The AGM of the Council was held on Wednesday 4th June 2008 at which the incoming Mayor and Deputy Mayor were elected. Alderman Sydney Anderson, DUP, was elected to the top post and Alderman Arnold Hatch of the Ulster Unionists as his deputy.
These posts were enacted as a result of a pact between thetwo Unionist parties, a pact to which I steadfastly refused to support. Subsequently I refrained from voting in the election of both posts.
I was elected in May 2005 as an Official Unionist and it is therefore not part of my brief to support the DUP when it is felt that a close call may result from the vote.
I could not in any way countenance the DUP candidate Alderman Anderson , who was formerly elected as an Ulster Unionist , spent some time as an Independent and later joined the DUP. Over my past three years on Council Alderman Anderson has constantly verbally attacked the Ulster Unionist Party. His behaviour and that of some of his colleagues on the DUP was appalling to Ulster Unionist members when the Council decided last year to rotate the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Council Committees.
Hard to believe however that in the space of a few months afterwards the DUP had abandoned their "Never, never, never " , stand and completed a major U-turn on the electorate and went into government with Sinn Fein.
With RPA scheduled for 2011, Craigavon Borough Council is to be merged with those in Armagh and Banbridge. Our future colleagues in both these Councils have for some time readily accepted a rotational agreement for the top two Council posts. Craigavon Borough Council appear however not to accept a shared future.
I spoke vehemently to my Ulster Unionist colleagues on Council of my strong opposition to a DUP - UUP pact and I feel this move may not be welcomed throughout the local Ulster Unionist community.
At a meeting of Edenderry Ulster Unionist Branch on Thursday 5th June I outlined the above reasons why I could not support my colleagues on this issue. My stand was warmly received.
Therefore I have decided to notify my Ulster Unionist electorate via my personal website as to my true feelings on this issue and also to dispel any rumours which are liable to emanate from my decision.
Craigavon Borough Council Official Photograph
Once again the DUP has refused to participate in the Official Council photograph following the AGM on Wednesday 4th June 2008 due to the fact that elected Sinn Fein members were taking part.
I fail to understand why Craigavon DUP members do not follow the lead given to them by their superiors sitting in the Assembly at Stormont.
Over this past year former First Minister Ian Paisley has shared the front page tabloids around the world alongside Martin McGuinness , a relationhip dubbed by the media as the Chuckle Brothers. Ian Junior too was regularly pictured alongside Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly. With Papa Doc and Baby Doc now eased from their respective posts by their former colleagues , we now find that Jeffrey Donaldson is now posing for photographs alongside the afforementioned Mr Kelly.
However half an hours drive from Stormont , the DUP members continue their boycott of the Official Council photograph.
It is accepted locally by many that DUP, MLA's David Simpson and Stephen Moutray pull the strings of their DUP Council puppets within Craigavon Borough Council. It is therefore difficult to comprehend that whilst both of them pocket a large salary plus expenses at Stormont whilst their senior colleagues continually pose for photo opportunities with Sinn Fein at the same venue they appear to adopt a different stance when approaching Craigavon.
Can it be that Messrs Simpson and Moutray , once they leave the confines of Stormont, turn their watches back almost 320 years , prior to consulting with their colleagues in Craigavon?
