UUP rift can be healed, says former deputy leader

A SENIOR Ulster Unionist Party peer yesterday appealed to rival sections of the party to sit down and heal the rift which is threatening its future.

As party leader David Trimble prepared to face a motion of no confidence last night in his constituency association, former deputy leader Lord Kilcloney said he believed divisions between pro- and anti-Good Friday Agreement members could be healed.

“We are in a situation where both sides need to sit down and talk to each other,” Lord Kilcloney said.

“That is going to be hard, because unfortunately some people on both sides have said things publicly which have complicated matters.

“The atmosphere has become poisoned and, if it is going to be resolved, it has to be handled carefully.”

Lord Kilcloney was commenting after Monday’s Belfast High Court defeat for Mr Trimble in the case of three rebel MPs, who were suspended for resigning the party whip at Westminster.

Judge Mr Justice Girvan ruled that the suspensions of the Reverend Martin Smyth, Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside were invalid.

The three MPs have been engaged in a bitter dispute with Mr Trimble after the party’s 900-member ruling council backed his policy of not completely rejecting plans for the peace process put forward by the British and Irish governments.

Mr Trimble last night was due to face a motion of no confidence in his 260-member constituency association A motion of no confidence in Donaldson was withdrawn.