Trimble cancels Dublin meeting

Beleaguered Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today called off talks with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern because of the party’s deepening crisis.

After three MPs confirmed plans to withdraw from the party whip because of their opposition to the Good Friday Agreement, he decided to cancel his meeting in Dublin.

Jeffrey Donaldson (Lagan Valley), David Burnside (South Antrim) and the party president, the Rev Martin Smyth (South Belfast), announced a decision to resign the whip, which heightens the pressure on Mr Trimble’s leadership.

Mr Donaldson had earlier signalled he might leave the party altogether, but was urged to stay on by the anti-Agreement parliamentary faction, including Lord Molyneaux, the former leader.

It is the biggest Ulster Unionist crisis in 30 years, and with the party’s ruling council seriously split on any moves to restore the powersharing executive at Stormont, it also leaves Mr Trimble dangerously exposed.

There is no immediate threat to have him ousted, but with hardliners demanding total arms decommissioning and disbandment by the IRA, hopes in London and Dublin to have the suspended elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly held this autumn must now be in some doubt.

Today’s announcement in Belfast could also be the first move towards the creation of some sort of broadly-based Unionist alliance to resist the Agreement.

Mr Trimble and two colleagues are the only Unionists at Westminster who now back the historic April 1998 deal.