Mike Nesbitt says he has seen “nothing but a cohesive team” since it became clear that Jon Burrows would take over as UUP leader, just six months after becoming an MLA.

The former leader’s comments come amid reports of friction within the party’s Stormont group – and briefings before the leadership campaign was settled that some MLAs might walk if the newcomer took the top job.

However, there was a united front at Mr Burrows’s ratification at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast on Saturday, with all of the party’s elected representatives in the Assembly and Westminster in attendance.

Mr Nesbitt, who had stayed on in post until Mr Burrows was formally installed on Saturday, said he believed this was a “line in the sand moment” for the party. He said: “We can now switch into an outward-looking election mode and go fishing for votes.”

Jon Burrows (right) shakes hands with Mike Nesbitt, after succeeding him as UUP leader.

placeholder image — Jon Burrows (right) shakes hands with Mike Nesbitt, after succeeding him as UUP leader.

Mr Nesbitt said he was not aware of reports that Mr Burrows does not have the support of his whole team at Stormont – saying “I have seen nothing but a cohesive team. There is no tension, there is no dissension that I have spotted”.

Former party leader Steve Aiken said Mr Burrows and Ms Armstrong would make a “great leadership” team – adding: “This is a very bright day for the Ulster Unionist Party.”

After Mr Nesbitt announced his intention to stand down at the beginning of January, there was an expectation that former deputy leader Robbie Butler would stand.

But just hours before the deadline closed for nominations, Mr Butler announced that he would not stand. He said he would seek to “better understand the direction and focus of any new leadership team” in the days ahead.

In a statement in which the Lagan Valley MLA did not mention Mr Burrows, he said he was “resolute that Unionism must be willing to look beyond its traditional base and focus on making Northern Ireland work”.

He said he would “continue to engage… in the coming days and weeks to better understand the direction and focus of any new leadership team, whilst remembering and demonstrating the credo: country first, party second”.