The first candidate to announce their bid to become the next leader of the DUP comes from vintage party stock.
Edwin Poots’ father, the late Charlie Poots, is attributed as one the founding members of the party alongside the late Ian Paisley senior in 1971.
His son followed in his footsteps, starting his political career on Lisburn City Council and was later elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998.
It comes after Arlene Foster resigned on Wednesday came a day after party colleagues unhappy with her leadership moved against her, with a majority of senior elected representatives signing a letter of no confidence.
Discontent at the DUP’s Brexit strategy was a major factor, with party rank-and-file laying some of the blame for the emergence of an Irish Sea border at her door.
Traditionalists from the party’s religious fundamentalist wing also harboured concerns over positions Mrs Foster had taken on some social issues.
Mrs Foster was back at her desk on Thursday as she co-chaired a meeting of the Stormont Executive.
Poots rejects the theory of evolution.
In an interview with BBC presenter William Crawley, when asked how old the Earth was, Poots replied: “My view on the earth is that it’s a young earth. My view is 4,000 BC”.
Poots also caused controversy by banning blood donations from gay people, saying “I think that people who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour in general should be excluded from giving blood.” He defined risky behaviour as “someone who has sex with somebody in Africa or sex with prostitutes”.
This thread by Matthew Thompson, Senior Reporter at LBC, about Poots, holds no punches.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Related: Brexit: ‘Black day for Britain’ and ‘national embarrassment’ as fishing boss slams Government
