{"id":114264,"date":"2021-05-14T03:20:47","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T03:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=114264"},"modified":"2021-05-14T03:20:47","modified_gmt":"2021-05-14T03:20:47","slug":"northern-ireland-the-contest-to-elect-a-new-dup-leader-is-on-a-knife-edge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/politics\/northern-ireland-the-contest-to-elect-a-new-dup-leader-is-on-a-knife-edge\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern Ireland: The contest to elect a new DUP leader is on a knife edge"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Democratic Unionist Party is voting to elect a new leader, with the contest between Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Edwin Poots on a knife edge.<\/p>\n
Both candidates in the race to succeed Arlene Foster<\/strong> believe they have secured just enough support from the 36-strong electoral college of MPs and Stormont Assembly members.<\/p>\n The entire leadership debate has taken place in secret – with party officers having effectively silenced both men by prohibiting them from doing interviews with the media.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tim Cairns, a former special adviser to the party, said: “In terms of speaking to the media, I think the DUP<\/strong> clearly missed a trick there.<\/p>\n “You are at your strongest whenever you are putting forward leadership platforms and the party’s in the news, the party’s in the papers, the press are interested.<\/p>\n “This is a time to get your agenda forward and put it forward and that’s been completely missed.”<\/p>\n Edwin Poots, 55, a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for 23 years, has held several ministerial portfolios and is currently agriculture minister.<\/p>\n He represents the more ideological wing of the party and has courted controversy in the past with his views on evolution and sexuality.<\/p>\n Sir Jeffrey<\/strong>, an MP for 24 years, leads the party’s parliamentary team at Westminster, where he negotiated the Confidence and Supply deal with the Tories.<\/p>\n The 57-year-old represents the more pragmatic wing of Northern Ireland’s largest political party but this is much more than a battle between the old and new DUP.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the DUP having witnessed three coronations, this is the first time in its 50-year history that the party has held a leadership election.<\/p>\n The internal revolt that ended Mrs Foster’s leadership <\/strong>highlighted a disconnect between the top brass and the grassroots and both candidates are promising internal reform.<\/p>\n The party will also elect a new deputy leader to succeed Lord Dodds, who led the party’s Westminster team when it held the balance of power there.<\/p>\n Paul Frew and Paula Bradley are standing alongside the long-serving East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell.<\/p>\n