Lady Harmon considers role of UUP leader

The wife of a former RUC chief constable is considering running for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist party.

Lady Sylvia Hermon, who won the party's only Westminster seat in last week's elections, said she will decide in the next few days whether to replace David Trimble who stepped down yesterday.

She said she has to think of her two young children, as well as her husband Jack who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Lady Hermon said there were lots of reasons for the UUP's disastrous election performance, particularly the failure of the Republican movement to decommission and the party's dreadful campaign.

She reserved particular criticism for its election slogan: “Decent people...vote Ulster Unionist”.

“It offended a lot of people who would naturally be Alliance or would naturally be SDLP.”

Lady Hermon said she had been disappointed that David Trimble had not notified her in advance of his resignation.

However, she described him as a man of great personal integrity.

Here, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Mr Trimble made a crucial contribution to the peace process and took risks to ensure the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement.