What has moved David Cameron to attempt a new alliance with Sir Reg Empey and the Ulster Unionists? What has moved Sir Reg Empey, a senior minister in the Northern Ireland executive, to bring his party into this new close alignment with the Conservatives? For Cameron, the calculations are clear. He wishes to push the Conservatives out of their English ghetto and to give a real meaning to his commitment to the United Kingdom as a whole. For Sir Reg, too, there are clear benefits. The Ulster Unionist party was destroyed by the DUP in the 2005 general election. The DUP now has nine seats, with only one held by the UUP. But few believe that the DUP is as strong today as it was in 2005. The only significant test of public opinion since the DUP went into government with Sinn Féin was the council byelection in Dromore. This revealed...
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