THE NEW leader of the Progressive Unionist Party Brian Ervine is to stand against the former leader of the PUP Dawn Purvis in the Assembly elections next May.
Mr Ervine, brother of David Ervine, who was elected unopposed on Saturday as PUP leader, confirmed that he will run in East Belfast in the Assembly elections to try to take the seat that Ms Purvis won for the party in 2007.
Ms Purvis resigned from the PUP over the murder of Bobby Moffett on the Shankill Road in June which the Independent Monitoring Commission blamed on the Ulster Volunteer Force.
The murder created convulsions within the PUP, which is politically aligned with the UVF, with senior member David Rose also resigning.
Belfast councillor and general practitioner Dr John Kyle took over as interim leader as party members reflected on whether the PUP had a future and whether it should maintain its links with the UVF.
Brian Ervine, a 59-year-old teacher, at a closed conference was elected new leader on Saturday. Two executive members Dougal McCullough and Kate Nelson resigned on “friendly terms”, according to Dr Kyle, while a new executive was elected. Dr Kyle has yet to decide whether he will stay in the party.
Mr Ervine said Saturday was a “rejuvenating” day for the PUP and that more new people had joined the party than had left. “There was a crisis, but we have ridden through the storm; it is amazing how the party has rallied,” he said.
He said it was vital that the PUP could still provide constructive political analysis for the UVF, notwithstanding the murder of Mr Moffett.
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