Unionists set for new showdown over split

The bitterly divided camps in the Ulster Unionist Party are to have another showdown at a meeting later this week, it was announced today.

UUP president the Rev Martin Smyth confirmed a meeting of party officers would take place this Friday after the Belfast High Court ruled on Monday that attempts to suspend him and two other MPs, Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside, for defying party policy were invalid.