Unionists to discipline MPs again

The Ulster Unionist Party decided today to try again to discipline three MPs who have defied the leadership.

Members of the party’s officers team voted 6-3 in favour of taking disciplinary action against MPs the Rev Martin Smyth, Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside.

The move came after Belfast High Court ruled this week that a previous attempt to suspend the MPs was invalid because the disciplinary committee was not convened properly.

Other party officers remained silent as they left UUP headquarters.

But in a statement issued afterwards, the UUP said it had requested that people be nominated for a second attempt to discipline the MPs but also hoped the matter could be resolved.

The statement said: “The officers’ decision to refer the three MPs to a disciplinary committee remains.

“The decision cannot be advanced until a fresh disciplinary committee is selected.

“The chief executive is instructed as soon as possible to bring forward nominations for membership of the disciplinary panel for the consideration of the officers at the next officers’ meeting on July 21 or 22.

“In the meantime, the officers would hope that there is an opportunity to be proactive in trying to resolve the differences between the two factions.”