So Edwin Poots, darling of the traditionalists, is favourite to be the next DUP leader.

For those who don’t know him, a short introduction to the man, in his own words

(THREAD)

On the age of the Earth: “My view on the earth is that it's a young earth. My view is 4000 BC.”

Poots on the Big Bang: “You’re telling me that cosmic balls of dust gathered and there was an explosion?

“We’ve had lots of explosions in Northern Ireland and I’ve never seen anything come out of that that was good”

Poots on gay civil partnerships:

“Basically its unnatural in the first instance, and it’s abominable in the second instance.”

Poots on adoption:

“The natural order - whether one believes in God in evolution - is for a man and a woman to have a child and therefore that has made my views on adoption very clear and on raising children very clear, that it should be a man and a woman that raises a child.”

Poots on Arlene Foster being made DUP leader in 2016:

“Her most important job has been, and will remain, that of a wife, mother and daughter.”

The point to be made, with no value judgement of my own, is that he is of the hardest of hardline traditionalists.

The evangelical base of the DUP incarnate.

The direction in which he took the party would be fairly clear.