Trimble defeats party critics

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble today defeated another challenge from his internal critics at a meeting of the party’s ruling council.

In the leadership contest, he secured 59.8% of the ruling council.

His challengers, Coleraine marketing and management consultant David Hoey and Portadown businessman Robert Oliver, received 21.6% and 17.6% support respectively.

After the vote a handful of people walked out of the room.

They included John Cairns of the Masserene branch in Co Antrim who said he would be fiercely considering his position within the party.

He said: “We need a cosmetic change, we are not going to be able to sell Trimble, he’s dead in the water.”

Mr Cairns described the fact that two people had come forward to challenge Mr Trimble as ill conceived.

“But I think it also shows that the comments made by some people that there was an orchestrated campaign were not true.”