Ballymena DUP councillors show support for Robert McCartney (photo and article, front page Ballymena Guardian 03.01.07)

Ballymena SDLP councillor Declan O’Loan has said that the willingness of three Ballymena DUP councillors to attend a meeting with MLA Robert McCartney shows the strong internal disagreement in the DUP over the St Andrew’s Agreement.

He went on, “Councillors Gillespie, Stirling and Tweed cheerfully posed for a photograph with Mr McCartney. It is clear that they are very unhappy with the St Andrews proposals. It is equally clear that they want to flex their muscles in public in order to exert pressure on the DUP leadership to reject the deal.

These are three hard-line members of Ballymena Borough Council. They are not in their own in that regard. Clearly going into a multi-party government is as hard for some in the DUP to stomach as it is for some in Sinn Fein to join the policing structures and support the PSNI in fighting crime.”