2025 Democratic Unionist Party deputy leadership election

2025 Democratic Unionist Party deputy leadership election

← 2023 7 March 2025
31 MPs and MLAs 16 votes needed to win
Candidate Michelle McIlveen Popular vote Unopposed Percentage 100%
Deputy Leader before election vacant Gavin Robinson (2024) Elected Deputy Leader Michelle McIlveen

The 2025 Democratic Unionist Party deputy leadership election was held on 7 March 2025 to fill the Deputy Leader position within the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which had been vacant since May 2024. Strangford MLA Michelle McIlveen was elected unopposed. ^[1]

Background

Belfast East MP Gavin Robinson was elected Deputy Leader of the DUP on 9 June 2023, defeating Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley. ^[2] Robinson became interim Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party following the resignation of Jeffrey Donaldson after being charged with historical sexual offences on 29 March 2024. ^[3] In May 2024, Robinson was ratified as the party's permanent leader, vacating the deputy leadership. ^[4]

Procedure

Nominations closed on 3 March 2025 and the election took place by secret ballot on 7 March 2025. The party's Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) were able to vote. ^[5]

Candidates

Declared

Candidate	Born	Political office	Notes
Michelle McIlveen	21 January 1971 Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland	MLA for Strangford (since 2007)	McIlveen, a former Minister for Education and party veteran, could be a compromise candidate whom both wings of the party could agree on. She is seen as a “safe pair of hands” who would also ensure a gender balance in the leadership. [6]

Declined

Candidate	Born	Political office	Notes
Jonathan Buckley	19 July 1991 County Armagh, Northern Ireland	MLA for Upper Bann (since 2017)	Buckley represents the more traditional wing of the party. [7]
Emma Little-Pengelly	31 December 1979 Markethill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland	deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland (since 2024) MLA for Lagan Valley (since 2022)	Polling has found Little-Pengelly to be the most popular minister in the Executive. [8] [9]

Results

DUP Chairman Lord Morrow announced that McIlveen was the only candidate nominated on 7 March 2025. ^[10]

2025 Democratic Unionist Party deputy leadership election
Candidate	Nominated by
Michelle McIlveen		Gavin Robinson

References

1. "Michelle McIlveen on course to become DUP's new deputy leader". 2025-03-05. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2025-03-06.
2. "DUP: Gavin Robinson elected as DUP deputy leader". BBC News. 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
3. "DUP: Gavin Robinson appointed interim leader by party officers". BBC News. 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
4. "DUP stand aside in Fermanagh and South Tyrone". BBC News. 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2025-02-28.
5. "Revealed: Three in running to be deputy leader of DUP". 2025-02-28. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2025-02-28.
6. "Revealed: Three in running to be deputy leader of DUP". 2025-02-28. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2025-03-03.
7. "Revealed: Three in running to be deputy leader of DUP". 2025-02-28. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2025-03-03.
8. "Revealed: Three in running to be deputy leader of DUP". 2025-02-28. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2025-03-03.
9. "Emma Little-Pengelly confirms she did not put name forward for DUP deputy leadership". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 2025-03-07. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2025-03-07.
10. "Statement from DUP Chairman Lord Morrow". DUP. Retrieved 2025-03-07.