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The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party said he considered his position after a failed European election campaign.<\/p>\nThe leader of the Ulster Unionist Party said he considered his position after a failed European election campaign.<\/p>\n
Robin Swann said he had decided not to stand down \u201cat this moment in time\u201d, and would not be \u201crunning away\u201d from the responsibility.<\/p>\n
The UUP was swept away in an Alliance Party surge, losing a European seat it had held for 40 years.<\/p>\n
The 53,052 first preference votes secured by UUP candidate Danny Kennedy was only half the haul of 105,928 votes secured by Alliance leader Naomi Long.<\/p>\n
The party trailed in in sixth place, with the SDLP and Traditional Unionist Voice also polling better than a party that was once the preeminent force in Northern Ireland politics. Alliance, the DUP and Sinn F\u00e9in took the three seats.<\/p>\n
\u201cI take responsibility for it because I think that\u2019s what a responsible and accountable leader has to do,\u201d said Mr Swann.<\/p>\n
In an interview on BBC Radio Ulster, Mr Swann was asked whether the result made him consider if he was the right person to lead the party.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter yesterday\u2019s results there are a lot of questions going through my mind. It is one of them \u2013 I\u2019ll not deny it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, at this moment in time I am the leader. If the party wants to go in a different direction I am big enough to take that and the party is big enough to take that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t take on the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party because of ego or any sense of self-importance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took it on because I thought there was a job of work to do, I thought there was a job of work I could do, there is still a job of work to do and I think I can still continue doing that.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, look, it\u2019s up to the party to decide \u2013 we\u2019re bigger than one man and I\u2019m big enough to do whatever needs to be done for the good of the Ulster Unionist Party.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some believe the UUP entered the campaign with a confusing position on Brexit.<\/p>\n
The UUP campaigned for Remain in 2016, but the party now advocates for Brexit \u2013 insisting the result of the referendum must be respected.<\/p>\n
So Mr Kennedy, a Remain voter three years ago, found himself advocating for the UK\u2019s exit for the EU on the campaign trail.<\/p>\n
The result, many believe, was that thousands of unionist remainers shifted their support to Alliance on polling day.<\/p>\n
Thousands of nationalists also transferred votes to the pro-Remain Mrs Long.<\/p>\n
Alliance\u2019s vote share soared by 11% while the UUP\u2019s dropped by 4%.<\/p>\n
Mr Swann, who took over as leader from Mike Nesbitt in 2017, said he would not be stepping down at \u201cthis moment in time\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not stepping down \u2013 I\u2019m not running away from the responsibility the party gave me at the last AGM,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
“I consider I am the man at this moment in time that\u2019s in the post and there is nobody calling for me to go anywhere at this minute in time.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, look, the Ulster Unionist Party is bigger than one individual and we have to learn from yesterday\u2019s results.\u201d<\/p>\n