Jim Allister says TUV 'fighting to win' in assembly election

Jim Allister addressed the conference at the Royal Hotel in Cookstown

The leader of the TUV has said the party is fighting the assembly election to win and if it does: "Stormont will never be the same again."

Jim Allister's party conference, buoyed by good opinion poll ratings, heard speakers describe the TUV as "an electoral fighting machine" and "a major political party".

It is fielding candidates in all 18 constituencies for the first time.

Two candidates will stand in North Antrim, which Mr Allister represents.

Mr Allister has never succeeded in getting anyone but himself elected to the assembly in the party's 14-year history.

"The TUV isn't here to make up the numbers in this election," he told cheering party members.

"The TUV is here to win and when we do Stormont will never be the same again."

Jim Allister has led the TUV for its entire existence

He described his former party the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as a "sinking ship" and said it was riven with divisions.

He also denied claims that the only way to stop a Sinn Féin first minister was to vote for Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's party.

Instead he said there could only be a Sinn Féin first minister if a "stooge" unionist party took the deputy first minister's post.

He added that if the price of governing at Stormont was implementing "the union dismantling" Northern Ireland protocol then it was something no unionist should ever do.

The protocol is the Brexit deal which prevents a hard Irish border by keeping Northern Ireland inside the EU's single market for goods.

The conference began with those in attendance standing for the Ukrainian national anthem in solidarity with the country amidst the ongoing Russian invasion.