Doug Beattie 'saddened and angry' after UUP departure

Doug Beattie has said he is "saddened and a little bit angry" after quitting the Ulster Unionist Party.

Beattie stepped away from the Ulster Unionist Party on Sunday saying it had become clear his membership was no longer "tenable".

The former party leader and Upper Bann assembly member had been facing the prospect of being deselected by his constituency association ahead of the next assembly election.

In a letter sent to party leader Jon Burrows on Sunday, Beattie said it was with "genuine sadness" that he was tendering his resignation with immediate effect.

Beattie told BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show on Monday that there was "an insidious element within the party who have been continually briefing against me with regards to selections and other issues".

A UUP spokesperson confirmed on Sunday they had received his resignation and thanked him for "his many years of service to his country and to the party".

Beattie was first elected as an assembly member to Stormont in 2016, having previously been a councillor for the UUP.

In his resignation letter, Beattie said he no longer felt "at home within the party he led for three years".

Beattie said that over the last 12 years he had made many "valued friendships" within the UUP but that over the past two years he had noticed a "marked difference" in relations between the party management board, the constituency associations, the party's councillor association and the MLA group at Stormont.

'Campaign of rumour and gossip'

The Upper Bann assembly member said even as he raised concerns directly with Burrows, an "insidious campaign of rumour and gossip" was being waged against him.

He added that the issues "came to a head" last week, claiming Burrows had told him he intended to reopen a disciplinary matter against him.

It is understood that issue relates to historical social media posts made by Beattie.

He said this felt like a "deliberate and vindictive" attempt to drive him out of the UUP.

UUP response to Beattie's resignation

In a statement, a UUP spokesperson said they had received the resignation today and thanked Beattie "for his many years of service to his country and to the party".

"We wish him well," it continued.

However, the spokesperson said that "the party does not accept the characterisation of recent events set out in Mr Beattie's letter.

"The party management board met on Thursday evening to consider serious concerns about Mr Beattie's conduct and judgement.

"The board unanimously agreed a course of action, which was due to be communicated to Mr Beattie by the party leader on Monday.

"Mr Beattie's resignation has overtaken that process."