Ulster Unionist Party leader, Doug Beattie MC MLA, said:
“The unedifying events around the DUP leadership were entirely inevitable. It doesn`t matter who the leader of the DUP is because they will face the same critical issues which were negotiated and agreed on their watch.
“Unionism deserves better and Northern Ireland deserves better. Unionism needs modern, confident, progressive leadership and a roadmap for recovery and renewal. The Ulster Unionist Party will concentrate on providing that leadership and remains a united, welcoming party that is looking to the future.
“For too long Unionism has been fed a diet of fear and negativity. We have the talents and abilities to project a more confident, inclusive, vibrant brand of Northern Ireland unionism across the United Kingdom and beyond. There are huge challenges ahead, but by setting out a proper long-term strategy for the future, we can lift unionism to a better place.”