UUP dissidents: The Ulster Unionist Party's two leading dissidents, MPs Mr Jeffrey Donaldson and Mr David Burnside, effectively shunned Mr David Trimble's appeal for party unity at the Ulster Unionist Council gathering in Belfast on Saturday.
Mr Trimble, who was unanimously returned as leader at the council gathering, assured delegates that any deal thrashed out at the talks opening today in Hillsborough would be brought back to the council for approval.
"No major steps will be taken without consultation with colleagues or the approval of this council. I have never acted unilaterally. I have never tried to manoeuvre this party into a position it did not want. Legally, the government could lift suspension and restore us to office against our will. But if they tried that, we would resign," he said. "There may be different views as to what is best to do. But can we act like a serious party? Can we have our arguments in here [the conference room], not in the media? Can we have an end to public posturing?
"There will be an election. As things stand, we ought to do well. We will not do so, if a faction within the party acts as if they were fighting their own party.
"Experience shows that candidates who say their party is wrong suggesting that another unionist party is right, do not save themselves from the latter's onslaught," he added.
Mr Trimble acknowledged that there were differences within the party by stating that he spoke for "80 per cent of people who vote Ulster Unionist" rather than 100 per cent. As regards suggestions that the No wing could split from the party if the Yes wing endorsed a new deal, he acknowledged that there was "nervousness" within the party. "There is a slight tendency in some quarters [within the UUP] to prima donnishness," he added.
Mr Trimble stopped short of calling for IRA "disbandment" but Lagan Valley MP, Mr Donaldson, insisted that total IRA disbandment and disarmament was the only way by which Ulster Unionists would return to the Executive with Sinn Féin.
"The bottom line for unionism has to be what we agreed last September at the Ulster Unionist Council. We need to see the IRA disarm and disband and that remains the position," he said.
The South Antrim MP, Mr Burnside, said he didn't want "Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness, Gerry Kelly coming into a devolved administration, and being in charge of policing and justice. No way."
