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This article is part of a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
An election for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) was 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. [1]
Former leader and current Health Minister Mike Nesbitt ran unopposed. [2] He became the party's fifth leader in seven years. [3]
Under Beattie's leadership, the UUP returned to the House of Commons at the 2024 general election following Robin Swann's victory in South Antrim. [4] The party selected Colin Crawford to succeed Swann as Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Antirm in July 2024. [5] It is reported there were "irreconcilable differences" between Beattie and party officers over the selection of Crawford. [6] It is believed only two party officers had supported Beattie prior to his decision to step down as leader. [7]
This also followed a split within the party in February 2024 over Beattie's desire for the UUP to enter opposition at Stormont despite the majority of his colleagues disagreeing. In the event, the UUP took the health portfolio in the Executive when devolution returned. [8] UUP MLA Andy Allen then criticised the appointment of Robin Swann as Health Minister as Swann was already confirmed as a Westminster candidate. [9]
The appointment of Mike Nesbitt as Health Minister in May 2024 following Swann's resignation prompted a resignation from UUP Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Councillor Paul Michael, who cited Nesbitt's breach of the COVID-19 regulations during the pandemic when he was involved in an extramarital affair. [10]
Amid speculation over his position, Beattie released a statement on 19 August 2024 confirming his resignation: [11]
It is now clear that some believe the momentum needed to keep the Ulster Unionist Party moving in the right direction cannot come from me. Irreconcilable differences between myself and Party Officers combined with the inability to influence and shape the party going forward means that I can no longer remain the Party Leader. Therefore, I shall stand down as the Party Leader and allow the party to immediately begin the process to select a new leader who may maintain the confidence of the party and continue the momentum I have started.
Former UUP North Belfast Assembly candidate and former councillor Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston spearheaded a grassroots revolt within the UUP aiming for a no confidence vote to be held in party officers who “forced” out Beattie as leader. The campaign ultimately wanted Beattie back as leader of the party. They were seeking to gather 30 signatures of members of the UUP’s Executive Committee in order for a wider meeting of representatives to be called and a no confidence vote held. [12] Beattie stated on 21 August that it "would simply not be credible, or right, for me to put my name forward to be re-elected as the party leader." He said he will back a "moderate and inclusive" new leader. [13] Corr-Johnston and a second former councillor consequently resigned from the UUP. [14]
On 21 August 2024, UUP Chair and party officer Jill Macauley sent correspondence to all party members disputing Beattie's claim that he resigned due to "irreconcilable differences" with party officers. In the message, Macauley said that was "not the case" and that party officers had "worked hard to seek a positive outcome", but that it was not possible. She said Beattie's resignation was unforced and that party leaders "did not request it". [15]
The UUP was operating under a media blackout on the events embroiling the party following Beattie's exit. [16] Despite deputy leader Robbie Butler having ruled himself out of the contest, there was some speculation that liberal unionists Butler and Chief Whip John Stewart would run on a joint ticket for the leadership and deputy leadership to keep the party on the progressive path started by Beattie. [17]
On 27 August 2024, the News Letter reported that Health Minister Mike Nesbitt was likely to be the only candidate for the leadership and would run on a ticket of reforming the party. [18] [19] In a statement, Butler backed Nebsitt saying he would lead a "revised and refreshed" leadership team offering "an exciting opportunity". [20] Nesbitt was expected to remain as Health Minister when he takes up the leadership role. [21]
The Belfast Telegraph reported that UUP party officers met on 20 August 2024 to agree on a selection process for their new leader. The officer board comprises 14 representatives from various levels of government. [22]
Date | Event |
---|---|
20–30 August | Nomination period; potential candidates needed to gather 35 signatures from 9 constituency associations before 16:30 BST on Friday 30 August. |
28 September | The new leader will be ratified at the party's conference. |
Potential candidates for the leadership included Member of Parliament (MP) for South Antrim Robin Swann and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt MLA. [24] Professor Jon Tonge from the University of Liverpool stated he believed current deputy leader Robbie Butler MLA and Ulster Unionist Chief Whip John Stewart MLA would seek the party leadership. However, Butler subsequently ruled himself out. [25]
MLA public endorsements | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Endorsements | % | Notes | |
Mike Nesbitt | 3 | 33.3 | Includes Nesbitt himself | |
No endorsement | 6 | 66.7 |
Nominations closed at 16:30 BST on Friday 30 August 2024. Nesbitt was the only nominated candidate received by party officers and was thus elected. [33]
Following the closure of nominations, Nesbitt held a press conference in which he paid tribute to the outgoing leader, Doug Beattie, stating that whenever he became leader last time Beattie’s name “was the first on the list of the people I wanted to attract into the party”. [34] However, Nesbitt refused to state whether Beattie had backed his nomination. [35] Speaking about the current state of the UUP, he said it "looks like what has happened is a badly split party." [36]
On 9 September 2024, it was revealed that at a recent meeting of Party Officers it was decided to ratify Nesbitt as party leader as the first order of business of the Party Conference on 28 September 2024, meaning the proposed extraordinary general meeting for 14 September was cancelled. [37]
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).
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.
John McCallister is a former Northern Irish Unionist politician who was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for South Down from 2007 to 2016.
The Executive of the 1st Northern Ireland Assembly was, under the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, a power-sharing coalition.
Basil McCrea is a former Northern Irish politician. He was the party leader of NI21 from 2013 until it disbanded in 2016. He was also a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley from 2007 to 2016.
The fourth Northern Ireland Assembly was the unicameral devolved legislature of Northern Ireland following the 2011 assembly election on 5 May 2011. This iteration of the elected Assembly convened for the first time on 12 May 2011 in Parliament Buildings in Stormont, and ran for a full term.
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.
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 28 September 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.
Harold McKee is a Northern Irish unionist politician who was a Newry Mourne and Down Councillor for The Mournes DEA from 2014 to 2016, and then again from 2019 until 2023.
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.
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Eóin Tennyson is a Northern Irish politician who has been the deputy leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland since October 2024. He succeeded former deputy leader Stephen Farry who resigned from the position in 2024. He has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann since 2022, where he defeated former Social Democratic and Labour Party incumbent Dolores Kelly to become the youngest MLA for the constituency.
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.
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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.