Assembly Elections | Ex-UDR soldier and Orangeman Tom Elliott shows his colours

‘He made Jim Allister look like the Dalai Lama’ – Former Ulster Unionist Party MLA

ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY leader and Ulster Defence Regiment veteran Tom Elliott is fighting a rearguard action against widespread criticism of him at the Fermanagh/South Tyrone Assembly count on live TV describing republicans as “the scum of Sinn Féin”.

His outburst was described by the brother of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr as “prehistoric” and “prejudiced”.

Sinn Féin supporters were celebrating after taking three seats in Fermanagh/South Tyrone and waving Tricolours when the UUP leader sneered from the podium during his own acceptance speech:

“I see many people here today with flags, many of them flags of a foreign nation.”

When republicans cheered and heckled back at the needless provocation, the UDR veteran said:

“I would expect nothing better from the scum of Sinn Féin.”

After the Ulster Unionist Party leader’s behaviour in the Omagh Leisure Centre brought widespread criticism across the political spectrum, even his UUP colleagues failed to back him. His deputy leader preferred to ‘explain’ that it was due to Elliott’s tiredness and his 18 years as a soldier in the UDR.

Former UUP MLA David McClarty is being wooed once more by the party after his re-election as an Independent Unionist in East Derry but he said he was horrified by the UUP leader’s comments.

“I thought I had gone back in time and I was not comfortable with the comment at all.

“Those comments were not the progressive type of unionism that I would be promoting.

“To be honest, I couldn’t believe my ears. I got back from the count centre, switched the TV on and I thought to myself I was watching an episode of Ashes to Ashes – I thought we’d gone back in time.”

The former UUP figure compared Tom Elliott to hardline Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister:

“He made Jim Allister look like the Dalai Lama.”

Alliance Party leader David Ford said:

“These were despicable comments that should be treated with the contempt they deserve by everyone.

“These remarks seriously call into question the judgment of Tom Elliott and shatter any last vestige of credibility the UUP might have on the issue of community relations.

“These comments could act as the political obituary of Tom Elliott.”

Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness said Tom Elliott’s attitude is no way to build bridges with people.

Tom Elliott describes himself on his UUP website as a “dedicated member of the loyal orders and former County Grand Master of Fermanagh LOL”.