A senior Ulster Unionist peer today appealed to rival sections of the party to sit down and heal the rift which is threatening its future.
As party leader Mr David Trimble prepared to face a motion of no confidence tonight in his constituency association, Lord Kilcloney said he believed divisions between pro- and anti-Good Friday Agreement members could be healed.
"We are in a situation where both sides need to sit down and talk to each other," he said.
"That is going to be hard because unfortunately some people on both sides have said things publicly which have complicated matters.
"The atmosphere has become poisoned and, if it is going to be resolved, it has to be handled carefully."
Lord Kilcloney was commenting after yesterday's embarrassing Belfast High Court defeat for Mr Trimble in the case of three rebel MPs who were suspended for resigning the party whip at Westminster in a row over policy.
Judge Mr Justice Girvan ruled that the UUP leadership improperly constituted a disciplinary committee to deal with the Reverend Martin Smyth, Jeffrey Donaldson and David Burnside.
Their suspensions were invalid and draconian, his ruling said.
The three MPs have been engaged in a bitter dispute with Mr Trimble after the party's 900-member ruling council backed his policy of not completely rejecting plans for the peace process put forward by the British and Irish Governments.
Mr Trimble tonight was due to face a motion of no confidence in his 260-member constituency association as part of the bitter feud which has erupted in the party.
A similar motion of no confidence in Lagan Valley MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson was withdrawn.
Lord Kilcloney, however, today insisted the rival camps were divided merely on tactics and not policy.
"I believe it is possible to avoid disciplinary committees, to avoid court cases and, more seriously, if we continue to go down this route, we could end up having to expel several Unionist constituency associations," he warned.
"The best approach would be to heal the differences that exist and I think that is still possible."
The peer, who is the former deputy leader of the UUP, said he believed the party could be reunited under Mr Trimble's leadership.
PA