Jon Burrows says the past week has 'tested' the UUP - but he wants party to lead 'modern unionism'
Events following the resignation of Doug Beattie have “tested” the Ulster Unionists, but its members want a party with “confidence, cohesion, and a willingness to modernise while staying true to our principles”, Jon Burrows has said.
The former leader quit the party on Sunday, following months of tensions within the MLA group at Stormont. In his resignation letter and in a subsequent radio interview, Mr Beattie launched a blistering personal attack on the current UUP boss.
Mr Burrows later said he found the comments “disappointing” and he didn’t agree with the way the Upper Bann MLA has handled his resignation.
Despite some anonymous briefing to journalists against him, the Ulster Unionist leader has not yet faced a wider rebellion. With the backing of councillors and members he cannot be ousted as leader, whether he has the support of the Stormont team or not.
In a message to UUP members on Friday evening, seen by the News Letter, Mr Burrows said his “goal is to rebuild this party as the leading voice in modern unionism”.
“This week has tested our party. The departure of a valued colleague is never easy, and I recognise the frustration and disappointment many of you have felt in response to recent media coverage. I want to thank Doug Beattie MC MLA for years of dedicated service, and wish him and his family well”
Jon Burrows said the party and its members “have been characterised in recent days in a manner that is neither representative nor accurate, and we will not allow that characterisation to define who we are”.
He continued: “Northern Ireland needs a strong, serious, and outward-looking Ulster Unionist Party.
“We must be a party that promotes the Union positively, that speaks to our traditional supporters as well as to those we want to bring with us into the future, and that offers hope, stability, and opportunity to everyone seeking a politics that works”.
He told the party faithful in an email on Friday night: “My goal is to rebuild this party as the leading voice in modern unionism” – adding that it must be “united, disciplined, and confident”.
During the week Steve Aiken MLA backed Mr Burrows’s leadership in a social media post.