Trimble set to face dissenters
Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble may face a leadership battle this morning as he meets party Northern Ireland Assembly members (MLAs).
The Ulster Unionist Party was overthrown last week by the hardline Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as the main pro-union party in Northern Ireland.
Mr Trimble, one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement, will meet the 27 elected members of the UUP this morning.
UUP rebel Jeffrey Donaldson claims to have the support of five other assembly members, all backing Mr Trimble’s removal.
David McNarry, an assembly member for Strangford, said there would be “a confrontation” between Mr Donaldson and Mr Trimble.
Mr NcNarry said “Donaldson must decide whether to be inside or outside the party: he can’t be both. Everyone must come off the fence on this issue.”
Mr Donaldson said: “For the Ulster Unionist party, once the largest in Northern Ireland, to finish behind Sinn Fein is quite frankly a humiliation. To end up as the second party within unionism is an indictment of Trimble’s leadership.
“The bottom line is the party is not going to reunite under Trimble. Trimble has got to move aside and we have got to rebuild the party very quickly or we will end up like the SDLP.”
Amid the rumours of an imminent leadership challenge Mr Trimble stood defiant: “I have every intention of continuing as leader. I know there is s an important job to be done and I have demonstrated over the last eight years there is more than a little stickability here.”
Separately, Dr Ian Paisley is rumoured to be considering standing down. He may bow out as his party enjoys their 3-seat victory at the elections last week.
Dr Paisley said rumours of his demise were premature: He scoffed at the notion that “Ian Paisley is past his best, he’s ready for the grave, and then a band of glorious liberals will appear from the womb of nothingness and take over the DUP.”
