The Ulster Unionists will be extinct unless they carry out a root and branch review of the party, members were warned today.
After the loss of 40 local government seats in Northern Ireland compounded the party's General Election woes, Assembly member David Burnside called for a thorough examination of why the UUP has also been reduced to just one MP - Lady Sylvia Hermon in North Down.
Mr Burnside, who was among four Ulster Unionists who lost their Westminster seats last week, insisted: "There has to be a fundamental re-examination of the officer team, the management of the party, our finances and policy.
"These have been the worst set of results for Ulster Unionism in a century of existence.
"The problems will not be sorted out by any clever little scheme. We have had enough of advertising campaigns about decent people and fish and chips.
"The UUP have had presentational and organisational problems for years. We cannot afford to cobble together again the same facade as recent years, featuring the same people who have been responsible for our failures."
The local government elections confirmed the dominance of the Democratic Unionists at the polls, with the Reverend Ian Paisley's party commanding 29.6 per cent of the first preference votes and taking a total of 182 council seats, up 52.
The DUP made significant gains in Lisburn where it captured eight extra seats including Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson, five more seats in Belfast, four more in Newtownabbey and Ards. The party also secured overall control of Ards, Ballymena and Castlereagh councils.
The UUP secured 18 per cent of the total vote in the local elections, down 5.2per cent, with a total of 115 councillors across the North.
Among its more notable local government casualties were Lord Maginnis in Dungannon, Raymond Ferguson in Fermanagh and Chris McGimpsey in Belfast.
PA