Trimble expected to be reinstated today

The Northern Assembly is expected to reinstate David Trimble as First Minister later today thanks to the re-designation of the non-aligned Alliance Party.

Up to five MLAs from the party are expected to temporarily call themselves unionists to make their votes count in the election.

Under the rules of the Assembly, Mr Trimble needs 50% support from both the unionist and nationalist sides.

During last week’s vote on the re-election of a First Minister, Mr Trimble failed to secure 50% support from unionists .

The Alliance Party has admitted that its re-designation will last just one week.

However, it also said that the move is designed to save the Good Friday Agreement and the Assembly from those hardline unionists who want to destroy it.

In return for re-designating, Alliance have been promised a review of future voting procedures.

This Alliance Party manoeuvre and the re-designation of a Women’s Coalition member last week have angered the anti-agreement DUP, which will launch a legal bid today to prevent another Assembly vote.

The hardline unionist party is seeking an injunction at the Belfast High Court to stop the vote going ahead because, it said, the deadline for electing a new First Minister expired at midnight on Saturday.

The DUP is also challenging Northern Secretary John Reid’s decision to allow Saturday’s deadline to pass without calling fresh Assembly elections.