By politics.co.uk staff

Tom Elliott has appealed for unity within the Ulster Unionist party (UUP) after a sometimes acrimonious leadership election came to an end with his overwhelming victory.

The Orangeman beat Assembly member Basil McCrea in voting in Belfast and was confirmed as the UUP’s successor to Sir Reg Empey.

It follows a disappointing general election campaign for the UUP, which did not win a single Westminster seat.

A decade ago the party had ten MPs but has since been superseded by the Democratic Unionist party, which now runs Northern Ireland in a powersharing executive with Sinn Fein.

Restoring its position as the primary unionist party will be a major challenge for Mr Elliott, who focused yesterday on restoring party unity in his acceptance speech.

“I will certainly not make this a cold house, a cold party for you and your colleagues,” the Belfast Telegraph quoted him as telling Mr McCrea.

The defeated candidate said: “I really wish him well in the future.”

Mr Elliott said he was planning to introduce a range of measures in the coming weeks which would put the UUP in a strong position to take the fight to the DUP.

“This is a time of huge challenges for everyone here economically and socially and I am up for that challenge,” he told party members.

“I want to make sure that the grassroots of Ulster Unionism are brought with the party in the decision making process.”