The Ulster Unionist Party must end its public quarrels, stop being so polite to its opponents, and aim to substantially increase its Assembly seats in the next election, according to chairman, Mr James Cooper.
Mr Cooper warned the UUP could not ignore its losses in June's Westminster election. "We must stop kidding ourselves that we have a superior election machine to that of other parties. Sinn FΘin and the DUP are at least our equal," he said.
With Assembly elections set for May 2003, the UUP had 18 months "to restore and improve public confidence" in the North's new political institutions, he said. The party currently has 28 Assembly seats. "We must win more than 33 seats and push hard to take a fourth ministerial portfolio," he stated.
"Sinn FΘin/IRA are locked into a partitionist settlement that provides unionism with the tools to secure our future within the UK.
Everyone in this party should recognise a victory when it stares us in the face instead of playing into the hands of our opponents by promoting internal disagreements."
The UUP also had to "redesign" its relationship with the Orange Order and the Young Unionists in order "to create a modern, democratic party based on the 'one member, one vote' principle."