Criticisms by a senior Ulster Unionist of former colleagues who defected to the rival DUP were dismissed as “irrelevant” today.

A senior Ulster Unionist tonight claimed two former Assembly colleagues had failed to persuade others in the party to join them in defecting to the rival DUP.

Ulster Unionists were preparing today to vote on whether David Trimble should remain as their leader.

An Ulster Unionist who is bidding to oust David Trimble from the party leadership urged 13 Assembly members today to back his challenge.

David Trimble is to face a leadership challenge in eight days, it emerged today.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble will face a leadership challenge if he refuses to stand down within days, he was warned tonight.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today suffered a setback when almost half of his Northern Ireland Assembly group backed a letter querying whether he should remain at the helm of the party.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble faced renewed pressure to resign today after his predecessor called for a change in the party’s management.

BELEAGUERED David Trimble last night faced the threat of a new leadership challenge without the support of his deputy after he was accused of losing the trust and confidence of his troubled and split Ulster Unionist Party.

Beleaguered David Trimble tonight faced the threat of a new leadership challenge without the support of his deputy after he was accused of losing the trust and confidence of his troubled and hopelessly split Ulster Unionist Party.

David Trimble today faced demands from MP David Burnside to step down as Ulster Unionist leader next month.

The Democratic Unionists were today challenged to enter into unconditional dialogue with Sinn Féin if they were confident that it was in Northern Ireland’s best interests to remain in the United Kingdom.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams today was flying to the US as Northern Ireland’s largest political party prepared for next month’s review of the Good Friday Agreement.

IAN PAISLEY will quit the European Parliament in June, he announced yesterday.

Two rebel Ulster Unionist MPs tonight resumed the party whip after a seven-month dispute with their leadership.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today faced fresh demands to resign following the defection of one of his MPs to another party earlier this week.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today challenged a former colleague to resign his Westminster seat and face the electorate following his defection to a rival party.

ULSTER Unionist leader David Trimble was last night facing a fresh crisis as his Democratic Unionist rivals planned a recruitment drive aimed at starting an exodus from his party.

The Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists today confirmed that they would embark on a recruitment drive across Northern Ireland following the defection of three former Ulster Unionist Assembly Members.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Arlene Foster has said she felt she had to leave the Ulster Unionists because the leadership had made it clear that the mandate on which she and others stood during the election was not acceptable to them.

Former Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson today confirmed his defection to the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists.

Former Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson was expected today to confirm his defection to the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble should quit while the going is good, his main rival the Rev Ian Paisley claimed today.

REBEL MP Jeffrey Donaldson last night quit the Ulster Unionist Party.

Rebel MP Jeffrey Donaldson tonight quit the Ulster Unionist Party.

Fresh talks have been launched to avoid a bitter split in David Trimble’s Ulster Unionist Party, it emerged today.

With the last three weeks dominated by saturation coverage of the race for Westminster, people could be forgiven for forgetting that another election is taking place.