Rebel UUP MPs resume party whip

Two rebel Ulster Unionist MPs tonight resumed the party whip after a seven-month dispute with their leadership.

Ulster Unionist Party officers confirmed their president, the Reverend Martin Smyth and David Burnside would be allowed to retake the whip.

But they were told by both MPs they remained “steadfastly opposed to the implementation” of British and Irish government peace process plans – the issue which caused the party rift last summer.

After a traumatic week for the Ulster Unionists, which saw Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson and two Assembly members join the Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists, Mr Burnside and the Reverend Smyth said they regretted their colleague’s decision.

In a joint statement the MPs said: “We wish to make it clear that whilst we will endeavour to work for greater unity within the Ulster Unionist Party and further with the wider unionist family, we remain steadfastly opposed to the implementation of the Belfast and Irish joint declaration.

“We resigned the Parliamentary whip with our former Parliamentary colleague Jeffrey Donaldson so we would be free to vote against the legislative aspects of the joint declaration in September on the international monitoring commission which we believe will be toothless and ineffective and not capable of excluding Sinn Fein and its private army, the IRA. From executive government in Northern Ireland – if that ever was to occur in the future.

“We maintain that strongly held position. We also make it clear that in the event of further legislation coming from the joint declaration such an amnesty for on-the-runs.

“We will vote against the legislation and oppose it in the country at large.”

Mr Burnside and the Reverend Smyth said the defection of Mr Donaldson and two other MLAs – Arlene Foster and Norah Beare – to the DUP on Monday was regrettable.

They added: “We believe these resignations could and should have been avoidable.

“We will continue to strive for a policy for the Ulster Unionist Party which reflects unionist opinion on the ground and produces a democratic and accountable form of local administration at Stormont which we do not believe can be achieved by the institutions contained in the Belfast Agreement.”