THE DUP is on the look out for a new leader after Edwin Poots resigned after just 21 days in the role.

His resignation on Thursday night came after an internal revolt amongst the party's MLAs after he nominated Paul Givan for the role of First Minister. Jeffrey Donaldson is now favourite to take over the role as party leader.

As many as 24 MLAs were reported to be unhappy after Mr Poots agreed a deal with Sinn Féin late on Wednesday night for the British government to implement Irish language legislation at Westminster if there was no agreement at Stormont.

The legislation was set out in New Decade, New Approach following the restoration of power-sharing at Stormont in January 2020 but there has been no movement on it in the Assembly.

In a statement issued following a meeting with party officers in Belfast on Thursday, Edwin Poots said: "I have asked the party chairman to commence an electoral process within the party to allow for a new leader of the Democratic Unionist Party to be elected.

"The party has asked me to remain in post until my successor is elected.

"This has been a difficult period for the party and the country and I have conveyed to the chairman my determination to do everything I can to ensure both unionism and Northern Ireland is able to move forward to a stronger place."

The Irish government says the planned North South Ministerial Council meeting in Armagh will now not be going ahead today (Friday).

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said it was now "time to give the DUP some space". Yesterday he had tweeted his congratulations to Paul Givan on becoming the new First Minister of Northern Ireland.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland programme, Mr Coveney said "the last thing Northern Ireland needed is the largest party in a very divided place".

Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard said the DUP was "struggling to come to terms" with a "modern, progressive society".

"Any incoming leader needs to think very quickly about how they approach this because these issues aren't going away. They need to step into the 21st century.

"Power sharing is very, very difficult to do if not impossible with broken promises but it's also impossible with broken parties.

"There needs to be unity of purpose in the executive and it's very, very difficult to do that with a party that's clearly at war with itself."

In a tweet, Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw said the next DUP leader "must learn that playing hardball gets them nowhere.

"What you put out, you get back. The challenge is to work with the rest of us to deliver progress for all, not to circle the wagons."

The DUP is now preparing for a second leadership contest within 50 days, having gone 50 years without having one.

All eyes will be on DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson, who lost out to Poots by two votes last month.