Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey has accused the DUP of attempting to wreck his party despite recent talks hosted by the Orange Order on unionist unity.

After assuring the Tories their partnership remains, he said: “Cooperation is not always achievable.

“Indeed, it makes it much more difficult when a significant aim of one of the organisations you are dealing with is to destroy you.”

In his first comments on the meeting which he and senior UUP and Grand Orange Lodge member David McNarry attended, along with DUP leader Peter Robinson and his deputy Nigel Dodds, Sir Reg made clear Orange Grand Master Robert Saulters had wanted a private and confidential meeting to discuss “ways and means of finding co-operation on the way forward”.

“I have respected his request for confidentiality, sadly this was (apparently) not respected by others,” he said.

“Despite a conversation and discussion on the issues that Mr Saulters wished to raise, no agreements were reached.”

Shadow Secretary of State Owen Paterson also insisted his party’s pact with the Ulster Unionists remains on track despite disclosures of ‘secret’ talks with the DUP hosted by the Orange Order on unionist unity.

Mr Paterson said he had been assured that the meeting, at Orange headquarters before Christmas, did not affect the joint project because “nothing of consequence” had happened. Nonetheless, it is understood a follow-up meeting had been pencilled in for this week.

Bbut this second meeting was overtaken by the Hillsborough devolution talks.

Plans for a meeting to appoint joint candidates under the Conservative and Unionist New Force (UCUNF) banner have, however, been thrown into chaos following disclosures of the more recent talks involving the DUP and UUP leaderships at Hatfield House in England.

Three prospective Conservative candidates — two of them Catholics — have withdrawn their names in protest over the talks.

One of the trio, former DUP councillor Deirdre Nelson, who could have been the Conservative-Unionist candidate in East Belfast, said she was “very concerned” to learn of the pre-Christmas unionist unity talks.

And Ulster Unionism’s sole MP Lady Hermon, who is opposed to the link-up, said her party’s partnership with the Tories should be over.

“I think the new force is now a spent force,” said the North Down MP, who has been told she must accept the Tory whip in Westminster.

Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister said: “From the moment the DUP stole David Trimble’s clothes and policies and bought into his Belfast Agreement, there really has been little of substance to distinguish the UUP and DUP.

“They are those unionists who gave us and believe in and wish to continue terrorist-inclusive government.”