Edwin Poots ratified as DUP leader to succeed Arlene Foster
Edwin Poots has been ratified as the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party by a majority vote, following a meeting of party members in Belfast.
It comes despite a statement from the Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP Association voicing “disgust” at the treatment of former leader Arlene Foster.
She ended up resigning after an internal party coup.
The DUP has never before contested a leadership election, but Mr Poots was ultimately selected as her successor over rival candidate Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.
His ratification came after a lengthy discussion at Thursday night's party meeting.
And indeed, as Mr Poots made his acceptance speech, Fermanagh & South Tyrone member Paul Bell said he was leaving the party due to its treatment of Mrs Foster.
"It's not the process of electing a new leader," he said.
"It's the fact that we've got 28 elected members in the Assembly and Westminster who would actually create a coup and publicly assassinate our leader.
"This is going to be a real problem for the DUP. The votes that are going to be shed by the DUP is not in their hundreds, it's in their thousands. It's in their tens of thousands.
"We cannot go round the doors, the people in Fermanagh and South Tyrone will vote for anyone but the DUP."
A number of senior figures had already left the hotel where the meeting was being held by the time Mr Poots made his acceptance speech - including Mrs Foster, MPs Sir Jeffrey, Gavin Robinson and Gregory Campbell, Economy Minister Diane Dodds and peer Lord Nigel Dodds.
However, Mr Poots did pay tribute to his predecessor, saying he knew the last few weeks had been "difficult" for her and adding: "As they have been for us all."
"She has made history, and her time in politics. I have no doubt she will go on to do even greater things.
"History will ultimately be kind to her in its final analysis. I wish her and her family well."
The new DUP leader, an MLA for Lagan Valley and current Stormont Agriculture Minister, has already said he does not intend to replace Arlene Foster as First Minister himself.
Instead, Mr Poots will appoint a party colleague to the role.
In his speech, Mr Poots continued to insist he will focus on getting rid of the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol, which has effectively resulted in a border in the Irish Sea.
Extra checks on goods from Great Britain at Belfast and Larne ports has caused anger among loyalists and unionists who feel separated from the rest of the UK.
Mr Poots insisted his tactics to rectify the situation would not include "grandstanding or issuing threats or warnings".
He said: "Our institutions are not a bargaining chip in our campaign to get rid of the protocol.
"Legal challenges are one correct tactic, but the guaranteed way of reading our sales of the divisive protocol is through the Assembly."
Addressing party members, he also said his challenge was to encourage supporters of unionism to get out and vote.
"By far the biggest enemy is those unionists who do not care enough to come out and vote. We must be the unionist party that inspires them to reengage and get out to vote," Mr Poots said.
The new DUP leader further called for a "united unionist coalition" ahead of the next Assembly elections.
He added: "We can retain our own party identity, but have cooperation, particularly in vote management, as we seek to achieve a unionist majority in the Assembly elections."
He said the only way of preventing a border poll and getting rid of the protocol was by securing a unionist majority at the next election.
DUP MP for East Antrim Sammy Wilson denied there are divisions in the party, after senior figures walked out following the result.
He said: "It went on long because we're a democratic party, we give people the opportunity to say what they want to say. Some of them say it sensibly, others say it a bit more sharper than others.
"People had an opportunity to say, they said it very forthrightly and it was all very amicable at the end of the day and a decision was made."
He added: "I can't speak for every individual. Some people will be unhappy with some changes that happen. All I can say is there was agreement at the end of the meeting as to who we should choose.
"Nobody was coerced into voting one way or another. They are all big boys and girls who can make up their own minds and gave their own say."
DUP MP Ian Paisley described the meeting as a "long meeting and a good meeting", insisting the party will "come together".
"A very satisfactory meeting, we have a new leader, we have a new start, there are issues within the party that we have to resolve and we will resolve them and we're being honest about them," he said.
"Then the big battle for us is to get out there and make sure that unionists get motivated again to come out and vote for the best and only unionist party that can defend, save and ensure that the union remains for generations and generations."
Mr Paisley also said he understands that the letter which ousted Arlene Foster has been read to her.
"I understand that the chairman of the party has that letter, the chairman of the party, I understand, has read that letter to Arlene Foster and he's told her the number of names that are on that letter," he said.
"The process that the party has always adopted is that those letters are not shared with other people who have gone.
"My father never ever saw the requisition order that was signed against him. He accepted it because he accepted the good grace and standing of our party chairman."
Elsewhere in Belfast, the Ulster Unionist Party have also ratified their new leader, but in quite different circumstances.
Doug Beattie was elected unopposed to succeed Steve Aiken following his resignation.