[3] Purvis' resignation came in the aftermath of a killing in the Shankill Road area of West Belfast, widely believed to be carried out by the PUP-linked Ulster Volunteer Force.

Purvis announced that she could "no longer offer leadership to a political party which is expected to answer for the indefensible actions of others", in a clear reference to the killing.

[4] Kyle, as a result, became interim leader of a party facing a very uncertain future; with no representation in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and loyalist politics in clear disagreement with the UVF.

On the day after the funeral of the murdered man, Kyle claimed that he believed that the UVF had still not decommissioned all of its weapons - as previously confirmed by the Independent Monitoring Commission.

In November 2021, during an interview on BBC's The View programme, Kyle said that the Northern Ireland Protocol could present "significant opportunities" if some "serious problems" are addressed.