Trimble faces 'no confidence' vote

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble is today preparing to fight a motion of no confidence in him in his own constituency as rival factions within the party continued to row over policy.

Just 24 hours after he lost a High Court action over the suspension of three rebel MPs, Mr Trimble was facing the verdict of his 260-strong Upper Bann constituency association.

The Belfast High Court yesterday ruled that attempts by Mr Trimble and the party leadership to suspend MPs Jeffrey Donaldson, the Rev Martin Smyth and David Burnside were unlawful because the Disciplinary Committee set up to deal with them was not properly convened.

Mr Donaldson, the Rev Smyth and Mr Burnside last month resigned the party whip over the Ulster Unionist Council’s refusal to totally reject proposals from the Irish and British governments on the future of the peace process.

Their decision widened divisions between pro and anti Good Friday Agreement wings in the UUP.

A motion of no confidence against Mr Donaldson in his Lagan Valley constituency was withdrawn following the UUC vote “in the interests of party unity”.

However the motion of no confidence which will be heard tonight in Upper Bann against Mr Trimble remained.

Party sources expected the UUP leader to survive.

“David should see off the challenge,” one source said.

“However all this in-fighting in our party has to stop.”

Mr Donaldson claimed yesterday that following the High Court defeat the onus was on Mr Trimble and the leadership to abandon attempts to discipline the rebel MPs.

He urged the Upper Bann MP to “pull back from the brink”.

However party chairman James Cooper called on anti-Good Friday Agreement unionists to accept party policy and also avoid the internal feuding which has haunted the party.