SACKED Economy Minister Diane Dodds has said she will remain in the DUP ranks and hopes the party can "come together" in the aftermath of a divisive leadership contest.
The fallout caused by the ousting of Arlene Foster has led to a series of resignations from the party, fuelling speculation that leading representatives may quit in the weeks ahead.
It is thought supporters of defeated leadership candidate Sir Jeffrey Donaldson were disappointed that many of them were overlooked for key positions in new leader Edwin Poots' major reshuffle on Tuesday.
Departing Education Minister Peter Weir and Mrs Dodds took to social media to criticise Mr Poots' choices for senior Stormont roles, claiming he had missed an opportunity to reach out to his opponents.
Mrs Dodds, who will be replaced next week by Poots' loyalist Paul Frew, tweeted: "It is regrettable that the new team announced does not match the rhetoric about healing and bringing the party together."
Asked yesterday about the tweet, the Upper Bann MLA said said: "I said what I said yesterday, I don't resile from that. I do genuinely wish Paul (Frew) all the best as he takes up this post.
"I have always said that division is very difficult for any political party and that is true also of the DUP."
She said she hoped the party could come together under Mr Poots.
"The most important thing we can do is look at the economy, drive forward growth and prosperity and then provide the widest possible platform for those people who want to vote for the union," she said.
Asked about her own future within the DUP, Mrs Dodds said: "I will always be an advocate for the union, I will always seek to get that broadest level of support for the union, I think that that is massively, massively important and that is where I see my future and see it developing."
When asked if that meant staying within the DUP, she replied: "Yes – every new leader has the right to choose the team that they want, that is what has happened."
Mrs Dodds said she had not had time to speak to her successor but expected to do so soon.
Her remarks came as the man who is set to replace her as economy minister has insisted that there is "one DUP".
North Antrim MLA Paul Frew told the BBC: "First of all it's a new team, the new leader has put in place a team around him that he knows well and he trusts us to achieve things and to bring positivity and to promote Northern Ireland.
"We need settled government, we've had our leadership challenge now, we move on as one party, there are no more camps, there are no more teams, there is one DUP.
"People lose positions in parties and in politics, I've lost positions, these things happen."
Meanwhile, Michelle O'Neill has said her party needs more than "fluffy words" from Edwin Poots on his commitment to deliver Irish language legislation.
The Sinn Féin deputy first minister was non-committal on whether her party intended to back the nomination of Paul Givan for first minister.
The deputy First Minister said she was ready "to do business" with the DUP but insisted it had to be on the basis of delivery of the outstanding elements of the New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) deal, including on Irish language protections.
"I've noted with interest the words from Edwin Poots where he talks about that he's a man of his word or talks about he'll deliver all the New Decade, New Approach commitments," she said.
"I'll hold him to that word, very much I'll hold them to that word but I want to see more than words, I want to see action. I want to see delivery. I want to see it demonstrated, I need more than just fluffy words."
