The anti-agreement Ulster Unionist councillor who was considering standing against Mr David Trimble for the party leadership has resigned from the UUP. Mr Jonathon Bell claimed the UUP leadership was preparing to return to government with Sinn Fein.
There had been speculation that Mr Bell, a councillor in Mr Trimble's Upper Bann constituency and an organiser of the Protestant civil rights organisation, the Long March, would be a stalking horse candidate at next weekend's Ulster Unionist Council meeting.
UUP sources claimed his resignation could be linked to a "lack of support" for his potential leadership challenge and the failure of the party's anti-agreement MPs to back him. Mr Bell denied his resignation was in any way linked to his rumoured leadership challenge.
Announcing his resignation yesterday, he said UUP leaders were "seeking to engineer the return of Sinn Fein/IRA" to the executive. He had "agonised" over whether to leave the UUP. "It is not a decision I have taken lightly and I know it will be difficult for some in the party that I am close to.
"However, I can no longer remain a member of a party that is working to restart the agreement which is the antithesis of what I believe in and, indeed, the manifesto contract it made with the electorate.
"I joined the UUP with the aim of upholding democracy and opposing those who used terror as a means of annexing this part of the United Kingdom. In essence, my former party has been complicit in placing Sinn Fein/IRA into executive office and I believe still desires their return.
"Unionism needs to put clear blue water between terrorism and democratic government. Unfortunately, the UUP leadership hasn't been doing that and now seems to be shifting its language from demanding decommissioning before a return to the executive to seeking clarification from the IRA.
"I can no longer in all conscience remain a member of this party. I can no longer fight the system from within, and in fact by staying I was colluding with it."
He cited the failure to overturn the Patten police reforms, the early release of prisoners while paramilitary groups continued to carry out acts of violence, the discovery of "Real IRA" explosives this week, and the forthcoming criminal justice review as other reasons for leaving the party.
Mr Bell, who has been involved with the UUP since his days at university 12 years ago, said he was not defecting to any other party and would serve as an independent councillor in Craigavon.
The chairman of the Ulster Young Unionist Council, Mr Philip Weir, expressed disappointment at Mr Bell's resignation. However, he "fully respected his personal decision".
Meanwhile, the UUP deputy leader, Mr John Taylor, has threatened to resign from the party group examining tactics for a new review of the Belfast Agreement. He said he had been angered by leaks to The Irish Times from the 10-strong group. "I will be speaking to David Trimble about this when he returns from America," he said. Mr Taylor added that he did not know who was responsible for the leaks.