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The 2005 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election began on 7 May 2005 when David Trimble resigned as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party following his party's poor performance in the 2005 general election when it lost all but one of its seats, including Trimble's own. Following his resignation, the UUP's executive committee charged Sir Reg Empey, Lady Hermon and Lord Rogan with the interim leadership of the Party.
This was the first occasion when the UUP leadership was contested under the Party's new constitution. Therefore, this was the first occasion where the candidates were not proposed and seconded from the floor of the meeting, but in writing one week before the meeting.
Trimble's successor was elected by delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council who met on 24 June 2005. After two rounds of voting the election was won by Sir Reg Empey.
Nominations for the leadership closed on 17 June.
The following prominent Ulster Unionist Party politicians were speculated upon by media organisations but declined to run:
Some in the party called for a figure from outside the party to become the next leader; however those named declined. They included:
Collins was named by Lord Kilclooney as his preferred candidate on his announcement that he would not run. McCartney announced that he would seek to rejoin the party he left in the 1980s intending to become leader should a majority or a significant number of delegates spoil their ballots. Less than 5 delegates spoilt their ballots in the event.
At the meeting delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council voted in a succession of ballots until one candidate had an absolute majority.
In the first round, No candidate achieved a majority and David McNarry, as the lowest placed candidate, was eliminated. [14]
Within the second round, Sir Reg Empey was elected. [15]
Candidate | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Round 1 | Round 2 | |||||
Votes | % | Votes | % | |||
Sir Reg Empey | 295 | 48.0 | 321 | 52.8 | ||
Alan McFarland | 266 | 43.3 | 287 | 47.2 | ||
David McNarry | 54 | 8.8 | ||||
Total | 615 | 100 | 608 | 100 |
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movement. Following the partition of Ireland, it was the governing party of Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. It was supported by most unionist voters throughout the conflict known as the Troubles, during which time it was often referred to as the Official Unionist Party (OUP).
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, was a Northern Irish politician who was the inaugural First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002, and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1995 to 2005. He was also Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper Bann from 1990 to 2005 and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann from 1998 to 2007.
James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC, often known as Jim Molyneaux, was a unionist politician from Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1979 to 1995, and as the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Antrim from 1970 to 1983, and later Lagan Valley from 1983 to 1997. An Orangeman, he was also Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Institution from 1971 to 1995, and a leading member of the Conservative Monday Club.
William Martin Smyth is a Northern Irish unionist clergyman-politician. An ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, he was Grand Master of the Orange Order during much of the Troubles and served as the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast South from 1982 to 2005. He was also a vice-president of the Conservative Monday Club.
Sylvia Eileen, Lady Hermon is a retired Unionist politician from Northern Ireland. She served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of North Down from 2001 to 2019.
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Reginald Norman Morgan Empey, Baron Empey,, best known as Reg Empey, is a Northern Irish politician who served as the acting First Minister of Northern Ireland in 2001. He was the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 2005 to 2010 and served as chairman of the party from 2012 to 2019. Empey was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Belfast from 1998 to 2011.
Major Robert Alan McFarland is a former Northern Irish unionist politician who was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Down from 1998 to 2011.
The 2004 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election was triggered by the decision of a group of UUP members to challenge incumbent leader David Trimble over the party's direction following the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly elections at the party's annual general meeting on 27 March 2004. The UUP has held a leadership election every March since at least the Ulster Unionist Council constitution was altered in 1973, however it is rarely contested. This is one of the few occasions when it has been contested.
Michael McGimpsey is a former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast South from 1998 to 2016.
David McNarry is a former Northern Irish unionist politician and Ulster Loyalist representative who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Strangford from 2003 to 2016.
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The Young Unionists, formally known as the Ulster Young Unionist Council (UYUC), is the youth wing of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). It has in its present incarnation been in existence since 2004.
The Ulster Conservatives and Unionists, officially registered as the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force (UCUNF), was an electoral alliance in Northern Ireland between the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Conservative Party.
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