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The Anti Manifesto

• Mark Devenport
• 28 Feb 07, 11:05 AM

Just back from the launch of what the UK Unionist leader Bob McCartney proudly called his "anti-manifesto". He says it would be absurd for him to outline a series of priorities for government when everyone knows he is not going to be in it. Instead his 3 page document denounces the D'Hondt system as an affront to democracy, describes Sinn Fein as not a fit partner for governnment and blames all four of the big parties for water charges and rates.

Mr McCartney is standing in 6 seats, with his colleagues standing in another 7. The logistical problems of standing for election in so many different places are not to be sniffed at - the UK Unionist leader said that yesterday he travelled from North Down to Enniskillen to Lisbellaw to Fivemiletown to Moygashel back to Donaghadee and Millisle before finishing the day's campaigning in Tobermore.

After the NIO declared that Mr McCartney could not hand any extra seats on to substitutes, he has vowed not to resign if he wins outside North Down. He believes he should get more than one vote if he wins more than one seat although he acknowledges that Peter Hain might impose standing orders which rule that out. If that happens he says the Secretary of State will be in court "quicker than Jack Robinson".

So in the event of the multliple candidate wining mutiple seats what would happen to those multiple salaries? Bob McCartney says this has been raised with him on the doorsteps. His answer - he will provide us in the media with a monthly tot of the charities to which he will give an amount equivalent to any extra salaries received. He hopes we will look forward to "Bob's monthly tot."