Arlene Foster declines DUP 50th anniversary dinner invite

About 80% of the DUP's Stormont and Westminster ranks signed a letter of no confidence in Arlene Foster

Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Arlene Foster has declined an invitation to the party's 50th anniversary dinner, BBC News NI understands.

The party is marking the occasion at a Belfast hotel on Thursday night.

Meanwhile, Baroness Eileen Paisley has told the BBC that the party today is in many ways unrecognisable from the one led by her husband, Rev Ian Paisley.

The last few months have certainly been like no other in the DUP's history.

Mrs Foster was deposed after a brutal internal heave which led to an unprecedented round of infighting played out in the most public of ways.

Her successor Edwin Poots lasted only three weeks before he was replaced by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

It is all a long way from the party led for more than three-and-a-half decades by Ian Paisley.

Rev Ian Paisley with Sir Jeffrey Donaldson in 2008

In a statement, Baroness Paisley said the party's "more recent tolerance of changing moral attitudes in society is a far cry from the code of practice Ian unashamedly espoused".

"Yet, despite his clear and unequivocal views, the party grew to being the majority voice of the unionist people in this province.

"That is perhaps a lesson which today needs heeding."

She added that "Ulster faces very uncertain days".

DUP peer Lord Hay said the party had undergone "huge changes " over the past half-century but retained "the same core principles" it was founded on.

"More and more people are signing up to those principles," he told BBC Radio Foyle.

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"The party has gone through a difficult time over the last number months, but I hope lessons have been learned and I think lessons have been learned.

"I believe under the leadership of Jeffrey Donaldson the party will move on and will heal whatever wounds that are out there. We are getting the party ready for the next election," he said.

But it is Mrs Foster's decision to stay away from Thursday night's event that will gather most comment.

It is another sign of the hurt the former first minister still feels at the way she was treated by some of the party's elected representatives, although she remains close to many grassroots members.

The race to succeed her as MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone is nearing completion with candidates being interviewed this week.

Then Mrs Foster will resign her assembly seat and depart the Stormont stage.