Intensified tugs of war for unionist dominance are a familiar feature of political party conference season here, but this year the rules of the game changed.

Going by the main event at the respective UUP and DUP conferences – the leaders’ speech – the reason d’etre of unionism, maintaining the Union, would seem to have been realised. Arguments against nationalism or republicanism as concepts or threats were relatively minimal.

May’s Assembly election, the onset of an Official Opposition at the Assembly and June’s vote for Brexit dominate relations between two, influencing their political positioning, tone and line of attack – mainly against each other.

The DUP insist they are confident and outward-looking, comfortable in mandatory government with Sinn Féin but not complacent. The UUP seek to convey principle and purpose in opposition, willing to open arms to the SDLP.

The DUP take pride in being on the winning side of the Brexit vote that “took back control” from the European Union. The fact that the ‘Leave’ argument lost to ‘Remain’ amongst Northern Ireland’s voters matters little, especially given that the UUP – divided on the referendum – accepts the will of the wider UK electorate.

The parties’ branding of the other is comical: the UUP use ‘Marlene’ to convey the image that Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness are one and the same; Mrs Foster compared Mike Nesbitt and Colum Eastwood to the famous fictional duo ‘Steptoe and Son’: “an angry bitter man” and “younger frustrated man” who don’t get on but sell “junk” to the public. These insults didn’t come off the cuff, and are intended to stick.

Gone are bitter inter-unionist clashes over the Good Friday Agreement, theory and practicalities of power-sharing. Topping the DUP’s agenda no longer seems to be smashing Sinn Féin, but the UUP; for the UUP it’s reversing the electoral tide. It will also have to stem more defections to the DUP in future.

Seemingly confident in the state of the Union, both unionist parties appear reconciled to the reality that one cannot work alone. They understand that to govern or to oppose effectively at Stormont requires ceasing old rhetoric, going beyond a state of coexistence, and actively sharing rather than dividing rule.