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The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party) is a moderate unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party, although not then moderate, governed Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972, and was also supported by most unionist voters throughout the period known as the Troubles. The party is currently led by Sir Reg Empey. In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Troubles (disambiguation) and Trouble. ... Sir Reg Empey, MLA and Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. ...

The UUP has lost support among Northern Ireland's unionist and Protestant community to the more 'hardline' Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in successive elections at all levels of government over the last eight years. A telling sign of this decline in support is that Sir Reg Empey was the only leader of one the four main parties not to get re-elected on first preference votes alone in the Assembly elections of March 2007. In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... “DUP” redirects here. ... Sir Reg Empey, MLA and Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. ...

Party leaders

• Colonel Edward James Saunderson 1905–1906**
• Walter Long 1906–1910**
• Sir Edward Carson 1910–1921**
• Sir James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon 1921–1940
• John Miller Andrews 1940–1946
• Sir Basil Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough 1946–1963
• Captain Terence O'Neill 1963–1969
• Major James Chichester-Clark 1969–1971
• Brian Faulkner 1971–1974
• Harry West 1974–1979
• James Molyneaux 1979–1995
• David Trimble 1995–2005
• Sir Reg Empey 2005–present

note: ** denotes leaders of the UUP who were also leaders of the Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party.

Edward James Saunderson (1 October 1837 - 21 October 1906) was an Irish politician. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Walter Hume Long, 1st Viscount Long (1854-1924) was a British Conservative politician of the late 19th and early 20th century. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Edward Carson HMSO image The Right Honourable Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC (February 9, 1854 – October 22, 1935) was a leader of the Irish Unionists, a Barrister and a Judge. ... Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Sir James Craig, later Viscount Craigavon 1st Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Millar Andrews (July 17, 1871 - August 5, 1956) was the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, KG, CBE, MC (June 9, 1888-August 18, 1973) was an Irish Unionist politician. ... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Terence Marne ONeill, Baron ONeill of the Maine, PC (10 September 1914–12 June 1990) was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Year 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... The Right Honourable James Dawson Chichester-Clark, Baron Moyola, PC, DL (February 12, 1923–May 17, 2002) was the fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick (February 18, 1921 - March 3, 1977) was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1971 until 1972. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Harry West Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party from 1974 to 1979. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... James Molyneaux Ulster Unionist Party leader from 1979—1995. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The Lord Trimble William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC (born 15 October 1944), known as David Trimble, is a Northern Irish politician who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the first First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Reg Empey, MLA and Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a political party in Northern Ireland representing the unionist community, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ...

History

1880s to 1921

The Ulster Unionist Party traces its formal existence back to the foundation of the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905. Prior to that, however, there had been a less formally organised Irish Unionist Party since the late 19th century, sometimes but not always dominated by Unionists from Ulster. Modern organised Unionism properly emerged after William Gladstone's introduction in 1886 of the first of three Home Rule bills in response to demands by the Irish Parliamentary Party. The Irish Unionist Party was an alliance of Conservatives and Liberal Unionists, the latter having split from the Liberal Party over the issue of Irish home rule. It is this split that gave rise to the current name of the Conservative and Unionist Party, to which the UUP was formally linked to varying degrees until 1985. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a political party in Northern Ireland representing the unionist community, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ... William Ewart Gladstone (29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British Liberal Party statesman and Prime Minister (1868–74, 1880–85, 1886 and 1892–94). ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ... The Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) (commonly called the Irish Party) was formed in 1882 by Charles Stewart Parnell, the leader of the Nationalist Party, replacing the Home Rule League, as official parliamentary party for Irish nationalist Members of Parliament (MPs) elected to the House of Commons at Westminster within the... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a political party in Northern Ireland representing the unionist community, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... For the Canadian party see Liberal-Unionist The Liberal Unionists were a British political party that split away from the Liberals in 1886, and had effectively merged with the Conservatives by the turn of the century. ... This article is about the historic Liberal Party. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The new logo of the Conservative Party The Conservative Party is the largest centre right political party in the United Kingdom. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ...

The party had a strong association with the Orange Order, a Protestant religious institution. The original composition of the Ulster Unionist Council was 50% Orange delegates, however this was reduced through the years. Though most unionist support was based in the geographic area that became Northern Ireland, there were at one time Unionist enclaves throughout southern Ireland. Unionists in Cork and Dublin were particularly influential. The initial leadership of the Unionist Party all came from outside the six counties of Ulster, with people such as Colonel Saunderson, Viscount (later the Earl of) Midleton and the Dublin-born Sir Edward Carson. However, with the partition of Ireland under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, Irish unionism in effect split. Many southern unionist politicians became reconciled with the new Irish Free State, sitting in its senate or joining its political parties. Unionism's northern wing evolved into the separate Ulster Unionist Party. Orange parade in Glasgow (1 June 2003) The Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based predominantly in Northern Ireland and Scotland with lodges throughout the Commonwealth and in Canada and the United States. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Statistics Area: 24,481 km² Population (2006 estimate) 1,993,918 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... William St John Fremantle Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton (1856 - 1942) was an English statesman from a distinguished political family. ... Dublin city centre at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... Edward Carson HMSO image The Right Honourable Edward Henry Carson, Baron Carson, PC (February 9, 1854 – October 22, 1935) was a leader of the Irish Unionists, a Barrister and a Judge. ... The Partition of Ireland took place in May 1921. ... An Act to Provide for the Better Government of Ireland, more usually the Government of Ireland Act, 1920 (this is its official short title; the formal citation is 10 & 11 Geo. ... Territory of the Irish Free State Capital Dublin Language(s) Irish, English Government Constitutional monarchy Monarch  - 1922–1936 George V  - 1936–1936 George VI President of the Executive Council  - 1922–1932 W.T. Cosgrave  - 1932–1937 Eamon de Valera Legislature Oireachtas  - Upper house Seanad Éireann  - Lower house Dáil Éireann...

The leadership of the UUP was taken by Edward Carson in 1910. Throughout his 11 year leadership he fought a sustained campaign against Irish Home Rule, including the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912. During the various Home Rule crises, Carson moved from being MP for Dublin University to Belfast Duncairn, however the compromise of Irish partition was felt by Carson to be defeat, so he refused the opportunity to be Prime Minister of Northern Ireland or even to sit in the Northern Ireland House of Commons. The leadership of the Party, and subsequently, Northern Ireland, was taken by Sir James Craig. Year 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is a Northern Ireland loyalist paramilitary group. ... Dublin University is a university constituency in Ireland, which has been used to elect members of various legislative bodies including currently Seanad Éireann. ... Duncairn, a division of Belfast, was a UK parliamentary constituency in Ireland. ... The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland, appointed by the Governor of Northern Ireland under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. ... Parliament Buildings in Northern Ireland The seat of the House of Commons from 1932 to 1972. ...

The Stormont era

Until almost the very end of its period of power in Northern Ireland the Unionist Party was led by a combination of landed gentry (Sir Basil Brooke [later Lord Brookeborough], Terence O'Neill and James Chichester-Clark) and gentrified industrial magnates (Sir James Craig later Lord Craigavon, and John Miller Andrews). Only its last Prime Minister, Brian Faulkner was from a middle-class background. Northern Ireland (Irish: ) is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... Landed gentry is a term traditionally applied in Britain to members of the upper class with country estates often (but not always) farmed on their behalf by others, and who might be without a peerage or other hereditary title. ... Basil Stanlake Brooke, 1st Viscount Brookeborough, KG, CBE, MC (June 9, 1888-August 18, 1973) was an Irish Unionist politician. ... Terence Marne ONeill, Baron ONeill of the Maine, PC (10 September 1914–12 June 1990) was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Right Honourable James Dawson Chichester-Clark, Baron Moyola, PC, DL (February 12, 1923–May 17, 2002) was the fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon (8 January 1871 - 24 November 1940) was a prominent Unionist politician and the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon (8 January 1871 - 24 November 1940) was a prominent Unionist politician and the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... John Millar Andrews (July 17, 1871 - August 5, 1956) was the second Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland was the head of the Government of Northern Ireland, appointed by the Governor of Northern Ireland under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. ... Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick (February 18, 1921 - March 3, 1977) was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1971 until 1972. ...

Craig governed Northern Ireland from its inception until his death in 1940. He was given the second state funeral in Northern Ireland's history, and is buried with his wife by the east wing of Parliament Buildings. His successor, JM Andrews, was heavily criticised for appointing octogenarian veterans of Craig's administration to his cabinet. His government was also believed to be more interested in protecting the statue of Carson than the citizens of Belfast during the Blitz. A backbench revolt in 1943 resulted in his resignation to be replaced by Sir Basil Brooke, although he was recognised as leader of the party until 1946. Parliament Hill is a scenic location on the banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Canada. ... The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on Easter Tuesday, April 15, 1941, when 200 German Luftwaffe bombers attacked Belfast, Northern Ireland. ...

Brooke, despite having felt that he held on to power for too long, was Prime Minister for one year longer than Craig. During this time he was on more than one occasion called to meetings of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland to explain his actions, most notably following the Education Act which made the state responsible for the payment of National Insurance contributions of teachers in Catholic maintained schools. Ian Paisley called from Brooke's resignation in 1953 when he refused to sack Brian Maginess and Sir Clarence Graham who gave speeches supporting Catholic membership of the UUP. UK Income Tax and National Insurance (2005–2006) UK Income Tax and National Insurance as a % of Salary (2005–2006) National Insurance is a system of taxes, and related social security benefits, that has operated in the United Kingdom since its introduction in 1911, and wider extension by the government... Ian Richard Kyle Paisley MP MLA (born 6 April 1926) is the First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Rt Hon William Brian Maginess KC (10 July 1901 - 16 April 1967) was a member of the Government of Northern Ireland, who was widely seen as a possible successor to Sir Basil Brooke as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Categories: | | | | ...

He was replaced in 1963 by Terence O'Neill. Terence Marne ONeill, Baron ONeill of the Maine, PC (10 September 1914–12 June 1990) was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ...

In the 1960s, identifying with the civil rights movement of Martin Luther King and encouraged by attempts at reform under O'Neill, the Northern Civil Rights Movement campaigned for legislation that would end discrimination against Catholics in a small number of areas, mostly the allocation of public housing and the local government franchise (which was restricted to rate payers). However, the increase in violence between unionists and the newly formed Provisional Irish Republican Army led some to believe Northern Ireland was faced with what seemed to be a threat of civil war. This violence escaled throughout the late 1960's. O'Neill had pushed through some reforms but in the process the Ulster Unionists became heavily divided. At the 1969 Stormont General Election UUP candidates stood on both pro and anti-O'Neill platforms, with several independent pro-O'Neill Unionists challenging his critics, whilst the Protestant Unionist Party of Ian Paisley mounted a hardline challenge. The result proved inconclusive for O'Neill, who resigned a short time later. His resignation was probably caused by that of James Chichester-Clark who stated that he disagreed with the timing, but not the principle, of universal suffrage at Local Elections. The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... “Martin Luther King” redirects here. ... See also: rates (tax) A rate is a special kind of ratio, of two measurements with different units. ... Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann or An tArm Sealadach Phoblacht na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until... Results References Election Demon: Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results Categories: | ... The Protestant Unionist Party (PUP) were a political party operating in Northern Ireland from 1966 to 1971. ... The Right Honourable James Dawson Chichester-Clark, Baron Moyola, PC, DL (February 12, 1923–May 17, 2002) was the fifth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ...

Chichester-Clark won the leadership election to replace O'Neill and swiftly moved to implement many of his reforms. Civil disorder continued to mount, culminating in August 1969 when republicans clashed with Apprentice Boys in Derry, sparking days of riots, and decades of violence. Early in 1971 Chichester-Clark flew to London to request further military aid following the murder of three off duty soldiers by the IRA. When this was all but refused, he resigned to be replaced by Brian Faulkner. The 1969 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election was the first election in the Partys 64 year history. ... The Apprentice Boys Of Derry are a Protestant fraternal society with a worldwide membership, founded in 1814. ... Londonderry redirects here. ... The Ulster Unionist Party leadership election of 1971 was caused by the resignation of James Chichester-Clark, after he had failed to persuade the British Government to provide his government with more resources to quell the growing civil unrest. ...

Faulkner's government struggled though 1971 and into 1972, however following Bloody Sunday the British Government suspended, and eventually abolished the Northern Ireland Parliament. Bloody Sunday refers to several historical events (listed in chronological order): Bloody Sunday (1887), a demonstration in London against coercion in Ireland Bloody Sunday (1900), a day of high casualties in the Second Boer War Bloody Sunday (1905), a massacre in Saint Petersburg A violent event during the 1913 Dublin...

Some liberal Unionists, who had advocated the policies of Terence O'Neill left and formed the Alliance Party in April 1970, while the emergence of Ian Paisley's Protestant Unionist Party drew off some working-class and more hardline support. Terence Marne ONeill, Baron ONeill of the Maine, PC (10 September 1914–12 June 1990) was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), is a political party operating in Northern Ireland. ... Ian Richard Kyle Paisley MP MLA (born 6 April 1926) is the First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Protestant Unionist Party (PUP) were a political party operating in Northern Ireland from 1966 to 1971. ...

1972 - 1995

In June 1973 the Unionists won a majority of seats in the new Northern Ireland Assembly, but the party was divided on policy. The Sunningdale Agreement, which led to the formation of a power-sharing Executive under the Ulster Unionist leader Brian Faulkner, ruptured the party. In the 1973 elections to the Executive the party found itself divided, a division that did not formally end until January 1974 with the triumph of the anti-Sunningdale faction. Faulkner was then overthrown, and he set up the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland (UPNI). The Ulster Unionists were now led by Harry West from 1974 until 1979. In the February 1974 general election, the party participated in the United Ulster Unionist Coalition (UUUC) with Vanguard and the Democratic Unionists. The result was that the UUUC won 11 out of 12 parliamentary seats in Northern Ireland on a fiercely anti-Sunningdale platform, although they barely won 50% of the overall popular vote. This result was a fatal blow for the Executive, which soon collapsed. Year 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. ... The Northern Ireland Assembly was a legislative assembly set up by the Government of the United Kingdom on 3 May 1973 to restore devolved government to Northern Ireland with a power-sharing executive made up of unionists and nationalists. ... The Sunningdale Agreement on December 9, 1973, was an attempt to end the Northern Ireland troubles by forcing unionists to share power with nationalists. ... Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick (February 18, 1921 - March 3, 1977) was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1971 until 1972. ... The Unionist Party of Northern Ireland was a political party founded by Brian Faulkner in September 1974. ... Harry West Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party from 1974 to 1979. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The UK general election of February 1974 was held on February 28, 1974. ... The United Ulster Unionist Council (also known as the United Ulster Unionist Coalition) was a body that sought to bring together the Unionists opposed to the Sunningdale Agreement in Northern Ireland. ...

Up until 1974 the UUP was affiliated with the National Union of Conservative and Unionist Associations, and Ulster Unionist MPs sat with the Conservative Party at Westminster, traditionally taking the post of Conservative parliamentary whip. To all intents and purposes the party functioned as the Northern Ireland branch of the Conservative Party. In 1974, in protest over the Sunningdale Agreement, the Westminster Ulster Unionist MPs withdrew from the alliance. The party remained affiliated to the National Union but in 1985, they withdrew from it as well, in protest over the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Subsequently, the Conservative Party has organised separately in Northern Ireland, with little electoral success. A federation of the voluntary wing of the Conservative Party. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... And distinguish from wip and WIP. A type of whip known as a riding crop The word whip describes two basic types of tools: A long stick-like device, usually slightly flexible, with a small bit of leather or cord, called a popper, on the end. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... The Sunningdale Agreement on December 9, 1973, was an attempt to end the Northern Ireland troubles by forcing unionists to share power with nationalists. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland which aimed to bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. ...

Under West's leadership, the party recruited Enoch Powell, who became Ulster Unionist MP for South Down. Powell advocated a policy of integration, whereby Northern Ireland would be administered as an integral part of the United Kingdom. This policy divided both the Ulster Unionists and the wider Unionist movement, as Powell's ideas conflicted with those supporting a restoration of devolved government to the province. The party also made gains upon the breakup of the Vanguard Party and its merger back into the Ulster Unionists. The separate United Ulster Unionist Party (UUUP) emerged from the remains of Vanguard but folded in the early 1980s, as did the UPNI. In both cases the main beneficiaries of this were the Ulster Unionists, now under the leadership of James Molyneaux (1979-1995). Simon Heffers biography of Enoch Powell, published in 1999 John Enoch Powell, MBE (June 16, 1912 – February 8, 1998) was a British politician, linguist, writer, academic, soldier and poet. ... South Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... The Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party, also known as the Vanguard Ulster Progressive Party (and several variations of word order), was a unionist political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1973 and 1978. ... The United Ulster Unionist Party was a political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1977 and 1982. ... James Molyneaux Ulster Unionist Party leader from 1979—1995. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Trimble Leadership

David Trimble led the party between 1995 and 2005. His support (which some nationalists claim to be ambiguous) for the Belfast Agreement caused a rupture within the Party into pro-agreement and anti-agreement factions. Trimble served as First Minister of Northern Ireland in the power-sharing administration created under the Belfast Agreement. The Lord Trimble William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC (born 15 October 1944), known as David Trimble, is a Northern Irish politician who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the first First Minister of Northern Ireland. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... The First Minister of Northern Ireland (Ulster Scots: Heid Männystèr o Norlin Airlann) and the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (Ulster Scots: Heid Männystèr Depute o Norlin Airlann) are the leaders of the Northern Ireland Executive, Northern Irelands home rule government set up in... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process. ...

The UUP had a Roman Catholic Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) (the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly), Sir John Gorman until the 2003 election. In March 2005, the Orange Order voted to end its official links with the UUP, while still maintaining the same unofficial links as other interest groups. Mr Trimble faced down Orange Order critics who tried to suspend him for his attendance at a Catholic funeral for a young boy murdered by the Real IRA, in the infamous Omagh bombing. Trimble and Irish president Mary McAleese, in a sign of unity, walked into the church together. A Member of the Legislative Assembly, or MLA, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to the Legislature or legislative assembly of a subnational jurisdiction. ... The Northern Ireland Assembly is a 108-member legislative body for Northern Ireland that sits at Stormont with powers devolved to it from the Westminster parliament. ... Sir John Reginald Gorman CVO CBE MC DL was between 1998 and 2003 an Ulster Unionist Party MLA for North Down, and one of the few Roman Catholics to be elected as a Unionist representative in Northern Ireland. ... The Real Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the Real IRA (RIRA), is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation founded before the signing of the 1998 Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement by former members of the Provisional IRA who opposed the latters 1997 cease-fire and acquiescence in the Agreement in... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... -1... Mary Patricia McAleese (Irish: [1]; born 27 June 1951) is the eighth, and current, President of Ireland. ...

2005 General Election

Wikinews has related news:

UUP leader loses seat in 2005 UK General Election

The party fared poorly in the 2005 general election, losing five of its six Westminster seats — one MP had previously defected to the DUP. Only the Labour Party lost more seats in 2005. David Trimble himself lost his seat in Upper Bann and resigned as party leader soon after. The ensuing leadership election was won by Sir Reg Empey. Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Upper Bann is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... The 2005 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election began on May 6, 2005 when David Trimble resigned as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party following his partys poor performance in the 2005 general election when it lost all but one of its seats, including Trimbles own. ... Sir Reg Empey, MLA and Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. ...

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

2005 - present

In May 2006 UUP leader Reg Empey attempted to create a new assembly group that would have included Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) leader David Ervine. The PUP is the political wing of the illegal Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF),^{[1][2][3][4][5]} a paramilitary organisation that carried out many murders during the Troubles and equivalent to the Provisional Irish Republican Army for the Sinn Féin Party. Many in the UUP, including the last remaining MP, Sylvia Hermon, were opposed to the move.^[6][7] The link was in the form of a new group called the 'Ulster Unionist Assembly Party Group' whose membership was the 24 UUP MLAs and Mr Ervine. Sir Reg Empey justified the link by stating that under the d'Hondt rules for allocating ministers in the Assembly, the new group would take a seat in the Executive from Sinn Féin, with their links to the IRA. Sir Reg Empey, MLA and Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. ... The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) are a small political party from Northern Ireland. ... David Ervine (July 21, 1953 - January 8, 2007) was a Northern Irish politician and the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP). ... The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) are a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. ... Provisional Irish Republican Army (Irish: Óglaigh na hÉireann or An tArm Sealadach Phoblacht na hÉireann) (IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the Army or the RA.[2]) is an Irish Republican, left wing[3] paramilitary organisation that, until... For pre-Arthur Griffith use of the political name, see Sinn Féin (19th century). ... Lady Sylvia Hermon (born 11 August 1955) is a Northern Ireland unionist politician. ... Sir Reg Empey, MLA and Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. ...

Following a request for a ruling from the DUP's Peter Robinson, the Speaker ruled that the UUPAG was not a political party within the meaning of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. Peter David Robinson (born December 29, 1948) is a Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament for East Belfast. ... The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 is an Act of Parliament that sets out how political parties, elections and referendums are to be regulated in the United Kingdom. ...

2007

The Ulster Unionist party did poorly in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007. The party came last on share of the popular vote and lost 18 seats. ^[8] The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007. ...

Sir Reg Empey, MLA and Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. ...

Structure

The UUP is still organised around the Ulster Unionist Council, which was from 1905 until 2004 the only legal representation of the UUP. Following the adoption of a new Constitution, the UUP is now an entity in its own right, however the UUC still exists as the supreme decision making body of the Party.

Each Constituency in Northern Ireland forms the boundary of a UUP Constituency Association, which is made up of branches formed along local boundaries (often electoral wards or District Electoral Areas). There are also three 'representative bodies', the Ulster Womens Unionist Council, the Ulster Young Unionist Council and the Ulster Unionist Councillors Association. Each Constituency Association and Representative Body elects a number of delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council, which normally only meets at its Annual General Meeting, which hears reports and elects Party Officers, including the Party Leader each year. The Ulster Young Unionist Council (Known as the Young Unionists) is the youth wing of the political party, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). ...

Associations and Representative Bodies also elect delegates to the Party Executive Committee, which is around 100 members strong and meets between 6 and 10 times every year.

The UUP maintained a formal connection with the Orange Order from its foundation until 2005, and with the Apprentice Boys of Derry until 1975. Only three of the party's Westminster MPs (Enoch Powell, Ken Maginnis and Sylvia Hermon) have not been members of the Orange Order. This was said to be a factor in discouraging Catholic membership of the party. While the party was considering structural reforms, including the connection with the Order, it was the Order itself that severed the connection in 2004. The Apprentice Boys Of Derry are a Protestant fraternal society with a worldwide membership, founded in 1814. ... Simon Heffers biography of Enoch Powell, published in 1999 John Enoch Powell, MBE (June 16, 1912 – February 8, 1998) was a British politician, linguist, writer, academic, soldier and poet. ... Kenneth Wiggins Maginnis, Baron Maginnis of Drumglass (born January 21, 1938) is a Northern Irish Ulster Unionist politician. ... Lady Sylvia Hermon (born 11 August 1955) is a Northern Ireland unionist politician. ...

Youth wing

The UUP's youth wing is the Ulster Young Unionist Council, first formed in 1949. Many of its members have stayed with the party, such as the present leader of the UUP. Others have left to start other unionist parties. Having disbanded twice, in 1974 and 2004, the Council was re-constituted by young activists in March 2004. This resulted in the young unionists (YU) becoming a representative body of the UUP and subject to its revamp of their Constitution.[1] The Ulster Young Unionist Council (Known as the Young Unionists) is the youth wing of the political party, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). ...

Policy summary

As a party reflecting the centrist ground of Unionist opinion, the broad policy outlook of the Ulster Unionist Party reflects the society in which it works and aims to develop and strengthen Northern Ireland's role as a partner within the United Kingdom. Under Sir Reg Empey's leadership, the party has stressed the need for social cohesion and a "Fair Society". It has stated it will make tackling poverty and homelessness a priority in any future Northern Ireland administration. A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows what he found. ... A homeless person in Paris. ...

Constitutional affairs

• Constitutional Monarchist
• Pro-devolution with a strong attachment to British Parliamentary Traditions
• Supports in principle power-sharing with democratic nationalist parties in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment, preservation, or restoration of a monarchy. ...

• Seeks to promote and strengthen the constitutional union between Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales within the constitutional framework of the United Kingdom
• Seeks to develop friendly relations between all the peoples of the British Isles
• Supportive of a positive, co-operative relationship between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

North/South

• The party has been supportive of constructive co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, since the latter renounced its territorial claim upon Northern Ireland as part of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
• Participated in North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC)

British/Irish relations The North-South Ministerial Council is a body established under the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement) to co-ordinate activity and exercise certain limited governmental powers across the whole island of Ireland. ...

• Established British Irish Council

Justice and security

• Opposed Patten Report (1999) and subsequent changes to RUC
• Against 50:50 recruitment in the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
• Favours retention of full-time reserve to keep up police numbers
• Supports strong UK anti-terrorist legislation, identity cards, anti-social behaviour orders and a statutory Victims Charter for victims of crime
• Demands Assets Recovery Agency actions against both loyalist and republican paramilitaries
• Demands the abolition of Parades Commission, on the grounds that it restricts Freedom of Assembly.

Social affairs The Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland was established in 1998 as part of the Belfast Agreement, intended as a major step in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... The Police Service of Northern Ireland (Irish: Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart na hÉireann) is the police service that covers Northern Ireland. ...

• UUP social policy places an emphasis on social cohesion, on the role of the family, and on the eradication of poverty and homelessness from Northern Ireland society. [2]

Ethnic minorities

• Under Sir Reg Empey's leadership, the party has stressed the need to help integrate ethnic minorities into Northern Irish life.
• The UUP supported the allocation of additional resources by the police to tackle Hate Crime against ethnic minorities.
• The Party Website contains content in most of Northern Ireland's ethnic minority languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu.

Agriculture Arabic can mean: From or related to Arabia From or related to the Arabs The Arabic language; see also Arabic grammar The Arabic alphabet, used for expressing the languages of Arabic, Persian, Malay ( Jawi), Kurdish, Panjabi, Pashto, Sindhi and Urdu, among others. ... Bengali or Bangla (IPA: ) is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit, Pāli and Sanskrit languages. ... Hindi ( , Devanagari: or , IAST: , IPA: ), an Indo-European language spoken mainly in northern and central India, is the official language of the Union along with English. ... Punjabi (also Panjabi; in GurmukhÄ«, PanjābÄ« in ShāhmukhÄ«) is the language of the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan. ... Urdu ( , , trans. ...

• The party has proposed a series of measures aimed at addressing the economic, social and environmental needs of rural communities. It has called for a Rural White Paper to bring together the various strands of government policy towards rural communities in the Province.

Culture

• Established Ulster-Scots Agency

Education The Ulster-Scots Agency (in Ulster Scots, Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch) is a cross-border body set up in Ireland to promote the Ulster Scots language and culture. ...

• The party promotes a series of measures to reduce the "brain drain" of educated young Northern Ireland people to the mainland UK, Republic of Ireland and further afield. [3]

Environment

• Proposes independent Environmental Protection Agency and Marine Act for coastal protection
• Supports reduced fossil fuel dependency and increased renewable energy use
• Aims to complete all Area of Special Scientific Interest designations by 2010

Health

• The party supports free personal care for the elderly [4] and has stated it will make its implementation a priority in any future Northern Ireland administration.

Economic affairs

• Regionalist approach seeks maximum investment in Northern Ireland economy

Foreign affairs ...

• Supports the "War on Terrorism"
• Voted for the 2003 invasion of Iraq at Westminster

Europe Combatants Participants in operations  United States  United Kingdom  Israel  Canada  Australia  Poland  Iraq  Afghanistan  India  Pakistan  Philippines  Somalia  Ethiopia  Lebanon Fatah et al. ... The subject of this article is the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons The Right Honourable Michael Martin MP Lord Speaker Hélène Hayman, Baroness Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups (as of May 5, 2005 elections) Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats...

• Euro-sceptic centrist
• Opposes European Constitution
• Favours retention of the Pound Sterling, opposes UK entry into the Euro

Wider world Euroscepticism is scepticism about, or disagreement with, the purposes of the European Union, sometimes coupled with a desire to preserve national sovereignty. ... The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...

• Atlanticist
• Expresses support for involvement of Northern Ireland citizens in UK diplomacy and United Nations
• Supports North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance with the United Kingdom's NATO allies
• General interest in international development issues

Atlanticism is a philosophy of cooperation among European and North American nations regarding political, economic, and defense issues. ... NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on April 4, 1949. ...

Spokespersons

Party spokespersons as of July 2007 were:

Fred Cobain MLA is a unionist politician from Northern Ireland. ... Alderman Leslie Cree, MBE, MLA (b. ... Derek Robert Hussey MLA (Born 12 September 1948) is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland Hussey was educated at Omagh Model School, Omagh Academy and Stranmillis College, Belfast. ...

See also

• Category:Ulster Unionist Party politicians
• List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords
• List of Ulster Unionist Party MPs

References

External links

• Ulster Unionist Party
• Young Unionists

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Notes: #Although Sinn Féin have five elected members and have offices at Westminster, they are abstentionist and therefore do not take their seats