Scrap all UK assemblies, says new unionist party

Speakers from the Union & Sovereignty Party will address the recruitment meeting at the Bridge Community Centre at 8pm.

They will include party leader John Mortimer, from Scotland, and Northern Ireland organiser Brian Higginson.

Mr Higginson has previously been a trade union representative, a member of the UDR and the NI regional organiser for Ukip.

Although it has no elected members as yet, the party membership is rising by around 30 members every months, he said, with a total UK membership of around 300 people so far.

“We are a fledgling party which was formed by activists from the Scottish referendum,” Mr Higginson told the News Letter. “We are a pro-Brexit, UK unionist-wide party aiming to rebuild Britain. We don’t recognise Stormont, we are for direct rule from Westminster.”

Asked what would set the party apart from the TUV and UUP, he said that the TUV is still talking about qualified support for a modified form of devolved government.

Three sitting local government councillors have expressed an interest in defecting, he said.

A key policy of the party is to distinguish itself from Ukip, Jacob Rees Mogg and the DUP in that it wants to “regain control” of UK borders post-Brexit.

Mr Higginson said his party wants to see formal checkpoints on the Irish border as it will then be the only UK land border with the EU.

Blog posts on the party website also urge “No return for ISIS brides” and state: “Enoch Powell was right – we can still rebuild Britain.”