UUP accused of election pact disarray

The Ulster Unionist Party was accused of being in disarray tonight after making an agreement about next year’s European election with a small hardline unionist party – and then insisting it was not an electoral pact.

Party leader Reg Empey and senior party colleagues met MEP Jim Allister, who will be seeking to retain for his recently formed Traditional Unionist Voice the seat he won when a member of the Democratic Unionist Party.