Opponents of Mr David Trimble within the Ulster Unionist Party were tonight urged to fight him as members of the Reverend Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists.
After Mr Trimble saw off on Saturday another attempt to oust him as leader at the Ulster Unionist Council, Lagan Valley MP Mr Jeffrey Donaldson urged the rebels to follow his example and defect to the DUP.
Mr Donaldson, who joined the DUP in January, told the party's new Erne East Branch in Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh the 40 per cent of Ulster Unionists who consistently opposed Mr Trimble could "hold their heads high.
"Together we gave the UUP ample opportunities to see the error of its ways," he said.
"However, when that battle within the UUP has now lasted about the same time as World War Two, you have to come to terms with the fact that the UUP is never going to come round to our view.
"There is a home waiting for you if you want it, a home where you do not have to assume the role of opposition but from where you can positively pursue the policies and objectives for which we fought so hard over the last six years."
There had been warnings in the run-up to Saturday's vote that if Mr Trimble won, between 100 and 150 members of the UUP could either quit politics altogether or join the DUP.
Earlier today the Ulster Unionist Party's European Parliament candidate Mr Jim Nicholson called on all sections of the party to unite before this June's poll.
"The Ulster Unionist Council has made its decision," he said."I am pleased to hear that senior members want to pull together in theinterests of unionism.
"We need to rebuild the party at every level, leaving the past behind.Mr Trimble secured almost 60 per cent of the backing of his party's ruling council in the annual leadership vote.