Showdown time for Trimble

Unionist concerns may prevent return to Stormont

BBC Northern Ireland's political editor, Stephen Grimason, says the next week will be the most crucial of David Trimble's career.

The Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble, is now set for a final showdown with the anti-Good Friday Agreement faction within his party.

The coming days, before Ulster Unionist Council meeting on Saturday 27 May, are likely to be among the most bruising of his political career.

The whole "No" camp, embracing his own dissidents, Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party, and the other small anti-agreement unionist parties will be doing their best to unseat him.

This Saturday was to have been a defining moment for Ulster Unionism but even a week late it will be pretty much the same thing.

David Trimble will either emerge as the leader of a new style of unionism or he will limp from the political field, forced into resignation by his enemies within.

It's understood he accepts he would not have carried the day if the Ulster Unionist Council meeting had gone ahead as scheduled on Saturday 20 May.

I spent a great deal of time this week ringing around Council members and got the feeling the party was 70-30 against the deal.

There was confusion and distrust, not just of republicans, but of the British Government.

David Trimble: Faces hero or zero option

Against such a background, Mr Trimble has decided to live and fight another day but he is coming from behind.

He has shown in the past that he is able to confound the odds and has always secured enough support at each stage of the peace process to get to the next stage.

If he pulls it off he will be a hero, if not then he'll be a zero - it's as simple as that.