Vote Mike, get Mike - threat of a late challenge fades as UUP looks set for Nesbitt coronation

There had been some concern in the party that the search for Doug Beattie’s replacement could end up in an embarrassing mess for Ulster Unionists if nobody in its MLA team wanted to step up.

After considering the role, deputy leader Robbie Butler decided against throwing his hat in the ring. But after consulting others within the party, he decided to throw his support behind Mr Nesbitt’s bid – saying he was the best person for the job “at this time”.

That left Mr Nesbitt with a clear run at the leadership. Any challenger would need the support of 35 fully paid up members, spread across nine constituencies in Northern Ireland.

Unlike in most other parties, any member could put their name forward – elected or not. But given that Mike Nesbitt is going to keep the party on the trajectory started by Doug Beattie, it is unlikely that the former leader’s vocal support among the membership will challenge him.

When nominations close at 4.30 on Friday, barring any last minute surprises, Mr Nesbitt’s leadership will just need to be rubber stamped by the Ulster Unionist Council, made up of the party’s members.

Members who vote Mike, look set to get Mike.

The absence of a contest may settle tensions within the party for a while, but it papers over cracks which have been there for a long time – and means that the much-talked-about idea of reforming the party’ structures won’t even get discussed.

Mr Nesbitt is expected to set to work on reform quickly, and will broaden the leadership of the party out among the MLA team. There may even be a role in that for the previous leader Doug Beattie.

One of his first tasks will be to appoint new members to the party’s officer team – the body which Doug Beattie said he had “irreconcilable differences” with.

He will have five selections on the fourteen member body – with the ability to select the party chair and treasurer – and any two of the other roles. A fifth choice comes from the leader’s ability to pick the party whip in the Assembly, who will sit on the officer team.

The situation has worked out much more smoothly for the party than many within it had initially anticipated, particularly as a spat between party officer Kate Evans and the party chair Jill Macauley had the potential to escalate.

Jill Macauley issued a letter to constituency office chairs rejecting Mr Beattie’s claim of “irreconcilable differences” between himself and the officers – saying they had “worked hard to seek a positive outcome”.

This was quickly followed by party officer Ms Evans - a Doug Beattie loyalist - posting on social media platform X that the party chair “should retract what she has said and keep it internal. When she does that, so will I”.

One senior source in the party told the News Letter this week that the party has never been able to instil a proper discipline in its ranks. It has also struggled to have a coherent message on a number of issues.

At the end of last year, Tom Elliott said a fox hunting ban may not be the 'best option' - after party had said the previous day that it supported a ban mooted by the Alliance Party. A united public position was eventually reached, but not before the contradictions were pointed out in the News Letter.