Lord Maginnis, the former Ulster Unionist MP for Fermanagh-South Tyrone, has declared he will stand for the leadership of his party.
Announcing his intention, he sketched out his manifesto pledging to restructure the party, to listen to grassroots unionists and to build on the leadership of David Trimble by continuing to press for the Belfast Agreement.
He said he would not run if a younger candidate offering the same style of politics decided to run.
The former Ken Maginnis failed to win election to Dungannon council earlier this month having served on it for 20 years, and now represents his party in the House of Lords.
Talking to ITN yesterday he said: "I am up for the leadership. Let me be frank, if I could find somebody that was 20 years younger than I am, who had the same objectives, the same experience, then I would not be up for the leadership." He praised Mr Trimble, commending his "marvellous job" and his "tremendous courage".
But he added: "I think I know exactly what needs to be done, and most importantly, I think I know the infrastructure of politics inside out, so that I have an immediate advantage in trying to reform and restructure the party to make it more effective." He said the next leader should be committed to reaching out to ordinary party members: "That means getting out every weekend, meeting groups, talking to them, finding out what the questions are that were not answered, that caused people not just to vote against us, but not to come out to vote."
He criticised the DUP, branding them inconsistent. "Since November 2003, the DUP have not made a single, solitary change, except that they have weakened the agreement," he said.
"They used to criticise the people's forum that we have in Northern Ireland. Now they have actually conceded that we should have an all-Ireland consultative forum. That is something that worries me as a unionist."
He commended Mr Trimble for being "up front" with the electorate in contrast to the "covert" leadership of the Rev Ian Paisley.He added: "Paisley and his colleagues will try to build up a relation with Dublin in the hope that somehow they can appear to be working at that level."
Also contesting the leadership are Assembly members Sir Reg Empey and David McNarry - both allies of Mr Trimble when he was leader.
Lord Kilclooney, the former Strangford MP John Taylor, is the fourth declared candidate for the leadership.