Dame Arlene Foster has backed Liz Truss to be the subsequent Prime Minister.
The former First Minister and DUP chief stated Ms Truss was greatest positioned to counter "threats to the Union”.
She made her feedback in an article for The Sunday Telegraph.
Dame Arlene has additionally introduced the launch of the Collectively UK Basis, a pro-Union organisation geared toward making "the optimistic, rational case" for conserving the UK collectively.
Ms Truss, the International Secretary, is battling it out with former chancellor Rishi Sunak to interchange outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson as Conservative chief. The consequence might be introduced on 5 September.
Senior cupboard members have publicly backed Ms Truss, who can be the bookmakers' favorite.
A number of polls have additionally given her a commanding lead over Mr Sunak.
Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Dame Arlene additionally pledges her assist. She stated Ms Truss “has proved to be the Union's most passionate advocate”.
She writes: “Lately, whereas others appeared to surrender on the Union throughout post-Brexit negotiations within the identify of political comfort, Truss all the time backed it. Regardless of the very fact we're speaking concerning the Conservative and Unionist Celebration, her stance took actual bravery.”
Dame Arlene says that given “ongoing threats to the Union”, a frontrunner is required with the willpower and creativity “to influence voters who could also be questioning what advantages the Union actually brings to them”.
Within the article, she pronounces a brand new group, Collectively UK Basis.
She writes: “We are going to carry mainstream pro-Union voices from throughout the complete nation to spotlight the advantages that the Union brings to us all - largely with out us realising it.”
Dame Arlene says the brand new group “might be explicitly non-party political in our strategy".
“Whereas I might welcome the arrival of a conviction Unionist into No10, we all know Unionists exist in different events too,” she provides.
“Solely lately, Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy chief, made clear her assist for the Union and her dedication to struggle for its upkeep. We sit up for working with mainstream politicians from throughout the UK.”