DUP leadership: Party to elect new leader and deputy

The vote to elect the next leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will take place on Friday.

Northern Ireland's Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots and Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson are bidding to succeed Arlene Foster.

She steps down as DUP leader on 28 May and NI first minister at the end of June.

It is the first time in the party's 50-year history that a leadership contest has taken place.

Only three people have ever occupied the role of party leader in the DUP's history: founder Ian Paisley, Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster.

A secret party ballot will be held at 11:00 BST on Friday. The announcement on the next leader is expected at about 17:00 BST, the party has said.

A party meeting to elect the next leader, to be overseen by DUP chairman Lord Morrow, will be conducted virtually.

A new deputy leader will also be elected after incumbent Lord Dodds announced he would not bid for re-election.

Mr Poots became an MLA (member of the legislative assembly) for the Lagan Valley constituency in 1998 and has also served on Lisburn City Council.

He has served as Northern Ireland minister for the environment, minister for arts, culture and leisure and as health minister over the course of his political career.

He has said he would like to remain as agriculture minister and would not take on the role of Northern Ireland first minister if elected party leader.

On Thursday, Mr Poots said, in a message to MPs and NI Assembly members, that leading the DUP "would be my greatest honour".

He said he had been "tried and tested over many years in political office" and had a plan to "reinvigorate unionism".

However, he is facing stiff competition for the leadership from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who has been the MP for Lagan Valley since 1997.

At that time he was an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) member but was one of several politicians who defected to the DUP in 2004 after a dispute over the 1998 Good Friday Agreement peace deal.

On Thursday, Sir Jeffrey told DUP assembly members and MPs that he will contest the next assembly election and serve as first minister if elected.

"If elected leader, I will not be leading remotely from Westminster. I will be on the ground and intend to fight the next assembly election so that I can be based here," he said.

"I would take on the role of first minister as I believe that our people not only want a leader of unionism, they want a leader for Northern Ireland."

Both Mr Poots and Sir Jeffrey not only represent the constituency of Lagan Valley, but also work out of the same office building.

They are East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell and MLAs Paul Frew, of North Antrim, and Paula Bradley, of North Belfast.

Only DUP members elected to the House of Commons and the Northern Ireland Assembly get to vote in a leadership election, according to party rules.

There are 28 MLAs - including Mrs Foster - and eight MPs, who make up the electoral college.

In order to become party leader, the winning candidate must secure the support of at least 19 of the party's MLAs and MPs.

Mrs Foster announced her decision to resign after facing a revolt from DUP members.

She had led the party since December 2015 and was appointed first minister of Northern Ireland the following month.

BBC News NI understands that she will sever her ties with the DUP when she stands down as first minister, with sources close to her saying she thinks it is no longer the party she joined.