FORMER IRELAND rugby international Trevor Ringland, who stood against Peter Robinson in East Belfast in this year’s Westminster elections, has resigned from the Ulster Unionist Party.
He confirmed yesterday that he has stood down from the UUP over new party leader Tom Elliott’s refusal to take up his offer to bring him to next year’s All-Ireland GAA football final if an Ulster team qualified.
Mr Ringland told The Irish Timesit was not beyond the bounds of possibility that he would rejoin the UUP if Mr Elliott moderated his position on the GAA. "But whatever happens I will not be standing for the Ulster Unionist Party in next May's Assembly elections," he said.
Mr Ringland, who is heavily involved in cross-community work, said Mr Elliott’s refusal to be more open to the GAA was the “tipping point” in his decision to resign from the party.
Mr Ringland, a solicitor who stood in East Belfast in the recent Westminster election, which Naomi Long won for the Alliance Party, said that in terms of community relations, the public was ahead of the politicians. He believed that Mr Elliott as new UUP leader should have demonstrated that the UUP would take the lead on tackling sectarianism.
“We are a deeply divided society, yet politicians are pressing the old buttons and that needs to be challenged,” he said.
“I wanted a leader who was confident in himself, who would say if he was invited to a GAA match, that he would have the confidence to go there.
“The GAA has changed over the years, as have many people, and it is important that we recognise and reciprocate that change,” said Mr Ringland.
Mr Elliott said he was disappointed by Mr Ringland’s decision. “I have the utmost respect for Trevor and recognise that we are broadly in agreement on the vast majority of issues,” he said.
“My feeling is that Trevor found himself cornered on an issue – an issue which I do not believe necessitated his resignation.”
