Mid Ulster councillor resigns DUP membership after 20 years with party
Clement Cuthbertson said the decision was “difficult” but it is “no longer the party I joined in my teenage years”
A MID ULSTER councillor has resigned his membership of the Democratic Unionist Party after 20 years in a decision he says has “not been taken lightly”.
Clement Cuthbertson says he first joined the DUP as a teenager but “cannot remain in a party when its actions no longer match the standards I believe it should uphold”.
In his exclusive announcement to the Tyrone Courier, he said the decision was “difficult… but sadly, it is no longer the party I joined in my teenage years”.
Mr Cuthbertson's shock move follows apparent ructions within the party that have already seen its Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart leave in the aftermath of the Drumcree-Garvaghy dispute.
He set out in a letter to constituents how his concerns “are not limited to one issue or one individual” but “reflect a loss of confidence in the direction the DUP has taken in recent years”.
“I have reached the point where remaining a party member would mean asking people to accept a position I cannot defend. I remain a strong Unionist and support strengthening Unionism through unity.
“To that end, I will not be commenting further in public on the issues I have raised in this correspondence. Those close to me know my thoughts.”
Cuthbertson says he joined the DUP in 1996, later becoming elected as a councillor to Dungannon in 2014.
While he will no longer be part of the party he says: “I remain fully committed to representing the people of the Dungannon Area, standing up for their interests and addressing the issues that matter to them.
“I will be retaining my elected position on Mid Ulster District Council and continuing to fulfil my responsibilities to the constituents who placed their trust in me at the ballot box in May 2023 as an Independent Unionist Councillor.”
He added that while his “party affiliation will change” his “principles, convictions and commitment to those I represent remain unchanged”.
“I would ask that my resignation from party membership be formally acknowledged and that the necessary administrative arrangements be completed.”