Empey under pressure as UUP holds annual conference

The Ulster Unionist Party is facing into its annual general meeting this weekend amid signs of rising tension within the party.

The meeting of the party's ruling council follows recent claims of an internal rift over the allocation of the party's ministries in the new Stormont Executive.

However, there is no sign of any challenge to party leader Reg Empey, who took up the job two years ago and has failed to improve the UUP's electoral results since then.

Empey inherited a bitter split in the party ranks from his predecessor, David Trimble, and has a tough task on his hands to reunite the two sides and rebuild the party.