Ballymoney TUV

30/08/2026

Newry - Sinn Fein’s Problem is the Loyal Orders Exist

Statement by TUV Newry and Armagh Assembly candidate Councillor Keith Ratcliffe:

“Yesterday saw over 10,000 visitors to Newry as they celebrated the Last Saturday.

“The parade was a remarkable display of music, colour and artistic talent. As a Past Master of Number 1 Preceptory, I have some understanding of the amount of work required to produce such a successful event.

“Before the parade, there was extensive discussion with the local community around flags, bunting, access for health care workers, no additional streets added to the route and a leaflet drop to residents.

“The parade was largely confined to the fringes of Newry.

“Yet, true to form, Liz Kimmins is seeking to stir up hate and animosity.

“This from a Minister who has failed when it comes to the most basic duties of her department given the appalling state of our roads.

“The truth is that Sinn Fein don’t have anything to complain about from last Saturday. The marchers and supporters behaved with dignity and decorum.

“The problem Republicans have is that the Loyal Orders exist.

“That is a sad reflection of their bigotry in 2026.”

29/08/2026

🚨TUV Objects to removal of Balnamore Polling Station.🚨

North Antrim MP Jim Allister has formally objected to the Electoral Office's proposal to remove a polling station from Balnamore.

The proposal would require Balnamore residents in next year's elections to travel to St Brigid's School in Ballymoney and Seacon and Macfin voters to go to The Model School.

In his robust objection Mr Allister has written as follows:-

Letter to Electoral Office

Dear

In regard to your proposed Polling Station Schedule, I wish as the local MP to object to the treatment of my constituents in the Balnamore, Macfin and Seacon areas.

Historically these constituents voted at Balnamore Primary School. Now, you are proposing they should be dispersed with Balnamore voting at St Brigid’s in Ballymoney town and Macfin and Seacon voting at The Model School, also in Ballymoney town.

This is highly inconvenient and likely to discourage voting.

Balnamore PS building still exists and I’m sure could be made available. If not, there are other community buildings in the area.

When I look at other areas I see meaningful efforts to accommodate local communities, for example, though geographically close, both Waterfoot and Cushendall are to each have their own polling station. Why are my constituents in and around Balnamore being treated less favourably?

Moreover, with almost 5000 proposed to vote at St Brigid’s it is grossly oversubscribed and with limited parking and limitations on the associated roads infrastructure it is likely to become chaotic.

I believe therefore that you must urgently review your proposal so as to restore to Balnamore and area a suitable and convenient polling station.

In making these representations I know I also speak for local councillor, Jonathan McAuley and MLA, Timothy Gaston.

Yours sincerely,

Jim Allister MP

Local TUV Councillor, Jonathan McAuley, added his condemnation of the proposal, describing it as a serious undermining of the democratic process when voting is made more difficult by replacing a convenient polling station with an inconvenient one. "Requiring Balnamore residents to travel to the already crowded and hard to access St Brigid's is ridiculous. Over 4700 people will now be expected to vote at St Brigid's. It will be chaotic. Balnamore polling station must be restored."

North Antrim Assembly Candidate, Kirk Wilson commented “I know that this is something that is causing great concern to the people of Balnamore, Macfin and Seacon.

“With there being a Council owned Community Centre in Balnamore and the Primary School still being used as a public building there is no reason for these changes to be made by the Electoral Commission.

“With voter turnout already at low levels, the Electoral Commission should be doing their utmost to increase turnout, instead of making voting more inconvenient and inaccessible.”

28/08/2026

28/08/2026

Allister Kyle pays tribute to Prison Service as they are awarded Freedom of Causeway Coast and Glens

Speaking at the awarding of the Freedom of Causeway Coast and Glens to the Northern Ireland Prison Service TUV East Londonderry candidate Councillor Allister Kyle said:

"I want to pay tribute today to the men and women of the Northern Ireland Prison Service, who have earned this deserved honour.

"Throughout its history, service in our prisons has placed officers and their families at considerable risk.

"From Robert Walker, the first prison officer murdered by the IRA in 1942, at a time when that organisation was conspiring with N**i Germany, to retired officer William McCully, shot dead in front of his wife in 1974; and through to the murders of David Black in 2012 and Adrian Ismay in 2016, prison officers have risked life and limb to protect the people of this Province from violent criminals.

"My mind also turns to Graham Fenton.

"Graham was only 20 years old, with so much of his life still before him, when he was brutally gunned down while off duty in Ballymoney.

"At his funeral, the minister observed:

“A prison officer’s work is to maintain human relations among men, some of whom have shown themselves to be less than human.”

"Perhaps the most shocking illustration of what prison officers endured is the murder of Michael Cassidy.

"Michael was an off-duty prison officer, a Roman Catholic and a member of the GAA. On 16 April 1979, he attended his sister’s wedding at St Macartan’s Church in Clogher.

"His sister later recalled that Michael had been deeply concerned about attending a wedding so close to the border and in an area where he was well known. He had not even decided during the ceremony whether he would risk travelling to the reception in Monaghan. He feared that doing so might be “dicing with death”.

"As Michael left the chapel holding the hand of his three-year-old daughter, two IRA gunmen opened fire.

"The bride had just driven away with her new husband. Looking back, she saw her brother lying dead at his wife’s feet.

"She later said:

“I knew I would never forget my wedding day, but I didn’t think that it would be because of my brother’s murder.”

"Those words bring home the terrible price paid not only by prison officers, but by their wives, husbands, children, parents and wider families.

"The Northern Ireland Prison Service has upheld law and order in the face of threats, intimidation and murder. Its officers continued to serve when wearing the uniform made them—and even their families—targets.

"That record of courage, sacrifice and public service is why today’s decision to confer the Freedom of the Borough upon the Northern Ireland Prison Service is so right and so fitting.

"It is an honour richly deserved."

27/08/2026

🚨Big Breakfast🚨

Ballymoney TUV are holding our annual Big Breakfast!

📅Saturday 3rd October
⏰8:30am-12:30pm
📍Ballymoney Royal British Legion

Come along and join with us for a mighty feed, great craic and an opportunity to meet your local TUV team, including our Councillors Jonathan McAuley and Allister Kyle and Assembly Candidate Kirk Wilson.

27/08/2026

🚨North Antrim MP, Jim Allister KC, writes to the Parades Commission Chair🚨

Dear Professor Collins,

The Secretary of State has rightly identified public confidence as imperative to the operation of the Parades Commission. Equally obvious is the absence of such across the unionist community. Likewise, it is clear that self-serving affirmations of evenhandedness will not secure such confidence.

The position of the Commission is irretrievable. Its probity is gone!

The scale and depth of what emerged in the recent judicial review is such as to put unionist confidence beyond reach.

The statutory obligation to discharge your functions is one to be exercised in good faith and to the standards required in public law terms. The failures exposed in the subject case are staggering, causing the High Court Judge to quash the determination, with accompanying scathing commentary. There is no hiding place from that.

The initial response of the Commission is itself informative as to the worth of any assurances now provided. To dismiss the JR outcome as some technical ruling was not just gauche but indicative of the cavalier arrogance that has come to denote this commission.

With the commission having failed to exercise its functions lawfully and with the imperative of public confidence irretrievably gone, you and your colleagues should resign forthwith.

Quite apart from the collective failure of the commission to exercise their functions lawfully, the evident bias, even malice, displayed by Commissioner Gamble when in strident terms he sought to stymie mediation so that the applicants might not have an “angle” to keep “prodding” the commission, called for repudiation from you as Chair and from each of your colleagues.
The fact that such contributions from this bad faith actor brought no rebuke or repudiation from any of his fellow commissioners compounds the need for you all to go.

It is, surely, unthinkable that a commission which has brought upon itself such ill repute could ever determine, or be seen to determine, the fresh and upcoming Portadown application. Thus, you and your colleagues are not in a position to exercise your statutory functions in a manner capable of commanding public confidence.

Accordingly, you and your colleagues must go!

In terms of the ‘shoddiness’ exposed in this case, please advise if the practices exposed are and have been the standard practice of how the Commission has been discharging its public law duties. Is what has been laid bare in the Portadown case the template deployed in respect of parades in my constituency and elsewhere?

Yours sincerely,

Jim Allister KC MP

26/08/2026

🇬🇧🥁🪈TUV reps out supporting Stranocum Band Parade this evening in Ballymoney 🇬🇧🥁🪈

26/08/2026

O’Neill Ill-Placed to Lecture Unionists About the Past

Jim Allister said:

“It ill-becomes Michelle O’Neill to accuse Unionists of harking back to the past just a few weeks after she lionised the murderer of young Yvonne Dunlop.

“Where was her consideration for her family when she posed for photographs beside the grave of Thomas McElwee, whose firebomb robbed a family of a wife and a mother?

“O’Neill pontificates to others about harking back to the past while presiding over a movement which celebrates and glorifies the most vile of killers.

“Save us the hypocrisy.”

25/08/2026

Parades Commission caught out - now bow out!

Speaking outside the High Court today TUV leader Jim Allister called for Parades Commission heads to roll.

“Today High Court quashing of the Parades Commission’s determination on Drumcree is not just a landmark put down of an arrogant commission that lords it over the parading scene, but a fundamental expose of its unlawful practices and processes.

“It that dictates to others what they can and cannot do, we now find habitually ignores the law and due process in its haste to impose unwarranted conditions on parades.

“The law is clear: the Commission as a corporate body must together make determinations, but, instead, the Parades Commission was cutting corners and lacing its irregular processes with vitriolic commentary on those who disagreed with it.

“The whole Commission is culpable. Thus, the whole commission should resign. Caught out they should bow out!”