Suzanne Breen on the UUP: Beattie and Burrows battle it out

The UUP’s fortunes, or at least its leader’s, had been rising in the polls – but now the party is sinking into civil war. Its former leader Doug Beattie has quit the party and has launched a blistering assault on current leader Jon Burrows – even saying he “regretted” ever persuading Burrows to join the party. Mr Beattie resigned from the UUP at the weekend, accusing former PSNI man Burrows of a “vindictive attempt” to oust him. Mr Burrows has yet to comment publicly. Meanwhile, reports suggest he doesn’t have the support of the party’s Stormont MLAs.The Belfast Telegraph’s Political Editor Suzanne Breen broke the story that Doug Beattie was set to leave the party.