Mr Girvan said:
“Alliance continues to spin the yarn that they are neutral on the constitutional position of Northern Ireland, but their actions tell a different story.
Time and time again we have seen that they are pro-actively engaging in republican echo chambers, with the sole aim of ripping Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom.
Alliance Deputy Leader, Stephen Farry, has been quite the devotee to promoting constitutional change, whether it be through support for Ireland’s Future events, or running to Dublin to give evidence to Seanad committees focused on removing Northern Ireland from the UK.
This Saturday was but the latest scheduled participation, with Naomi Long promoted as taking part in the Ireland’s Future ‘Pathway to Change’ event, which we all know what originally planned as a celebration for Sinn Fein’s election gains in the Irish elections, but now will be something akin to a political wake.
By withdrawing from the event due to a diary clash, Naomi Long has exposed the cynical manoeuvring of her Party. The Alliance Party simply doesn’t want unionists to see pictures of Naomi Long at the event alongside Mary-Lou McDonald and other Sinn Fein representatives, during an election campaign, whilst they openly discuss removing Northern Ireland from the UK.
Unionists won’t be fooled by this duplicitous withdrawal, especially given that Naomi Long confirmed she would attend a similar Ireland’s Future event if invited. That reveals the direction Alliance wish to take Northern Ireland – one of instability and uncertainty. They would be better focused on making Northern Ireland work for everyone. That is what the DUP is focused on.”