Edwin Poots 'unaware' of Donaldson-Beattie meeting over party switch

Edwin Poots briefly led the DUP in 2021

Edwin Poots has said he was not aware the DUP's Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and the UUP leader Doug Beattie met last summer.

The pair met after Sir Jeffrey lost out to Mr Poots for the DUP leadership.

Mr Poots added that those who supported his leadership campaign were "not aware of this meeting" nor any details "of engagements that took place".

The assembly member also said suggestions he was the source of the story were "entirely untruthful".

At the time of the meeting, Mr Poots was leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

But he was forced to resign after just 21 days in the role following an internal party revolt and was replaced by Sir Jeffrey.

On Tuesday, Mr Poots said in a tweet that the media should "desist from using sources to spread myths which have zero substance on behalf of people seeking to cause division within the DUP ".

Doug Beattie and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson have given different accounts of their conversation

Sir Jeffrey and Mr Beattie have given differeing accounts of the meeting.

Sir Jeffrey has said while he was invited to join the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) he had no intention of re-joining the party he left in 2003.

Mr Beattie has said he believes Sir Jeffrey did consider switching parties.

The UUP leader also rejected Sir Jeffrey's claim that their meeting had focused on improving unionist co-operation.

Edwin Poots was the other big player at the time and now he too has had his say on the talks- if only to deny he was the source of the leak about the Beattie-Donaldson meeting.

Mr Poots says his name was mentioned a number of times but doesn't say by whom.

But his intervention serves another purpose as it underlines how he, as leader at the time, was in the dark about the engagement.

He also attacks those seeking to cause division within the party, perhaps mindful of the potentially divisive forthcoming DUP executive meeting, which could decide his political future.