Pro-Union case 'must be heard'

Mr McCartney said his party would attend negotiations

The United Kingdom Unionist Party will take part in any review of the Good Friday Agreement to ensure the pro-Union case is heard, the party leader has said.

Launching the UKUP manifesto, Robert McCartney said: "The UKUP will attend and engage in all such talks, negotiations and discussions and use the negotiating skills and experience of the party leader to ensure the case for the Union and unionist people is properly made."

The party pledged to remove the d'Hondt rule for selecting executive ministers, which it said enabled Sinn Fein to have ministerial portfolios at Stormont.

The main points of the UKUP manifesto include:

Calling for the number of assembly members, ministries at Stormont and quangos to be dramatically slashed, with the administrative staff "severely pruned" in the departments of health and education

Fighting against the use of cross-border bodies to promote a united Ireland - these all-Ireland bodies are to be utilised solely for the social, economic and cultural benefit of two sovereign states to enable them to co-exist harmoniously

Insisting the primary duty of the police is to protect citizens' life, person and property. The recruitment of sufficient police officers to do this should be the primary objective, with merit and suitability replacing religion as the main criteria

Fighting any amnesty for paramilitary fugitives from justice which would enable them to return to Northern Ireland without being jailed

Resisting the imposition of excessive rates increases and water charges as a means of bringing Northern Ireland's infrastructure up to standard after 30 years of underfunding. The party believes Westminster "must shoulder part of the burden for filling the £15 billion black hole which it created during the period of Direct Rule".