In response to the letter from DUP Cllr Carla Lockhart published in your newspaper criticising me for allegedly laying part of the blame for the recent eruption of dissident republican violence at the door of the DUP, I would like to make the following comments :

1. I actually laid some of the blame for dissident republican violence in Craigavon at the door of Sinn Fein blocking executive business and by doing this creating an atmosphere of political instability which was damaging to inward investment. Most sensible people would agree with this self-evident truth.

2. I then went on to say that Sinn Fein and their partners, the DUP, should get their act together and end the political impasse which is encouraging this instability.

3. I also lamented the fact that Sinn Fein and the DUP seemed incapable of actually making decisions in government. I drew attention to their lack of action and to the drift and paralysis which characterises the Sinn Fein-DUP coalition.

4. I would like to point out that the DUP and their partners Sinn Fein exclude all the other parties from decision making and because they do this they may expect others to point out their lack of action and downright incompetence in government.

5. All the big decisions are being made by Sinn Fein and the DUP in a behind closed-doors huddle and they may expect other people to point this out, especially when they appear to be unable to sort anything out or make decisions. The public have a right to know that the Executive has not met since June. What are Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness being paid for? This lack of business is disgraceful considering that 38 measures are in the pipeline waiting for an Executive meeting to be carried out.

I am not surprised that a DUP Councillor is annoyed when I tell the people the truth about the way they and their Sinn Fein partners are running – or not running Northern Ireland, as the case actually is. It is time we had a return to government by sensible, responsible parties but the next election will sort that out when the people see what a real mess the DUP and their partners Sinn Fein are making of it,