Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-

“Whether from the standpoint of those Unionists, like TUV, who always rejected mandatory coalition or those who participated in mandatory coalition, like UUP and DUP, surely, all can now see and agree that it does not and cannot work. This should be the common ground of unionism moving forward.

“Those who participated in it can legitimately say they tried. But the realisation for us all now is, surely, that it will not work, particularly now that Sinn Fein is upping the ante and demanding that it is operated in their way, or not at all.

“Thus a defining moment has arrived for unionism. We have to decide if it is the humiliating path of seeking to prop up an unworkable system to which Sinn Fein has demonstrated no commitment, or making voluntary coalition, maybe with the underwrite of a manageable weighted majority requirement, the agreed and only path to executive devolution. The alternative has been tried and failed and now Sinn Fein’s arrogant demand for more needs to be countered by coalescing around a system that, unlike mandatory coalition, is fair and workable.

“Thus, my message to Arlene Foster and Mike Nesbitt is “whatever you invested in trying to make mandatory coalition work, it is now time to move on. Finding common ground on that would be a great encouragement to unionism in general.” Indeed, democrats as a whole, nationalist or unionist, should have no difficulty in embracing voluntary coalition as the way ahead.”