‘Trust is key election issue’ for Ulster Unionist candidates

The Ulster Unionists have selected Ald Maureen Morrow to run again in the Larne Coast Road area and Cllrs Mark McKinty and Andy Wilson have both been selected in Larne Lough.

Ald. Morrow said: “At the moment in this country, the only elected forum which actually works is the local council.

“To function properly, however, councillors have to work together. That requires a basic level of trust.

“However from what I have witnessed over the past four years, the two parties that ran Stormont into the ground have been trying their best to do the same with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

“This makes it very difficult for the rest of us who are interested in seeing the whole borough progress.

“Hopefully, the electorate will take their opportunity to pass their verdict on the problem parties and elect those of us who actually want to work for the entire community.”

Cllr. McKinty said: “Local government should be about delivering local services, but even in the continuing absence of a functioning Stormont, things which should be the responsibility of the local Council are kept in the gift of unaccountable government departments.

“The Ulster Unionists want simple things like grass cutting, pothole filling and gritting the roads to be devolved to the council.

“Most people think we are responsible for them anyway, so we say to Stormont- give us the tools to do the job. What is absolutely essential for the council to work is that councillors approach issues on the basis of what is best for their local ratepayers - that is what you get with Ulster Unionist councillors.”

Cllr. Andy Wilson said: “I’ve seen at first hand from the first term of the planning committee, how important it is that councillors have the ability and objectivity to take decisions based purely on material planning policies and how totally inappropriate it is to take a party political line. I have to say I have no confidence in one of the problem parties to do that.

“By now, the public should be in no doubt who they can and cannot trust. To put it in plain English, they cannot trust the DUP and Sinn Fein. If they get support again at council level, they will do to Mid and East Antrim what they have done to Stormont.”