The SDLP has ruled out an electoral pact with Sinn Féin following an agreement between the North’s two main unionist parties in four Westminster constituencies.
The DUP and UUP have been strongly criticised by other Stormont parties since revealing they have agreed to support each other’s candidates in four constituencies at the British general election in May.
SDLP MLA Alban Maginness on Wednesday branded the pact “predictable and narrow minded” and said his party would not enter into a similar deal with Sinn Féin, to concentrate the nationalist vote, as it “opposes sectarian head counts”.
It has been widely suggested neither the Conservatives nor Labour will command an overall majority in the House of Commons, making deals with smaller parties very likely.
Unionist strategists are keen to increase the number of unionists at Westminster as they believe the chance of a hung parliament is high and their influence could therefore be better felt.
East Belfast, North Belfast, and the border constituencies of Fermanagh and South Tyrone and Newry and Armagh will be covered by the unionist's deal, which the DUP leader Peter Robinson says is designed to "maximise the unionist vote".
But Mr Robinson and UUP leader Mike Nesbitt have been accused by other parties of being anti-democratic and sectarian. Unionists claim people on the ground have been calling for enhanced cooperation between the parties to strengthen Northern Ireland's position in the United Kingdom.
Trying to avoid splitting the unionist vote is seen as a smart move for unionism by some but deepening division by others. The phrase ‘sectarian headcount’ has been doing the rounds on social media since news of the pact was leaked by the ‘Ladfleg’ satire site, which was set up in the wake of union flag protests in Belfast after the council voted in favour of an Alliance Party compromise deal to limit the flying of the flag to designated days.
The unionist electoral pact is largely viewed as more beneficial to the DUP than the UUP. The parties have agreed to encourage support for DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds in North Belfast. In 2010 Mr Dodds polled 14,812 votes, with Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly on 12,588. Mr Kelly, whose party takes an abstentionist position at Westminster, is standing again, as is the SDLP's justice spokesman Alban Maginness MLA.
Mr Maginness told The Irish Times it is “deeply predictable the unionists have got together to form an electoral pact”.
“It simply reflects the narrow minded, sectarian thinking which is tantamount to scoring a victory for one community over another and does not assist our politics to make it better,” he said.
Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy suggested on Tuesday that Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness would speak to SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell "to explore an appropriate and strategic response to this pro-Tory alliance".
Mr Maginness said “there will be no pact with Sinn Fein” as the SDLP was “opposed to sectarian head counts”.
“You might as well not bother having elections,” he added. “If you put a single candidate on both sides of the sectarian divide it simply becomes a sectarian dog fight, heightens tensions and creates a situation where communities are at each other’s throats.”
In Fermanagh and South Tyrone unionist parties have agreed to encourage support for UUP MLA Tom Elliott. Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew won the seat in 2010 by just four votes, beating independent unionist unity candidate Rodney Connor.
In Newry and Armagh, both unionist parties have said they will urge people to vote for UUP regional development minister Danny Kennedy. The incumbent is Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy, but this time his party colleague Mickey Brady is in the running.
Mr Brady faces competition for the nationalist vote from the SDLP candidate, former GAA star Justin McNulty, but he is favourite to take the seat.
Ms Gildernew there was an electoral pact in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in 2010, “with all shades of unionists, including the Orange Order and Tories, getting behind the unionist candidate”.
“Quite a lot of the unionist community rejected the pact,” she said. “The progressive element said it was not what they wanted and to be in a position of getting votes from the Protestant unionist community was humbling for me and gave me hope for the future.”
Ms Gildernew said her party does not take votes for granted but she was confident people recognise she offers “positive and mature representation”.
“I am hopeful we can win again,” she added.
In East Belfast, the DUP is desperate to reclaim the seat after party leader, First Minister Peter Robinson, lost out in 2010 to Alliance Party deputy leader Naomi Long. The UUP has agreed to support DUP candidate Gavin Robinson, a former Lord Mayor of Belfast.
But Ms Long said she believes unionists “should not be dictating to the electorate”. The East Belfast MP told The Irish Times her party had “anticipated a unionist pact” and that she “trusted the people of East Belfast to make a good decision”.