Edwin Poots’s first month as Democratic Unionist Party leader designate has, at kindest estimate, been “poor”. An opinion poll has shown his party at 16pc support – about half the vote-share it got in its last electoral outing in the London parliament elections of December 2019. The fallout from the brutal ousting of his predecessor, Arlene Foster, has been bitter and continuous, carrying a damaging legacy which will persist for some time. Mr Poots’s formal endorsement as the new leader was marked by a walkout by several senior party adversaries, and the rejuvenated rival Ulster Unionist Party is now talking to DUP members minded to quit their party. The new leader’s claims that much of the turmoil is due to this being the party’s first ever election to pick only its fourth leader does not stand up to scrutiny.

Source: Irish Independent May 31, 2021 01:41 UTC