Ulster Unionist Party Chief Whip, Steve Aiken OBE MLA, said:

“The outcome of the forthcoming Westminster elections will impact on Northern Ireland more than any other part of the United Kingdom if plans for a border in the Irish Sea are implemented.

“DUP responsibility in this debacle cannot be whitewashed away. It was their acceptance of a regulatory border in the Irish Sea on the 2nd October, vigorously opposed by the Ulster Unionist Party, which opened the floodgates for Boris Johnson and his dreadful deal. The Union itself is now in a precarious position not in spite of the DUP’s stance but because of the DUP’s actions.

“We have been in discussions with senior political and community figures across North Belfast. In doing so we listened respectfully to all views expressed, including deeply held concerns that they will be unrepresented in Westminster in the critical months ahead. 

“This has been done in the context of threats and intimidation against Ulster Unionist Party staff and members. In a modern democracy no-one should have to face threats, intimidation or coercion of any sort because of their involvement in the democratic process. It is appalling and totally reprehensible and should have no place in Northern Ireland in the twenty first century. 

“As Ulster Unionists it is our role to protect and promote the Union. Therefore it is absolutely vital that MPs are returned who will take their seats and be able to influence the future direction of our nation. 

“We are a party that believes first and foremost in the Union, and secondly in the importance of representative democracy. Therefore we have decided not to nominate a candidate in North Belfast in the forthcoming election.  The DUP recognise that they cannot win North Belfast on their own, despite having dismissed the opinions of other unionists in the past. They cannot expect to continue on that basis and must now realise they need Ulster Unionist voices at Westminster.

“The choice in North Belfast is between Nigel Dodds as MP or an abstentionist MP who refuses to stand in Westminster to talk about health, education, justice, international affairs, or the future direction of the United Kingdom. In the face of Boris Johnson`s terrible deal which forces Northern Ireland towards the edge of the Union, we cannot gift a seat to Sinn Fein who support this direction either in North Belfast or Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

“It is better to elect Nigel Dodds in North Belfast and hold him to account for his promises on the Union than facilitate the election of an abstentionist Sinn Fein MP who still cannot condemn IRA violence. We acknowledge that this decision will be welcomed by some and will disappoint others, but we believe it is in the best interests of our country and the Union.”