Trimble survives constituency 'no confidence' vote
Ulster Unionist party leader David Trimble tonight beat off a motion of no confidence in him as MP in his own constituency.
At a special meeting of the Upper Bann Constituency Association Mr Trimble made a stout defence of his peace process policies before detractors.
He carried the night with support of 62.5% of delegates – 115 supporting him against 69 against.
Mr Trimble afterwards declared himself satisfied with the vote despite support falling short of the two thirds majority he had been hoping for.
A sometimes heated 90-minute meeting in the Craigavon Civic Centre in County Armagh saw 14 speakers declaring for or against Mr Trimble.
Afterwards Mr Trimble said: “Obviously I am glad to have the support of the majority of the association. Seventy five percent of delegates were present, a very good turnout given that there are so many on holiday.”
He said he was sad that divisions within the party were distracting from the “real problem of continuing paramilitary activity”.
Leader of the opponents, Robert Oliver said Mr Trimble should be concerned that almost 40% of his association were saying: “We are fed up with the way you are trying to implement your policies and we are taking no more of this.”
He said that Mr Trimble should reflect on the situation and on his position as UUP leader.
The latest head-to-head between rival factions within the party over Mr Trimble’s policies came just 24 hours after he lost a High Court action over the suspension of three rebel MPs.
Yesterday, Belfast High Court ruled that attempts by Mr Trimble and the party leadership to suspend MPs Jeffrey Donaldson,
The Reverend Martin Smyth and David Burnside were unlawful because the disciplinary committee set up to deal with them was not properly convened.
The three MPs last night resigned the party parliamentary whip over the ruling Ulster Unionist Council’s refusal to totally reject proposals from the British and Irish governments on the future of the peace process.
Their decision widened divisions between the pro and anti Good Friday Agreement wings of the UUP.
A motion of no confidence against Mr Donaldson in his Lagan Valley constituency – submitted on the same day as that against Mr Trimble – was withdrawn following the UUC vote “in the interests of party unity”.
As the latest spat between the rival factions was played out in public, former UUP deputy leader Lord Kilcloney appealed to the rival factions to heal the rift which he said was threatening the party’s future.
He insisted that the rival camps were divided merely on tactics and not policy.
“We are in a situation where both sides need to sit down and talk to each other,” Lord Kilcloney said.
“That is going to be hard because unfortunately some people on both sides have said things publicly which have complicated matters.
“The atmosphere has become poisoned and, if it is going to be resolved, it has to be handled carefully.”
But he said he believed the party could yet be reunited under the Trimble leadership.
