But former Assembly member Jim Wilson has been given the title of general secretary of the party rather than chief executive.

And he has taken up the position in an "acting" capacity.

It is a job he has done before, for more than a decade, between 1987 to 1998 and the appointment is with immediate effect.

But a terse party statement added: "The acting general secretary post is an interim appointment which will be reviewed within the next six months."

It comes a month after the Belfast Telegraph revealed chief executive Will Corry had quit, a disclosure which came on the day the UUP launched its election campaign.

The party admitted working relations between Mr Corry and several party officers had deteriorated partly due to "fundamental differences" over how the party should be run and partly due to personality clashes.

Mr Corry was suspended on full pay last June after a long running internal rift but received financial compensation.

He was the third chief executive the party has lost in less than four years.

Not long after his appointment, which followed the resignation of former Balmoral show boss Lyle Rea, Mr Corry warned party procedures were contrary to company law and should be changed as soon as possible.

He also drew the ire of a number of officials at an early stage after sending a letter describing the party's intention to elect new officers before more senior officials are put in place as "totally unbelievable" .