Shankill Road voters are switching to Sinn Féin, say loyalist leaders

Shankill Road

VOTERS in staunch loyalist areas such as the Shankill Road are switching to Sinn Féin because republicans are seen to be active for working-class communities, unionist and nationalist, senior UDA members have told the unionist daily, the News Letter.

UDA leader Jackie McDonald explained that the switch to Sinn Féin is happening because unionist politicians have abandoned their working-class support.

Former UDA prisoner Colin Halliday said:

It wasn't big numbers but there were votes from loyalist areas went into the box for Sinn Féin.

What we're taking from that is that voters believe, 'These people are doing the work for us. We're being neglected by our own politicians.'

He said the DUP and UUP are ignoring the people of unionist working-class areas:

The days of putting a rosette on a donkey and parading it through unionist areas are over.

The UDA-linked Ulster Political Research Group will be contesting the council elections in May.