REBEL Ulster Unionist David McNarry has said that he now will not take his party to court — and that he will return to the UUP benches at Stormont, whether he is welcomed or not.
Mr McNarry quit as a UUP MLA in January after being disciplined by the then party leader Tom Elliott over an interview in which he revealed secret UUP-DUP talks.
He was then disciplined a second time, by being suspended as a UUP member for nine months, after attacking Mr Elliott’s leadership in a radio interview, and said at the time that the issue was being handled by his solicitor.
However, in a letter published in today’s News Letter, Mr McNarry says: “Come November, my intention is to take my place in the seating area reserved for elected Ulster Unionist MLAs.”
Parties are allocated blocks of seating in the Assembly after an election and Mr McNarry said that he was advised by Assembly staff to sit on the independents’ bench when he decided to leave the UUP Assembly group and sit as an independent.
When asked last night to expand on his intentions, Mr McNarry said: “What I was relating to was that my suspension will cease after nine months which from the date it was issued will be November.
“At that time I will take up my seat there because I am a member of the party.
“Having had a couple of good discussions with my solicitor, it is not my intention to pursue the suspension in the court.”
Asked whether that meant that he was now accepting his punishment, the Strangford MLA said: “I am reluctantly accepting it, mainly because after 40 years membership of the party it would not be my wish to take the party to court.”
Mr McNarry insisted that he could have continued the court action and had advice that “my chances of success were more than even”.
However, despite deciding to remain within the party and its disciplinary procedures, Mr McNarry conceded that he does “not have any” expectation of being back in the UUP Assembly group under leader Mike Nesbitt.
Mr Nesbitt has said that he will not consider allowing Mr McNarry back into the UUP Assembly group unless it was what was required to save planet earth “from an invasion of little green men from Mars”.
In a statement, the Assembly said: “By convention the allocation of seating in the Assembly Chamber is arranged using party strength (d’hondt formula).
“Each party is provided with a specific area in the chamber. Single-member parties and independent members are also given a specific area in which to sit.
“The current arrangements were agreed with party whips and approved by the Business Committee on 17 May 2011.”