Trimble faces party leadership challenge
David Trimble is to face a leadership challenge in eight days, it emerged today.
Management and marketing consultant David Hoey confirmed that he would run against Mr Trimble in a leadership contest at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council.
Mr Hoey, who has been a member of the Apprentice Boys marching organisation and is based in Coleraine, said if he won the leadership fight, he would stand aside to make way for a new leadership team.
He said he believed he could win the contest.
He said: “I think if all the people who have told me that they want change were to vote for that change at the council, then there would be a new leadership.
“The onus is on members of the Ulster Unionist Council to make their mind up.
“Do they want a change of management to revitalise the party or do they want the status quo?”
Under Ulster Unionist Party rules, Mr Trimble must seek the endorsement of his council every year for his leadership.
Last month South Antrim MP David Burnside called for a new leadership team following a series of high profile and rank and file defections from the party to the Rev Ian Paisley’s DUP.
Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson left the party in January to join the DUP following attempts to discipline him for opposing the leadership.
He was joined in the Assembly by Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Arlene Foster and Lagan Valley MLA Norah Beare.
The Ulster Unionists also lost their place as Northern Ireland’s largest party to the rival DUP in last November’s Assembly election.
Mr Trimble survived a challenge to his leadership in March 2000 from South Belfast MP the Rev Martin Smyth.
Mr Smyth secured 43% support in the council during that challenge.
Opponents of Mr Trimble had hoped former Stormont Economy Minister Sir Reg Empey would challenge the UUP leader on March 27.
But the East Belfast MLA has indicated that he will only go forward if Mr Trimble were to stand down.
The Ulster Unionist leader has insisted he intends to stay on during a visit to Washington this week for St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House. Mr Hoey, who has been a member of the UUP for 24 years, said Mr Trimble had made it clear that he had no intention of standing down before the vote.
“The only thing which would make him stand down would be a demand from the Ulster Unionist Council for change,” he said.
“In the event of the UUC accepting the need for change and positively voting for change, I would stand aside and allow people to nominate themselves for the leadership from the floor.
“So really this is a two-stage process.”
