Brian Ervine, brother of the late David Ervine, is planning to stand for the leadership of the Progressive Unionist Party at its annual conference next month, he has confirmed.
Mr Ervine said today he intended to run for the leadership at the conference on October 16th when the current interim leader, Dr John Kyle, is to stand down. He is the only candidate to declare so far.
PUP conferences are normally in public but this gathering will be in private as the party continues to assess the fallout from the UVF murder of Bobby Moffett.
Dr Kyle said today that he is still reflecting on whether he will remain in the PUP. Last week, the PUP decided to maintain its link with the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commando nothwithstanding the Independent Monitoring Commission's finding that the UVF - which has stated it is on ceasefire - murdered Mr Moffett on the Shankill Road in May.
The killing prompted East Belfast Assembly member Dawn Purvis to resign as leader, with another prominent member David Rose also leaving the party.
Dr Kyle agreed to remain as interim leader. The PUP decided to maintain the loyalist paramilitary link because it wanted to continue to provide a “voice to working class loyalists throughout Northern Ireland”.
“If our communities are to consolidate the peace process, we cannot ignore our obligation to those who continue to be under-represented,” the party said in a statement.
It still remains to be seen whether Dr Kyle will stay in the party. He expected to hold some discussions with the UVF ahead of the conference.
