North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows will almost certainly be the next leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) after Robbie Butler, the current deputy leader, announced he will not be standing for the position.
In a statement, Butler said: “When Mike informed us of his decision not to continue as party leader, I took time to engage with colleagues across the party. It quickly became clear that there was significant support for me to stand for the leadership.”
“This support existed in every elected office of the Ulster Unionist Party and across its diverse membership, for this I will remain forever grateful. However, through those conversations, it became apparent to me and my team that the direction many within the party now wish to pursue would be under a different leadership style and new focus.”
“To this end I will not be offering my name for the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party,” he added.
The party confirmed on Thursday evening that the only nomination received was that from Jon Burrows. He met the nomination threshold of 35 signatures from at least nine constituency associations, a spokesperson said.
Diana Armstrong, Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, is running alongside Burrows for the deputy leader position.
It was reported that senior figures within the party would have preferred a leadership contest, and had encouraged Mr Butler to stand for the leader position last week.
The last hurdle Burrows has to pass is the ratification by party members at a meeting at the end of the month. If he is elected leader, he will be the fifth consecutive leader to be appointed without having a contest.
Robbie Butler’s statement continued: “In my 10 years as an elected Ulster Unionist MLA, having given years of service as deputy leader and chief whip and demonstrating the absolute need to be connected and engaged to the grassroots voters in my constituency and across Northern Ireland I know only too well of the need to be honest and clear about the values I stand for.”
“I remain committed to promoting confident, modern, positive unionism with a social conscience. I remain loyal to the cause of enlarging the pro-union voting block. I will continue to engage honestly and with good conscience in the coming days and weeks to better understand the direction and focus of any new leadership team, whilst remembering and demonstrating the credo: country first, party second.”
Mike Nesbitt will remain as leader until the new leader is ratified at the end of January.
