Mike Nesbitt is set to return as Ulster Unionist leader seven years after stepping down from the role
In a wide-ranging interview with BBC News NI, he admitted his return to the top job in the Ulster Unionist Party has taken even him by surprise. I was happy on the back benches," he said. "I took the job back then, kind of on the basis that, you know, there's no point waiting until there's a right time."He said that in 2014, the Ulster Unionists had 88 councillors compared to 54 now and came out of the 2015 general election with two MPs.
He said his priority was now to stabilise a party, "which I don't think is that unstable", and make it united and coherent.Mr Nesbitt has also called for a realignment of unionism.