David Burnside: Tim Collins is head and shoulders above Alex Easton to defeat Alliance's Stephen Farry in North Down

A vote for Alliance next week, on July 4, will endanger the Union.

Well intentioned voters who are misled by a moderate, centrist ticket from Alliance could lose the unionist majority voice at Westminster for the first time in history.

Crucial seats like North Down, East Belfast and Lagan Valley could all be lost to Alliance.

Such a defeat will be exploited by the pan-nationalist front of Sinn Féin, SDLP, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to destabilise the province by pushing the secretary of state to call a border poll.

Unionist parties must get their act together. There is a solid 60% support for the union amongst the population.

However, the conflict and infighting between DUP, UUP, TUV is pushing moderate unionists into voting for Alliance.

Voting for Alliance in a Westminster election is naive and, from a unionist perspective, dangerous.

North Down has a strong character in Tim Collins, whom I have known for many years, standing head and shoulders above Stephen Farry and Alex Easton, and has a respected international reputation.

Lagan Valley has two strong unionists in Robbie Butler and Jonathan Buckley, either of whom can win if voters resist Alliance.

In East Belfast the symbolism of losing Belfast’s only unionist MP Gavin Robinson would be more than stupidity.

In South Antrim and Fermanagh and South Tyrone unionists have two winning candidates in Robin Swann and Dianne Armstrong if the electorate reject Alliance.

The Alliance party refuses to actively support the Union. Alliance were primarily responsible for stopping the flying of the Union flag on Belfast City Hall. Whilst the southern political establishment and Sinn Féin, SDLP promote a united Ireland Alliance stays neutral.

Unionist voters of all types, class and religious views or not should think carefully about what they do on July 4. Under an expected Labour government, who still refuse to put up candidates in the province’s elections, we need strong unionist MPs against abstentionist Sinn Féin and the “can’t make up my mind” Alliance party.

Vote unionist of one type or another on July 4.

Don’t be fooled into voting Alliance.

David WB Burnside, Ex Ulster Unionist MP, London