Pressure mounted today on dissident Ulster Unionist Mr Jeffrey Donaldson to state whether he was going to remain in the party.
The Lagan Valley MP faced renewed pressure to make a statement on his political future after a motion of no confidence in his constituency association was withdrawn.
Confirming he would take time to make up his mind about his future, Mr Donaldson said: "I was prepared to fight this vote of no confidence because I am absolutely convinced I would have won by a large majority.
"I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support I have received from members of my own association, from the people I represent in Lagan Valley and many others.
"I know I am speaking for ordinary people who share the concerns I have about the direction this process is going.
"I believe that the people behind this motion realised they had no chance of winning and they backed down for that reason. If they truly had the courage of their convictions they would have pressed ahead with it.
"As for my future, I will continue to talk over the coming days to colleagues both within my own constituency and within the party."
Mr Donaldson was under pressure to quit the UUP after losing a crucial vote against party leader Mr David Trimble on Monday night at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council.
Mr Donaldson had hoped to persuade the 900-member ruling council to back his demand for an outright rejection of plans put forward by the two governments on the future of the Belfast Agreement.
When he failed, the Lagan Valley MP said he was now questioning his future in the UUP and whether it still stood for the same principles it had when he first joined the Party.
Members of the rival Democratic Unionist Party have invited Mr Donaldson to join them.
However it is believed he could lead a band of disaffected Ulster Unionists outside the party and into a loose coalition with other anti-Agreement unionists including the DUP.
Mr Trimble and South Antrim MP Mr David Burnside have appealed to Mr Donaldson to stay but for different reasons.
Mr Trimble today urged Mr Donaldson and other hard-liners to stay, to respect the verdict of the Ulster Unionist Council on Monday night and support party policy.
"To go in any other direction would be folly for themselves and politics in Northern Ireland," he insisted.
"It is a question of principle. It is a question of the democratic view. It is a question of accepting that."
Mr Burnside, however, urged Mr Donaldson to remain and maintain the pressure on Mr Trimble to toughen his line on going back into government with Sinn Féin.
PA