UK News 07-11-2001 Trimble Election Ends In Scuffle who: Ulster Unionist leader, David Trimble what: Re-elected as First Minister of Northern Ireland Assembly where: BELFAST when: Yesterday snippet: "Northern Ireland`s new politics came into undignified collision with the old yesterday," reports The Independent`s David McKittrick, "as David Trimble`s re-election as First Minister was followed by ugly scenes outside the Stormont chamber." "Police and security guards had to pull apart members of the Rev Ian Paisley`s Democratic Unionist Party and the nationalist SDLP at a press conference after the vote," explains Nic Cecil in The Sun. "The DUP was furious that Mr Trimble won a second ballot only because three members of the moderate Alliance Party redesignated themselves unionists, to give him a 31-29 victory." The Ulster Unionist leader was "heckled with loud cries of Cheat! and Traitor! from DUP ministers, who had already hurled abuse at Mr Trimble inside the chamber," says The Times. "Here comes the First Cheat and the Deputy First Cheat, one yelled." "A woman was knocked to the ground and another politician needed treatment for a leg wound," says The Telegraph. The scene was the culmination of five days of inter-party diplomacy. "We will not allow ourselves to be distracted by the sort of mob violence some parties descend to," Mr Trimble told the assembled press above the din. [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!