The prospect of a truce between feuding camps in the Ulster Unionist Party appeared more remote tonight after the leadership continued with its bid to discipline three rebel MPs.
UUP officers voted six to three in a "heated" meeting at the party headquarters to convene a disciplinary committee later this month against UUP president the Reverend Martin Smyth, Mr Jeffrey Donaldson and Mr David Burnside.
In a significant move, former Stormont Economy Minister Sir Reg Empey did not side with the six officers who voted for disciplinary action. Sources said he abstained and also proposed a measure to resolve differences in the party but that was rejected.
The three rebel MP's tonight condemned the move following their successful High Court action on Monday which overturned a previous bid to suspend them from the party.
Mr Donaldson criticised the leadership for failing to "draw back from the brink" in the bitter dispute over the MP's decision to resign the party whip at Westminster in a row over policy with leader Mr David Trimble.
The Lagan Valley MP said: "There was an opportunity today after the court ruling on Monday to draw back from the brink.
"The party officers - a minority albeit - have decided to press ahead with disciplinary action.
"I think it is going to do damage to the party, will damage the party's credibility.
"It will do nothing to heal the divisions within the party and I think that a majority of members of the party will just be aghast at this decision."
Mr Donaldson, Mr Burnside and the Reverend Smyth resigned the party whip last month after the Ulster Unionist Council backed the leadership policy of not completely rejecting proposals from the British and Irish Governments on the future of the Good Friday agreement.
On Monday Mr Justice Girvan ruled in Belfast High Court that a disciplinary committee set up following the resignations was improperly constituted and he described the action against the MPs as draconian.
At today's meeting, which lasted more than two-and-a-half hours, a majority of those party officers present backed a second bid to discipline the MPs but did not set a date for such action.
In a statement afterwards they said the UUP's chief executive had been instructed to bring forward nominations for membership of a disciplinary panel.
This would be considered by party officers at their next meeting on July 21 or 22.
The statement added: "In the meantime the officers would hope that there is an opportunity to be proactive in trying to resolve the differences between the two fractions."
Party sources described today's discussions as "tense". A party source said: "The situation is quite grave.
"There appears to be no end in sight to this feuding and the disciplinary action only makes matters worse.
"I think it is possible that we could see some attempt to call the Ulster Union council back, possibly in late August, to address the divisions.
"That would make the party leader David Trimble quite anxious and I think it is possible you could see that manifest itself into a form of leadership challenge."
Mr Trimble, who did not have a vote at the meeting, left without saying anything.
With Northern Ireland preparing for the Twelfth of July celebrations tomorrow, he was expected to face criticism at several of the gatherings.
The Reverend Smyth and Mr Donaldson were both due to speak at Twelfth demonstrations tomorrow.
PA