New twist in UUP rebels saga

The Ulster Unionist Party today decided to keep on hold its disciplinary action against three rebel MPs.

Emerging from a party officers’ meeting at its headquarters in Belfast, Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble confirmed they had decided to not press ahead immediately with disciplinary action against Jeffrey Donaldson, David Burnside and the Rev Martin Smyth.

The three MPs angered the UUP leadership in June by resigning the party whip at Westminster in a row over policy.

The MPs were protesting over the party’s failure to reject British and Irish government proposals for the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.

However last Saturday, Ulster Unionist Council delegates backed a call from Mr Trimble for the rebels to resume the whip.

Mr Trimble said today that party officers would wait until the UUP executive debated the proposals from Dublin and London and for the passage of legislation through Westminster creating a four member monitoring commission for the Agreement.

A UUP source described the meeting of party officers as “not surprising.

“They have decided to defer the matter until the next party officers’ meeting.

“It was almost like saying don’t mention the war within the party.”