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).
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.
Michael Nesbitt, MLA is a Northern Irish politician and former broadcaster currently serving as the Minister of Health since 28 May 2024. He has been the Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) since 30 August 2024 following his successful candidacy in the 2024 leadership election after previously serving in the role from 2012 to 2017. Nesbitt has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Strangford since 2011.
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.
David McClarty was a Northern Irish unionist politician who served as an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), later an Independent Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for East Londonderry from 1998, until his death in 2014.
William Paul Girvan is a retired Northern Irish politician who was the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Member of Parliament (MP) for South Antrim from 2017 to 2024. Girvan has been the DUP's spokesperson for Transport. He was previously a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for South Antrim from 2003 to 2007, and then from 2010 to 2017.
An election for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) was held on 22 September 2010.
Robert Samuel Swann is a Northern Irish politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for South Antrim since 2024. He previously served twice as Minister of Health, first from January 2020 to October 2022 and again from February 2024 to May 2024. Swann was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Antrim from 2011 to 2024. He also served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 2017 to 2019.
The election for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) was held on 31 March 2012. The UUP holds an election for the office of Leader each year at its Annual General Meeting, which is normally returns the incumbent unopposed. The contested election was triggered after incumbent Leader Tom Elliott, elected in 2010, unexpectedly announced on 8 March 2012 that he would not be seeking re-election. Nominations closed on 16 March 2012.
A by-election for the UK House of Commons constituency of Mid Ulster in Northern Ireland was held on 7 March 2013. The election was triggered by the resignation of Martin McGuinness, who had been elected to the seat in 1997 as the Sinn Féin candidate. The election was won by Francie Molloy, also of Sinn Féin.
The 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election was held on Thursday, 2 March 2017. The election was held to elect members (MLAs) following the resignation of deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. McGuinness' position was not filled, and thus by law his resignation triggered an election.
Douglas Ricardo Beattie is a Northern Irish politician and former member of the British Army, who was leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) between 27 May 2021 and 30 August 2024. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann since 2016. He is characterised as a 'progressive' and 'liberal' unionist.
Stephen Ronald Aiken is a Northern Irish politician, serving as the Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2024.
Robbie Butler is a Northern Irish unionist politician, serving as Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) since May 2021, and a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley since 2016.
The 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election was held on 5 May 2022. It elected 90 members to the Northern Ireland Assembly. It was the seventh assembly election since the establishment of the assembly in 1998. The election was held three months after the Northern Ireland Executive collapsed due to the resignation of the First Minister, Paul Givan of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.
An election for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) was held on 9 November 2019 at the party's Annual General Meeting. The election followed the resignation of incumbent leader Robin Swann on 30 September 2019 after the party lost 13 councillors in the local government elections in May and failed to retain its representation in the European Parliament. The result was that South Antrim MLA Steve Aiken was elected unopposed.
An election for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) was held on 27 May 2021 at a meeting of the Ulster Unionist Party council. The election was triggered following the resignation of incumbent leader Steve Aiken, who was elected in 2019. Doug Beattie, a retired Army captain who was first elected as an MLA in 2016, was elected leader of the party unopposed.
The 2024 general election in Northern Ireland was held on 4 July 2024, with all 18 Northern Irish seats in the House of Commons contested. The general election occurred after the recently completed constituency boundaries review.
Colin Crawford is an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for North Antrim since July 2024.
An election for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) will be held on 14 September 2024 at an extraordinary meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council following the resignation of incumbent leader Doug Beattie on 19 August 2024. Beattie resigned following internal tensions surrounding the selection of Colin Crawford as the party's new North Antrim Assembly member.
