THE CHAIRMAN of the Northern Ireland Conservatives has quit the party over what he terms "‘wholesale negativity, back-biting and personal attacks".
Alan Dunlop's resignation comes as the regional Tory party's members vote on the creation of a multi-constituency association, of which the departing chairman is an advocate.
He said creating a multi-constituency association would "do away with outdated arrangements more suited to a fusty club than a serious political party".
Mr Dunlop said the change in how the party is organised would "cause upset in some quarters" and that it had led to "indirect criticism of my style and approach to modernisation".
"Vested interests in some quarters oppose what’s proposed but these same individuals have no alternatives to offer," he said.
"I have borne the brunt of wholesale negativity, back-biting, in-fighting and personal attacks from people who seldom come out from the shadows to directly state their case or level their criticism of me face-to-face."
Mr Dunlop said he was quitting with a "heavy heart" and now planned to focus on his business interests.
