Former leader backs Mike Nesbitt as next Ulster Unionist Party boss
One of the three UUP leaders who have served the party since hopeful Mike Nesbitt last held the position has publicly backed the Strangford MLA for a return to the top job.
Despite a media blackout, Steve Aiken has spoken to the News Letter to express his support for Mr Nesbitt who appears likely to be the only candidate by the time nominations close on Friday.
The South Antrim MLA, who led the party between 2019 and 2021, believes the health minister is the best person to keep the party on its current course.
Mr Aiken said he “fully supports Mike Nesbitt” saying that “is the reason I got into politics”. He added “It is good to see, and he can continue taking the Ulster Unionist Party into future. The party has the right policy, politics and ideology, and we need to support Mike to deliver for Northern Ireland”.
There is broad satisfaction within the MLA team that there is now a credible candidate to run the party, after some concerns last week that none of its Stormont representatives would put their name forward for the position.
However, some privately acknowledge that the situation is far from ideal. Some would have preferred Doug Beattie to have continued in the role, at least for the short term.
On Tuesday, Robbie Butler announced his support for Mike Nesbitt, highlighting his previous experience in the post. He said his colleague is best placed to lead the party “at this time”.
Mr Nesbitt, currently serving as health minister, will run on a platform to reform the Ulster Unionist Party and is expected to widen the pool of MLAs involved in running – and reforming – the party.
However, there will be questions about whether he should lead the party while holding a role in the executive. While this has been a norm in Northern Irish and wider British politics for decades, the ability of Executive ministers to perform political functions outside of their portfolio has now become a matter of debate.
That discussion was started by the previous leader Doug Beattie, when he suggested Robin Swann could be withdrawn as health minister because he was running for Westminster.