English nationalism is now the “biggest threat” to the union, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Mike Nesbitt has said.

He made the remarks at his party’s annual conference – his second in charge since reclaiming the leadership last year.

Nesbitt is also Stormont’s health minister in Northern Ireland’s devolved government.

Speaking to the party faithful in Belfast, he said he wanted to “deliver hope through prosperity”.

He dismissed the idea of a border poll taking place anytime soon on a united Ireland.

“While unionists have always looked over their shoulders at Irish nationalists as the biggest threat to Northern Ireland’s place in the UK, Irish nationalists have been knocked off the gold medal spot by English nationalism,” he said.

He also warned of the impact of English nationalist MPs on the level of funding Northern Ireland receives from Westminster.

“Our annual subvention, some £19bn, is a very significant sum of money. It could build acute hospitals in the constituencies of English nationalist MPs,” he said.

The UUP leader added: “That’s the real danger of supporting the sort of right-wing parties other unionists currently find so appealing.”

As Stormont’s health minister, Nesbitt is facing ongoing financial challenges due to constrained budgets, while trying to transform services and ensure pay parity for health care workers.

Mike Nesbitt has described being Stormont’s health minister as “all-consuming”.

So has that left much time for leading the Ulster Unionists?

His return to the top job a year ago may have steadied the ship after some internal party turmoil.

But he has already signalled he might soon step down, telling a podcast over the summer he planned to make a decision in January.

No breaking news on that front today from the former TV anchorman, and as Ron Burgundy might say – that is kind of a big deal.

It meant instead of Nesbitt’s speech, much of the talk on the conference fringes was around who might succeed him.

And that is far from clear, with the party having cycled through four leaders in six years.

The theme of this conference was “hope through prosperity”.

But with leadership plans in limbo, some party members may well be feeling despair through uncertainty.

In recent months, there has been growing debate about English nationalism, after St George’s and union flags began going up across villages, cities and towns.

Groups responsible for putting up the flags have said they are motivated by pride and patriotism.

Others have said it feels provocative at a time when tensions are running high over the issue of immigration.