UUP’s top pair split over going into Executive

On Saturday the Belfast Telegraph reported that if the DUP and Sinn Fein strike a deal to restore devolution then new UUP leader Steve Aiken wanted to take the UUP back into the Executive, but Upper Bann MLA Doug Beattie had argued strongly in favour of the UUP remaining outside the Executive where it would be free to vigorously challenge the DUP and Sinn Fein.

The newspaper quoted a Stormont source who said: “Doug Beattie believes that democracy in Northern Ireland is best served by having an opposition at Stormont. He thinks that staying outside and holding the two big parties to account is the only way forward for the Ulster Unionists,

“He has argued that an official opposition will deliver better government in Northern Ireland and will strengthen democracy.”

Neither man commented on the report over the weekend.

However, a UUP source confirmed to the News Letter that the pair are split over whether to re-enter the Executive.

The UUP quit the Executive more than four years ago in protest at a government security assessment which said that members of Sinn Fein believe that the IRA’s Army Council still exists and controls Sinn Fein.

If the UUP does opt to re-enter government, Mr Aiken is expected to put himself forward as the party’s minister.

The UUP and other parties met Secretary of State Julian Smith over the weekend, with talks expected to continue today.

The deal currently being discussed is believed to involve significant new Irish language legislation alongside Ulster-Scots legislation and other measures including a huge new financial package for the new Executive.

Yesterday the DUP MP Gregory Campbell, in a statement issued through the party press office, sounded tough but appeared to leave significant room for a deal including new Irish language legislation.

Mr Campbell, who as recently as 2014 said that he would treat Sinn Fein’s wish list as “toilet paper”, said that his party would object to any “unacceptable and unreasonable demand to elevate [Irish] above all other minority languages”, and would refuse to accept such a proposal.

However, the proposed deal on languages – which would elevate Irish to be an official language, but would also do that for Ulster-Scots – would not appear to breach that pledge.

Mr Campbell added: “Let us all take this week to see what is doable, negotiate a balanced set of proposals and get it done instead of grandstanding in the hope of gaining a one-sided victory.”