The UUP's bust-up with Basil Mc Crea has moved up a notch.
Lagan Valley MLA Mr McCrea has been summoned to a disciplinary meeting next Friday where two separate complaints are being moved against him.
However, Mr McCrea has seen off a move by members of his own constituency association to move a motion of no confidence in him.
Instead, the majority voted to send a delegation to meet Mike Nesbitt, the party leader, and Sir Reg Empey, the party chairman. The three-member delegation asked the two to ensure that Mr McCrea stayed on as the local MLA.
This signals that if the party does move to expel him, it could cause difficulties in Lagan Valley.
"We let them know that the association would be very concerned about the possibility of losing our MLA," said Brian Bloomfield, who chairs the Lagan Valley UUP Association.
The other members of the delegation were Alan Scott and Donn Mc-Connell, two long-standing members Mr Bloomfield added: "Mike Nesbitt listened carefully and gave us no sign that he wanted to be rid of Basil."
However, just three days before the meeting on January 7, Mr Nesbitt had contacted the disciplinary committee to make a complaint against Mr Mc-Crea, telling them that Mr McCrea had lost the party whip.
The second complaint was from the recently formed Waringston branch in the Upper Bann constituency.
Mark Woods, branch secretary, said: "We made the complaint about a week before Christmas." It is understood to demand that Mr McCrea be disciplined for critical comments he made about the UUP three-member Belfast City Council group over the flag issue.
The three councillors voted against a motion to fly the Union flag only on designated days and criticised the Alliance Party for promoting the contentious motion.
Mr McCrea had said on BBC's Nolan Show that he would have voted with Alliance, and believed the UUP councillors had been mistaken.
Later the councillors said they would resign if he was not disciplined and Waringston took up their cause, questioning Mr McCrea's loyalty.
Last night (Friday) Mr McCrea confirmed that he had received the letter. "I am satisfied I can answer all the points raised and that I have acted within party policy at all times," he said.
