DAVID McNarry was just one of four senior UUP figures involved in the DUP-UUP talks, it has been reported.
According to UTV last night Mr McNarry was joined at the talks – which most of the party’s MLAs were unaware of – by leader Tom Elliott, minister Danny Kennedy and the party chairman, David Campbell, was also involved.
The DUP were represented, according to UTV, by Peter Robinson, Sammy Wilson and Nigel Dodds at the talks which have been going on since last summer.
Mr Robinson said that his party was “ready and willing to talk about how we might have a better relationship with the UUP” and dismissed UUP MLA Basil McCrea’s claim that he had set a trap for the UUP as “absolute nonsense”.
Mr McNarry said that he was “reluctant to disclose” exactly who was at the talks but added: “Suffice to say that Tom Elliott accompanied me to most of those meetings.”
He added: “Tom also included me in another group; a very close group and that group knew all about the panel Tom had selected to go into the talks. I was one of the panel.”
Mr McNarry said that he was “not going anywhere” and said: “I’ll act from within the party machinery.”
He added: “I’ve tried to protect him (Mr Elliott) and the longer and more he talks the more he’s digging a hole for himself.”