Trimble survives latest challenge

ULSTER UNIONIST leader David Trimble yesterday suffered a setback when almost half of his Northern Ireland Assembly group backed a letter querying whether he should stay at the party helm.

The Upper Bann MP narrowly survived a vote on the letter criticising his leadership, with 11 MLAs voting against him.

Mr Trimble said afterwards: I am quite happy with the outcome of the meeting and quite confident that when the vote comes on my leadership on March 27, I am confident in that outcome.”

Under party rules, Mr Trimble is required to seek the endorsement of the UUP’s ruling council every year for his leadership.

Doubts have been expressed about whether he will remain in charge after last November’s Assembly elections which saw the rival DUP overtake the UUP as the North’s largest party.

Party sources said yesterday’s vote was a setback, creating the space for a leadership challenger to emerge for the party’s annual general meeting.

One of Mr Trimble’s fiercest internal critics, South Antrim MP David Burnside, said: “It was an excellent meeting that was held in confidence. The discussion was excellent and straightforward. Strong views were expressed all around.

Mr Burnside is believed to have been joined by former Economy Minister Sir Reg Empey in the vote against Mr Trimble.

A party source said: “If you don’t count his own vote, you are now talking about a majority of his colleagues at Stormont having no confidence in him.

“How can he continue in that situation? If he were the leader of any other political party who had half his parliamentary team against him, he wouldn’t be able to continue.”