cameron and UUP counterpart Reg Empey reveal their intention to form an alliance in a joint article written in today's Telegraph newspaper.
In return for UUP MPs in Westminster taking the Conservative whip they will be offered ministerial seats in a Tory government, should Mr Cameron's party win the next general election.
The Tories may not need seats outside England to form the next government and are seeking to broaden their appeal to voters in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. They are expected to come in fourth place in Glasgow East's by-election, which is taking place today.
If Labour manage to recover from their current poor performances in the polls, however, analysts say a hung parliament is a possibility - in which case extra seats helping the Tories could swing who forms the next government in their favour.
In the Telegraph article Mr Cameron claims he wants Northern Ireland to become a "normal" part of the UK.
The best way to show that is to have Northern Ireland MPs "supporting and serving in a Conservative government", the Tory leader suggests.
Mr Cameron claims that it is wrong that people in Northern Ireland are not represented by a party that also deals with issues not covered by the country's devolved assembly.
"Like most others in the UK, what really worries them is social breakdown, fuel duties, the 10p tax row, excessive regulation on business, pensions and the Lisbon treaty. There is a real danger that some of Northern Ireland's politicians will continue to look inwards and become 'Ulster Nationalists'," he writes.
Certain details are still to be agreed in the partnership, including whether the UUP party name will remain or whether it will come under the Conservative party banner.
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