Conservatives and UUP not ruling out future pact

The Conservatives and Ulster Unionists will not field joint candidates in next year's elections in Northern Ireland but have not ruled out future co-operation.

The Conservatives and Ulster Unionists will not field joint candidates in next year's elections in the North but have not ruled out future co-operation.

The Tories have agreed not to contest the Assembly poll while the parties are set to run against each other in the local council elections.

Their previous electoral pact was much vaunted by both parties ahead of May's British general election but it fared disastrously on polling day, failing to win a single seat in the North's 18 constituencies.

Since then there has been mounting speculation they would effectively go their own ways.

Both parties have pledged to hold discussions about an "ongoing political and electoral relationship" ahead of the next European and British general elections.

A proposed agreement between them includes the understanding that any future UUP MP or Euro MP would take the Tory whip.