Mr Poots vowed to be the ‘authentic voice’ of unionism as he was elected as the new leader the DUP
The Lagan Valley MLA defeated the DUP’s Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson by 19 votes to 17 in the poll carried out within the party’s 36-strong electoral college. Mr Poots added: ‘I’m looking forward to a positive relationship right across Northern Ireland with my party colleagues and indeed with people from other parties.
‘My father was a founder member of the DUP some 50 years ago, and I joined after the death of the Reverend Robert Bradford MP in 1981 and throughout all of that period this party has been the authentic voice of unionism and will continue to be the authentic voice of unionism under my leadership.’Mrs Foster was ousted after an internal heave by party colleagues unhappy with her leadership and will step down from that role on May 28, and as Stormont First Minister at the end of June.
Mr Poots also urged fellow unionists to work with him to oppose Brexit’s contentious Northern Ireland Protocol, which has placed new economic barriers between the region and the rest of the UK.
Unionism. Pick and choose unionism.
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