The choice for leader was a race between long-standing MP Jeffrey Donaldson and Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots.
ADVERTISEMENTEdwin Poots is the new leader of Northern Ireland's largest Unionist party, the DUP. He beat his rival Westminister leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson in what is described as a close contest. The vote follows Arlene Foster stepping down from the role amid anger over her support for the Northern Irish protocol in the Brexit agreement.
Post-Brexit trade rules have imposed customs and border checks on some goods moving between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. The arrangement was designed to avoid checks between Northern Ireland and Ireland, an EU member, because an open Irish border has helped underpin the peace process that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland.
Poots is a Christian fundamentalist and believer in creationism whose conservative views on social issues echo those of the DUP's founder, the late Rev. Ian Paisley, but are far outside the U.K. political mainstream.
Correspondent Tadhg Eright says he cuts a rather controversial figure.
"He does come from the conservative wing of an already conservative party and religion is very much part of his DNA, " he explains. "Upon the announcement of his victory. he thanked Almighty God. And in the past, he has spoken of his proud belief in the theory of young earth creationism - the belief that the earth was created by God 6,000 years ago. At the same time, though, he has got a good reputation for working well with his nationalist colleagues in the Northern Irish government and with his counterparts in the government in Dublin, too."
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