Northern Ireland First Minister, Mr David Trimble is today due to face party critics at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Executive.
The meeting, which is being held at the party's headquarters in East Belfast, came seven days ahead of a gathering of the UUP's ruling council which will decide if Mr Trimble and his ministerial colleagues will continue to remain in government with Sinn Fein.
UUP sources said today's executive meeting would serve as a "useful precursor" to the council meeting.
"It could provide a barometer of party opinion in the run-up to the council meeting," one source said.
"I would expect the top table of both camps within the party not to show their hands.
"However I think it will be interesting to see where the middle ground is lying within the party."
Mr Trimble has been under pressure from hard-liners to impose sanctions on Sinn Fein following concerns about the IRA ceasefire.
British government sources have confirmed that they are likely to announce next week a mechanism for monitoring loyalist and republican paramilitary activity _ a key demand of Mr Trimble's camp in recent months.
The First Minister also scored another success, with the announcement from the Northern Ireland Office Security Minister Jane Kennedy that her officials were looking at installing new close circuit television cameras along the Short Strand peace line in East Belfast in a bid to stop sectarian rioting. PA