'We need to get away from this 'us and them' culture that we have embedded – that if one side wins something then the other must lose' - John McCallister MLA (NI21)

THE leaders of unionist party NI21 told the Sinn Féin 'think-in' in Carlingford on Friday that while republicans and unionists differ on constitutional issues there is no reason they cannot work together on 'bread and butter issues'.

Speaking to An Phoblacht in the north Louth border town, deputy leader of NI21 John McCallister MLA said he and party leader Basil McCrea MLA were there to give their perspective of the big challenges facing the North.

"We need to get away from this 'us and them' culture that we have embedded – that if one side wins something then the other must lose," he said.

During the discussion, the NI21 MLAs took part in robust exchanges with Sinn Féin's Oireachtas team on issues such as Irish unity, dealing with the legacy of the conflict, the flags issue, the Peace Process and political reform in the Assembly.

While taking an unambiguous pro-Union stance on constitutional issues, the NI21 leaders said people were becoming more concerned with "bread and butter issues".

McCallister – who was previously criticised by hardline loyalists after he told a conference in Newry that unionists had "hard and painful" questions to ask themselves about failings in the past – said his party will "go anywhere and meet with anyone".

He told An Phoblacht that the challenge other unionist parties need to face up to is that the only way to solve contentious issues – ranging from parades and rioting to education and unemployment – is to work and have dialogue with all political parties.

Basil McCrea MLA said he wants such events to be more than just a photo-op:

"The key thing in any process is trying to see things from the other person's point of view. It's trying to understand why things happen as there are usually other factors or items you may have missed or overlooked."