Fourteen officers of the Ulster Unionist Party meet later this morning to discuss moves to expel three of its MPs.
The meeting, called by Mr David Trimble, follows the decision of the three rebel MPs to sit alongside Mr Ian Paisley's DUP on their bench in the House of Commons yesterday during Northern Ireland questions.
Mr Jeffrey Donaldson, the Rev Martin Smyth and Mr David Burnside are vowing to fight any move to have them thrown out of the party. Trimble loyalists continue to insist all party members, and party officers in particular, cannot oppose decisions of the Ulster Unionist Council and remain in the UUP.
The officers convene at UUP headquarters in east Belfast to discuss the single-item agenda. Their meeting is expected to last up to two hours and will probably result in calls for an ad-hoc disciplinary committee to be set up with a view to expulsion.
In theory, such a committee could be convened this afternoon, but any anticipated disciplinary action could prove a more protracted process. If a decision to expel is taken, its effect would be immediate. However, there will be a right of appeal.
The party president and chairman of the officers, Mr Smyth, has made it clear he will not be in attendance this morning, citing business at Westminster. It is likely therefore that Mr James Cooper, the party's Fermanagh-South Tyrone candidate for Westminster who was narrowly defeated by Sinn Féin, will take the chair for the meeting.
The officers include Mr Smyth and the party leader, Mr Trimble. Sir Reg Empey, Lord Maginnis, Mr Jim Nicholson - the party's MEP - and Mr Donaldson are vice-presidents.
Mr James Cooper, Mr Donn McConnell are chairman and vice- chairman respectively of the UUP executive. Mr Dermot Nesbitt, the former Stormont minister, Lord Rogan, Cllr Jim Rodgers and Ms Arlene Foster are honorary secretaries. Mr Jack Allen and Ms May Steele are treasurer and assistant treasurer respectively.
Appeals could be lodged with the party's 110-member executive committee by anyone subjected to a disciplinary measure. The decision arrived at by the executive is final.
In the House of Commons yesterday, the former SDLP leader said it fell to "all true democrats" to implement the overwhelming will in the Belfast Agreement.
Mr John Hume told MPs: "Given that certain parties opposite wish to overthrow that agreement, they are overthrowing the principle of consent which is the fundamental principle of unionism. If they do that, what damage are they doing to their own people?"
The Northern Secretary told the Commons that the Belfast Agreement was the only way forward. Referring to last week's vote of the Ulster Unionist Council which backed Mr Trimble, Mr Paul Murphy said: "A majority of members of that council \ in favour of the Good Friday agreement. I . . . agree that the majority of people in Northern Ireland believe that the best way forward is through the Good Friday agreement.
"I also agree all indications are that includes the unionist community as well, in the polls we have seen," he added. "I believe people in Northern Ireland also want to see an end to paramilitary activity. They also want to see stability in institutions. That is achieved through the Good Friday agreement."
One of the rebel Ulster Unionist MPs called on the Northern Secretary to ban Sinn Féin. Mr Burnside said the British government should follow the example of the Spanish government and proscribe the political wing of paramilitary groups.