Embattled Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie has received the "unanimous" support of his party's officers and its Members of the Legislative Authority to continue as leader.
This followed the controversy over some of his historical Twitter posts.
Mr Beattie told the PA news agency: "I have had detailed conversations with all of my MLAs, I apologised for what I had done directly to each one of them and then I spoke (about) whether or not I still had their support to remain as party leader - overwhelmingly every one of them said 'yes, I did'.
"So I have support from my MLAs.
"But I also spoke with party officers and the party chairman about party officers who also had a discussion around the issue and I have support also from party officers."
Mr Beattie said the support was "unanimous".
He said conversations would continue with other UUP members over the historical tweets.
UUP deputy leader and chief whip Robbie Butler confirmed that Doug Beattie has received the support of the party officers and MLA group.
Making a statement at Stormont, he said: "On behalf of the Ulster Unionist Party and as the Ulster Unionist Party chief whip, I'd like to report that today we had discussions with party leader Doug Beattie in relation to the social media activity which came out on Saturday night.
"Doug Beattie the party leader promised to engage with the MLA group and indeed the party officers and he did that today.
"I would like to report to you that he has the support of the MLA group and indeed the party officers and that is not to detract from the seriousness or how serious the party leader takes the incidents that happened and those things which are a matter of public record at this time.
"What I would like to do is to pay tribute to the party leader for the manner in which he has responded and how serious he takes this issue and these events and those conversations I know he will be open to over this next while to redress the hurt that has been caused."
Earlier, Mr Beattie said he would offer his resignation if the party felt it was necessary. This followed accusations of misogyny and racism over the content of tweets posted before he entered political life.
The Upper Bann MLA conceded that the posts, the majority of which were written around a decade ago, were "horrendous and horrific".
Asked how close he came to resigning, Mr Beattie said: "On the cusp. I have a few very close friends who rang me - because I had withdrawn - and gave me advice.
"I offered my resignation and people said, 'Let's engage and see where we go'."
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The controversy started over the weekend when Mr Beattie posted what he called a "joke" about a DUP minister Edwin Poots and his wife Glynis.
It referenced a brothel, and Mr Poots later said both he and his wife had been insulted and upset by the content.
Mr Beattie yesterday apologised publicly for the incident in the Northern Ireland assembly.
It is understood Edwin Poots has begun libel proceedings over the content of one of Mr Beattie's tweets.
It later emerged that there were a series of historical tweets dating back over a decade containing slurs against women, the Traveller community, and people with mental health.
Mr Beattie subsequently issued a second statement apologising for those tweets - some of them before he became a public representative.
Political opponents have called on him to consider his position in light of the opinions he tweeted. The next assembly election is due in May.
Mr Beattie was the UUP's third leader in two years when he took office in 2021.
