A Democratic Unionist MP last night (Friday) rounded on three rebel Ulster Unionist MPs as the parties clashed in anticipation of a November assembly election.
North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds criticised MPs Jeffrey Donaldson, David Burnside and the Rev Martin Smyth for seeking to resume their party whip.
The three MPs resigned the whip earlier this summer in a row over policy with their leader David Trimble but have applied to retake it following the rejection by their party of British and Irish government proposals for the peace process.
Mr Dodds said: "At a crunch time for the country, Jeffrey, Martin and David have put party considerations before the needs of Northern Ireland.
"Faced with a choice between leaving the failed pro Belfast Agreement Ulster Unionist Party and throwing their lot in with David Trimble, they have chosen to prop up their party leader at the very moment they can actually do something to bring about an end to the miserable leadership and policies of David Trimble.
"These three MPs must be almost the only people in the country begging to get back into the Ulster Unionist Party.
"The UUP Executive's resolution that 'at present' the joint declaration does not provide a satisfactory basis for progress is some considerable distance from the trio's calls for outright rejection.
"What's more, the UUP leadership continues to negotiate with Sinn Féin/IRA on the basis of the joint declaration – a document which this Secretary of State, Paul Murphy, has said there was 'shared understandings' between the parties during the negotiations at Hillsborough Castle," Mr Dodds added.
"Anti Agreement Ulster Unionists who take David Trimble's leadership must now answer some serious questions. Will they run for the assembly on what will inevitably be a pro-agreement UUP manifesto?
"If they get elected will they then vote for David Trimble as first minister?"
