THE ULSTER Unionists are to reveal today details of the formal relationship they have agreed with the British Conservative Party.
The executive committee of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) met last night to ratify the report prepared by the special joint committee comprising members of the two parties.
A similar meeting involving the executive of the Conservatives in Northern Ireland was also held last night in a Belfast hotel.
The joint committee has been working on an agreed UUP-Conservative platform since last July.
The initiative was boosted in early December when Tory leader David Cameron addressed the Ulster Unionist annual conference in Belfast and endorsed the move, claiming it would offer voters greater influence in UK and international affairs.
Former UUP leader David, now Lord, Trimble has already joined the Conservative ranks at Westminster.
The Irish Times was told the name for the newly-aligned group will be the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists.
The word “party” has been dropped, underlining the fact that the two are not forming a single, united organisation.
Senior members of the Conservative Party are due in Belfast this afternoon to host a joint press conference with the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party.
Expected to attend are shadow northern secretary Owen Paterson, Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey, Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson, Northern Ireland Conservative chairman Neil Johnston and UUP chairman David Campbell.
Sources from the parties said they were hopeful the executives of both would sign off on the new title and on a series of policy statements.
It is understood a fresh economic platform has been worked out and will form the basis of a policy agenda for the new political force.
Jim Nicholson will defend his European Parliament seat in June’s election as the agreed joint candidate of the UUP and the Conservatives, the first time such a choice has been offered to the electorate.
Also contesting the unionist vote will be former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MEP Jim Allister, now standing in opposition to the sharing of offices at Stormont between his former party and Sinn Féin.
Diane Dodds, whose husband is North Belfast MP and Stormont Minister for Finance Nigel Dodds, recently won the DUP nomination to contest the election.
The Ulster Unionists’ only MP, Lady [Sylvia] Hermon is known to harbour doubts about the connection with the Conservatives.
She is said to support some New Labour ideals and is concerned at the development of a new relationship with the Tories.
Lady Hermon is entitled to attend UUP executive meetings but it is not known how she will use her influence.
Last week the British Labour Party formally established a Northern Ireland branch of the party, although it does not envisage running candidates for election for some time.
The Alliance Party is closely associated with the British Liberal Democrats.