The ruling in yesterday’s High Court case may have drawn a definative line under any more inhouse action against the three rebels – for the summer at least!
The suspensions were deemed improper on a number of important counts. Not least that the officers who imposed the suspension were not empowered by the party’s procedures to do so. The proposed hearing of the 17th July is also considered to be void,on the basis that it was to include two co-opted members not agreed to by all of the party officers – which of course should have included two of the accused.
The rebels, no doubt aware of the rich irony of their own minority status within the party (46% to 54% from the last UUC vote mirrors the difference between Nationalist minority and Unionist majority in Northern Ireland), would appear now to have the upper hand in the battle for control of the party.
Indeed David Trimble although won a stiff test within his local party last night in Craigavon Civic Centre, the margin was less than a convincing endorsement. Keep watching this space.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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