DUP secret ballot to ratify Edwin Poots as leader

A secret ballot is taking place to ratify Edwin Poots as the new leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), BBC News NI understands.

The DUP executive has gathered at a Belfast hotel to endorse a vote by MLAs and MPs earlier this month, after ousting Arlene Foster.

As DUP members prepared to meet, Mrs Foster told the BBC her departure was "even by DUP standards, pretty brutal".

Mrs Foster steps down as DUP leader on Friday.

She remains as first minister until the end of June.

Thursday night's meeting of the party executive has run longer than expected, after party officers recommended a secret ballot.

The move comes amid unease from some within the party about how Mrs Foster was ousted as leader last month.

Mr Poots is remaining as agriculture minister and has opted not to take on the role of first minister.

He was elected DUP leader-designate this month, narrowly beating Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

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

The decision on who will take on the role of first minister has yet to be decided.

BBC News NI understands North Antrim MLA Mervyn Storey has reservations about becoming first minster, having been tipped for the role.

Mr Storey is understood to have concerns about the joint nature of the office and feels he could not be "true to himself" in that role.

The Irish News reported the party veteran, who has previously served as finance minister and social development minister, rejected the role and said he did not want to become "Edwin's mudguard".

Others who have been tipped for the job include Lagan Valley MLA Paul Givan, who is a close ally of Mr Poots.

There has been disquiet in some quarters at the treatment of Mrs Foster.

In a statement, the Fermanagh and South Tyrone association of the DUP said the removal of Mrs Foster was "not done in our name" and it would support her if she remained as an MLA.

It said its members "met this week to voice their disgust at the manner" in which Mrs Foster had "been treated over recent weeks".

"We appreciate that Arlene has sacrificed so much personally over the years for public service but this association will stand firm by her side," it said.

Mrs Foster told the BBC's Newscast podcast on Thursday that the heave against her and the manner in which it was carried out was "not particularly pleasant".

"I think that I said a couple of days after what had happened that politics is brutal, but even by DUP standards it was pretty brutal, in terms of what happened," she said.

"I had absolutely no idea and was telephoned by a close colleague that this was happening on Monday evening and then by Tuesday morning, it was all in the papers. So, no, it wasn't particularly pleasant.

"There was, of course, another way of doing it. But colleagues decided to go down a different route."

North Belfast MLA Paula Bradley was elected as the party's new deputy leader after Lord Dodds announced he would not bid for re-election.

She beat MP Gregory Campbell by 18 votes to 16 and is the first woman elected to the post.

Meanwhile, the Ulster Unionists ratified Doug Beattie on Thursday evening as their new leader.

He was the only candidate for the role and is its fifth leader in a decade.

About 130 DUP members, including the party's top brass and grassroots representatives, have gathered together for the first time since the coup against Arlene Foster took place to ratify the election of her successor.

Edwin Poots is expected to face criticism from some who disagree with how Mrs Foster was removed and how the election was handled, while others will want to know how the party mends from the bitter split.

Paula Bradley is also due to be ratified as deputy leader.

It's a significant moment for the party, and what happens tonight may determine how much healing can happen.