Edwin Poots' short legacy will 'help his successor'

Battered and bruised, the DUP has just stepped out of the ring not sure what just happened.

The political heavyweight has staggered through the past seven weeks, taking punches from within and not sure how to hit back.

From the first blow to the last, the party was exposed like never before, and the man who will take the blame threw in the towel last night after a verbal punch-up with party officers.

Edwin Poots masterminded the plot which brutally removed Arlene Foster but he never recovered from the fallout.

He had a plan to oust the leader but not to deal with the aftermath.

From day one, his leadership was unravelling.

He was on the back foot scrambling to get a grip of the party he helped fracture.

He backed down over Arlene Foster's departure date, insisting first it was a matter for the party then allowing his predecessor to set her own timeline.

Mr Poots resigned just three days after his predecessor Arlene Foster

Her long goodbye left him a leader in limbo.

Mrs Foster only left the political stage on Monday and her successor just lasted three days free from her shadow.

He spent his three weeks as leader looking over his shoulder, lurching from one internal crisis to another.

From stormy party meetings, councillor resignations, a U-turn on north south meetings, allegations of bullying and the Paisley/Morrison anti-Swann stage show.

• Councillor resigns from DUP over leadership

• Secret vote 'should have been held on Edwin Poots'

Ian Paisley joining Sir Van Morrison on stage in Belfast to chant about Robin Swann was one of a series of crisis faced by Edwin Poots during his short reign as party leader

But the fatal blow to his leadership was self inflicted.

He promised to be a listening leader, unlike Arlene Foster he said he would never leave his colleagues without a say in big calls.

That pledge disappeared on Thursday as he marched out of the DUP meeting with his colleagues pleading with him to change course.

He ignored those voices and missed the damning vote, which sealed his fate.

As he stood in the assembly chamber nominating his good friend Paul Givan for first minister, others were busy plotting the final push.

'Hard talking'

Edwin Poots had run out of "critical friends".

Those including deputy leader Paula Bradley and minister Michelle McIlveen had switched to the other side.

The soft support he relied on to get elected leader was gone.

So was he, after a four-hour session of hard talking with party officers.

No vote of confidence was needed - Edwin Poots had no way back.

Team Poots will say that, unlike Arlene Foster, he was removed without a true democratic process, without a vote of no confidence in his leadership.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is tipped as the next party leader

So now the 21 day Poots' reign is over, what next ?

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is in the wings waiting to take over.

It is likely to be a coronation this time, the party can't risk more blood-letting in a contest.

The process will run over the next few weeks and already the wagons have been circled.

The DUP mobiles, which were so active in the briefings and counter briefings, are no longer being answered.

The party is nursing too many wounds which will need some time to heal.

That is why Paul Givan will remain as first minister if, as expected, Sir Jeffrey becomes his new boss.

Paul Givan's future as first minister is in question just a day after he took up the role

It will be his first act of bridge-building but more importantly it will shore up political stability.

But long-term, Sir Jeffrey has already indicated that he plans to lead the party from Stormont and may take the job as first minister.

Reshuffling the other Edwin Poots appointed ministers is much easier and less disruptive but don't expect change to happen quickly.

Party direction didn't change under Edwin Poots.

He wasn't there long enough and his leadership take over was all about personalities and not policies.

But his short legacy will help his successor.

Legislating for Irish language at Stormont is now a battle the next leader will not have to fight.

'NI Protocol at top of the in-tray'

It will go through Westminster in the autumn and although the political noise about that prospect will stay with us, the battle is over.

But there are many other challenges waiting for the next DUP leader.

The Northern Ireland Protocol remains top of the in-tray.

Changing the protocol and renaming it appears to be the party strategy as outlined by Edwin Poots before his departure.

His successor may keep to the same path.

But dealing with the Irish Sea border will be the easy part for the new DUP leader.

Tackling the border, which runs so deep down the middle of the DUP, might be harder to scrap.