THE UUP has two particular problems with its MLA team. Eight of the nine are male. Six of the nine are aged mid-50s and above.

Another problem is that, by my reckoning, a majority would be regarded as ‘moderates’.

The immediate question for Jon Burrows is this: how do you change the gender balance and age profile.

Another and trickier question: are the ‘moderates’ a problem for the party in terms of electoral performance and, if so, how ruthless does the party, along with the constituency associations, need to be in replacing them for next May’s Assembly election?

Alex Kane: If Doug Beattie is too moderate for the UUP, where does it expect to get votes?

Alex Kane: Sorry, but there isn’t going to be a border poll or independence referendum in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

From the moment he put himself forward as a candidate for the leadership in January, there were concerns within the MLA group that one of his priorities, should Burrows win, would be to reshape the group in the run-up to 2027.

In fairness, I had already heard concerns about the age and gender issues. Yet, until earlier this year, there was practically nothing about the party needing to come down on one side or the other of the moderate versus traditional (not in the TUV sense, obviously)........

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