Armitage lists conditions to support Trimble

A member of the Ulster Unionist Party, Ms Pauline Armitage, has tabled seven demands to be met by her party before she will agree…

A member of the Ulster Unionist Party, Ms Pauline Armitage, has tabled seven demands to be met by her party before she will agree to back Mr David Trimble's bid to be re-elected Northern Ireland First Minister.

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It's David Trimble's policies I don't like; we are almost in a united Ireland
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UUP MLA
Ms Pauline Armitage

Ms Pauline Armitage conceded, however, that she could still support Mr David Trimble in Friday's crucial Assembly poll if she achieved "three or four of them".

She was speaking ahead of a meeting she and fellow renegade UUP MLA Mr Peter Weir are scheduled to hold in Belfast with decommissioning chief General de Chastelain to get more detail on the IRA's weapons move.

The two MLAs have so far refused to give Mr Trimble their full backing.However, Ms Armitage conceded there was more chance she could be talked into backing Mr Trimble than Mr Weir could.

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"I don't have the personal problems with Trimble that I think Peter has. It's David Trimble's policies I don't like; we are almost in a united Ireland."

The Ulster Unionist leadership is understood to have made overtures to Ms Armitage in the last few days after the party's ruling executive passed a motion calling on all 28 of its MLAs to support a return to government with Sinn Féin following the IRA's arms move.

Mr Trimble needs majority backing from both unionists and nationalists in Friday's vital vote if he is to be returned to the head of the cabinet.

PA