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File image of Jim Wells earlier this year. PA

NI politician Jim Wells resigns from DUP after 46 years

The former NI health minister told the BBC Nolan Show that he could not support the DUP’s Assembly candidate in South Down.

JIM WELLS HAS resigned from the DUP in what he called an “inevitable” move after endorsing a constituency candidate for a different party in the upcoming Northern Ireland Assembly election.

The MLA for South Down has been a DUP member for 46 years. He is not running in the Assembly election next month. 

The former NI health minister told the BBC Nolan Show that he could not support the DUP’s election candidate in South Down, Diane Forsythe.

He said: “I have now resigned from the party after 46 years.

“I have decided I cannot support the candidate that the party executive has imposed on the people of South Down and I have resigned from the party.

I think that the moment I said that I would not be backing the candidate that was imposed upon us, it was inevitable.

“I took the decision late last night to contact the party leader, the party secretary and the chief executive and let them know that after 46 years I have gone as a DUP member.

“I feel very strongly about this.”

The Belfast Telegraph had reported that Wells made the decision to support the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) candidate Harold McKee instead of the DUP’s Forsythe. 

Additional reporting by Orla Dwyer.

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18 Comments
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    Mute Ivor O'Sullivan ☘
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    Apr 12th 2022, 11:23 AM

    Jim, wells up after realising the next first minister will be a Catholic woman.

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    Mute Liam MacSuibhne
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    Apr 12th 2022, 11:05 AM

    Ye can dress up like cosplay characters for all anyone cares. The NI Protocol is here to stay.

    238
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    Mute Gordon Larney
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    Apr 12th 2022, 11:20 AM

    Ironically, he was one of her biggest supporters in 2017 when he described her as “an excellent candidate in every respect”. I wonder what changed his mind? Maybe it was when she brought to light the open bulling, sexism, and ageism that goes on within the DUP.

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    Mute Trevor croft
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    Apr 12th 2022, 11:11 AM

    Never heard of him

    136
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    Mute alan
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    Apr 12th 2022, 12:37 PM

    @Trevor croft: do you log in to tell us you don’t know something!

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    Mute Trevor croft
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    Apr 12th 2022, 12:45 PM

    @alan: Nope I’m pretty much logged in all the time Alan, how are you feeling today?? me aol flower

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    Mute alan
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    Apr 12th 2022, 4:17 PM

    @Trevor croft: grand. and yourself? though i’ve never heard of you, best wishes all the same!

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    Mute Darren Anthony Corr
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    Apr 12th 2022, 12:19 PM

    When I read that he was resigning from the DUP over their choice of candidate I was thinking “oh wow, DUPers waking up and finding sense?”
    Then I read he was throwing his support behind the TUV candidate instead and was thinking “oh, never mind”.
    Not even a unionist but to be honest the UUP seem to be the only unionist party that aren’t outright facists and dinosaurs, just people who feel happier inside the Union, without attacking and alienating the other 49% of the population in NI and that’s completely fine and justified for them.

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Apr 12th 2022, 1:39 PM

    @Darren Anthony Corr: He resigns so he can back bigger Dinosaurs in the TUV.

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    Mute sPUNj
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    Apr 12th 2022, 11:26 AM

    Looks more like Jim Unwells to me

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    Mute Antaine O'Labhradha
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    Apr 12th 2022, 12:42 PM

    A fanatical religious fundamentalist with a deeply-ingrained disdain of Catholic, Irish and LGBTQ+ citizens. Will be missed as much as a malignant tumour removed before metastasis..

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    Mute alan
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    Apr 12th 2022, 4:21 PM

    @Antaine O’Labhradha: great. maybe now we can start ‘removing’ similar ‘malignant tumours’ here too.

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    Mute William Tallon
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    Apr 12th 2022, 12:20 PM

    ‘I’ve been DUPed…’

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    Mute Skeleton Cat?
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    Apr 12th 2022, 11:24 AM

    Statement from the TUV, expected soon,

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    Mute pat seery
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    Apr 12th 2022, 12:37 PM

    Leaving A Sinking Shiip with No Captain

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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Apr 12th 2022, 2:53 PM

    A DUPPER saying no? Can’t believe this is happening.

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    Mute Declan Carr
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    Apr 12th 2022, 2:16 PM

    I don’t think Harold McKee has no clout, He will take some of Jim Wells, the DUP will be down quite a lot, they will lose out when they join the UUP. So this time around I think SF for the first time will get UUP and DUP votes.

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    Mute Diaspora'd
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    Apr 12th 2022, 5:49 PM

    @Declan Carr: I really doubt a DUP voter would switch or transfer their vote to Sinn Féin. More likely to vote other unionist preferences down the ballot. Maybe Alliance might get a no.1 from a very disillusioned DUP voter, even SDLP would likely benefit from that type of voter before Sinn Féin ever would.

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