Dwin Poots, a close associate and friend of the DUP, said he believed Mr Wells’s opponent, Diane Forsythe, would win a seat in Parliament. After 46 years in the party, Mr Wells resigned dramatically on Tuesday after the Belfast Telegraph revealed he was facing dismissal for backing TUV’s Harold McKee in South Down. DUP MP Sammy Wilson, who joined the party at the same time as Mr Wells, said he believed Mr Wells had made a “big mistake”. He also claimed that by not voting for DUP, people were in danger of opening the door to Sinn Fein on election day. “I find it very strange that he would support a candidate who can not stop Sinn Fein, but could help Sinn Fein in its goal of becoming the largest party. “I would never do that,” he said. “Jim and I – and everyone – owe faith to our party and it is a pity that Jim, who has made a valuable contribution to trade unionism all these years, made this decision. “He owes it to the party, which allowed him to win seats he would not otherwise have won. “But instead of what he owes to the party, what does he owe to the country?” Mr Putz, who served as Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for the last time, said: “I have no doubt that Diane Forsyth will continue to win the seat. “But I think Harold McKee will seriously damage our vote. “He is a decent man and a good candidate.” Now standing in South Belfast after the death of Christopher Stalford, Mr. Putz has paid tribute to the service that Mr. Wells has served for nearly five decades. And as speculation grows that Wells, as the paper also revealed, will join Jim Alistair’s party, perhaps even earlier than expected, Putsch said he believed Mr Alistair would be happy to see him. Wales to join the ranks of TUV. “I’m sorry to see Jim leave after 46 years of dedicated and loyal service to the party and I wish him and his family well for the future,” Putsch added. “He has been a close and valuable colleague for many years. But the focus now must be on the election. It is important for the DUP to win as many seats as possible. “ Mr Putz, who had been linked with the South Downs headquarters before party officials finally chose the mother of three, Ms Forsythe, instead of Mr Wells, declined to criticize Mr Wells for backing Mr McKee. , who is the same former Ulster teammate who just joined TUV last November. Another outgoing DUP MLA, however, one of five who privately supported Mr Wells after losing the party whip four years ago, said he was “shocked” that Mr Wells had backed another party. The DUP member, who did not want to be named, told Wells that he had gone too far in supporting Mr McKee. Mr Wells contacted his party leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, and DUP CEO Timothy Johnston when he decided to step down instead of waiting to be fired. He declined to comment on the details of his talks, but said he was taking an “extremely nice test” of joining Mr Alistair’s party. Referring to his resignation, Mr Wells said: “I think the moment I said I would not support the candidate that was imposed on us, it was inevitable. “I made the decision to contact the party leader and the CEO and inform them that, after 46 years, I went as a member of the DUP.” The DUP argued that the election should be about more than just “personalities”, as Mr Wells, who has been the DUP’s sole representative in the constituency since 1998, called on voters to give Mr McKee their first preference before Mrs Forsythe. Has not responded to requests for comment.
