The big showdown in the Ulster Unionist Party moved closer tonight as Mr DavidTrimble prepared to move against the three MPs who resigned the partyparliamentary whip. Party officers meet tomorrow morning to decide what to do about the Rev MartinSmyth, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson and Mr David Burnside.
The meeting follows their resignation of the whip on Monday and refusal tosupport Mr Trimble's policy on the peace process despite him getting a narrowmajority for it at the party's ruling 800-strong Ulster Unionist Council.
The three men were furious that the council failed by 46 per cent to 54 per cent to endorse their demand for an outright rejection of the British and Irish governments' joint declaration on the way forward.
Key moves will be against Mr Smyth, who is party president, and Mr Donaldson,who is a vice president.
Mr Trimble wants them out of their posts insisting their positions areuntenable because they are bound by the party rules to uphold decisions of theruling council - something they have come out against.
As party officers, both men are entitled to be at the 14 strong meeting inparty headquarters - but Mr Smyth will be absent.
His spokesman said: "He is not going. He will be in London and hasengagements at Westminster."Mr Donaldson will be there to fight his corner.
And fight he will. He told reporters: "The Ulster Unionist Party is supposed tobe a broad church where there is room for differing views - this is notStalinist Russia or communist China."
He said he did not believe ordinary party supporters would understand if MrTrimble indulged in "vindictive" moves rather than addressing the concernsheld by nearly half of the party.
Earlier, Northern Ireland Secretary Mr Paul Murphy warned warring unionists that the Belfast Agreement was the only way forward.
He said most people in Northern Ireland still backed the Agreement, while polls indicated a majority of unionists also supported it.
Mr Murphy was speaking in the House of Commons following the failed attempt by three hardline Ulster Unionist Party MPs last week to get the Ulster Unionist Council to reject the peace process.
Today former SDLP leader Mr John Hume said in 1998, for the first time in history, the majority of people in Ireland both north and south had voted overwhelmingly on how they wished to live together when they backed the Agreement.
"For that reason it is the duty of all true democrats to implement the will of the people.
"Given that certain parties opposite wish to overthrow that Agreement, they are overthrowing the principle of consent which is the fundamental principle of unionism.
"If they do that, what damage are they doing to their own people?"
Mr Murphy agreed saying: "Of course people in 1998 voted for the Good Friday Agreement north and south overwhelmingly.