THE North Down MP, Mr Robert McCartney QC, yesterday said that the forum to be set up after the May 30th elections could be irrelevant once all party talks begin.
He added that the forum was designed to be "an irrelevant talking shop" and that the need by other parties to field well known constituency members in the election was "to some degree an irrelevance".
He accepted that the other unionist parties hoped the forum could test the acceptability of whatever was agreed at the all party talks which start on June 10th.
At least 10 candidates will be standing for Mr McCartney's UK Unionist Party, including the writer and former government minister, Dr Conor Cruise O'Brien.
Mr McCartney will be contesting North Down with Ms Valerie Kinghan, a local councillor. He said the electorate was getting the opportunity to vote for a "modern and pluralist party" which was led by a "professional negotiator" and supported integration with Britain.
He believed at least two UK Unionist candidates would be elected in North Down.