UK Unionists in disarray after internal wrangle

The UK Unionist Party Assembly bloc has split amid recriminations over political strategy. The party leader, Mr Robert McCartney, accused his four Assembly colleagues of political immaturity, while they in turn claimed he had "impugned" their integrity.

Mr McCartney claimed his colleagues had broken an understanding that in the event of meaningful cross-Border bodies being created, or Sinn Fein gaining ministerial positions, all five members would consider resigning their seats.

The four Assembly members who withdrew their support from their leader, said the issue was much broader than that.

News of the wrangling within the anti-Belfast Agreement UK Unionist Party caused surprise at Stormont yesterday. Mr McCartney has tabled a motion for today's meeting of the Assembly designed to cause embarrassment to Mr David Trimble's Ulster Unionist Party. The text of Mr McCartney's motion is: "Noting that: a. no proposals under paragraph 16 of Strand 1 of the Belfast Agreement have yet been made; b. actions set out in paragraph 8 of Strand 2 of the Belfast Agreement have not been achieved; c. any party inextricably linked with a paramilitary organisation retaining arms cannot give a total and absolute commitment to exclusively democratic means of resolving differences on political issues or oppose the use or threat of force by others for such purposes;

"This assembly calls upon the First Minister (Designate) and Deputy First Minister (Designate) to lay a report on these matters before the House within 14 days."

Mr McCartney's UUP opponents now believe that the main embarrassment today will be to Mr McCartney, whose strategy appears to be seriously undermined by the decision of the four UKUP Assembly members - Mr Cedric Wilson, Mr Paddy Roche, Mr Norman Boyd and Mr Roger Hutchinson - to withdraw their support for their leader.

It is unclear what will happen the UKUP now, whether Mr McCartney will continue as leader, or whether the dissidents might seek to take over the party. The UUP deputy leader Mr John Taylor said this development was "good news for Northern Ireland".

He praised the four UKUP Assembly members for persisting in remaining in the Assembly and being prepared to represent those who voted for them.