Ulster Third Way

Last updated

Ulster Third Way
Chairman David Kerr
FoundedUnknown
Dissolvedde-registered 2005
Headquarters Shankill Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland
NewspaperUlster Nation
Ideology Ulster nationalism
National liberalism
Euroscepticism
National affiliation Third Way
Colours   Purple, Blue
Website
Ulster Nation webpage

The Ulster Third Way was the Northern Ireland branch of the Third Way and was organised by David Kerr, who had previously campaigned as an 'independent Unionist' (chairing the small North Belfast Independent Unionist Association) as well as for the British National Front. It followed an Ulster nationalist ideology.

Contents

Policies

As well as sharing the Third Way's aims U3W (as it is sometimes shortened to) was committed to securing independence for Northern Ireland from both the United Kingdom and Ireland. U3W tended to focus its attentions on trying to build up grass-roots support in loyalist areas, emphasising Ulster-Scots and the Battle of the Boyne commemorations and has its main office in the Shankill area of Belfast. It advocated the creation of an "all-Northern Ireland" identity as a basis for independence and as a solution to the Troubles. [1] During the 1990s it also advocated Protestants learning the Irish language. [2] Despite concentrating its efforts on the Protestant community U3W remained a very minor force in Northern Irish politics.

The group published a journal Ulster Nation, as well as irregular books and pamphlets about Ulster nationalism. The group compared its aims with those of Neo-Confederates in the Southern United States and declared its support for the re-establishment of the Confederate States of America. However, in an interview conducted for Cornell University in 2003 Kerr confirmed that, despite the group taking this position, U3W had established no formal links with any Neo-Confederate groups. [3]

Elections

The party largely confined its activities to the Belfast West constituency, campaigning only there in the 2001 general election (with Kerr winning 116 votes for a 0.3% share). [4] As well as in the west of Belfast U3W also offered candidates in north Belfast in the 2001 local elections. [5] The unsuccessful 2001 campaign was conducted entirely online by the party. [6] Kerr represented the party in West Belfast again in the 2003 assembly election. [4] The 16 votes the party captured in that election were the lowest province-wide. [7]

As leader of the group Kerr was also a candidate in the 1994 European election for the single Northern Ireland constituency under the title "Independent Ulster", capturing 578 votes (0.1%) to finish 14th out of 17 candidates. [8] Kerr also served as a candidate for the larger Ulster Independence Movement.

Deregistration

The party deregistered on 8 December 2005. [9] The name "National Liberal Party Ulster Third Way" was registered by the UK's National Liberal Party, [10] a group closely linked to Third Way.

Related Research Articles

The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) is a minor unionist political party in Northern Ireland. It was formed from the Independent Unionist Group operating in the Shankill area of Belfast, becoming the PUP in 1979. Linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Red Hand Commando (RHC), for a time it described itself as "the only left of centre unionist party" in Northern Ireland, with its main support base in the loyalist working class communities of Belfast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Ireland Unionist Party</span> Defunct Northern Irish political party (1999 to 2008)

The Northern Ireland Unionist Party (NIUP) was a small unionist political party in Northern Ireland that campaigned against the Belfast Agreement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster Democratic Party</span> Political party in Northern Ireland

The Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) was a small loyalist political party in Northern Ireland. It was established in June 1981 as the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA), to replace the New Ulster Political Research Group. The UDP name had previously been used in the 1930s by an unrelated party, which on one occasion contested Belfast Central.

The Third Way is a think tank and former political party in the United Kingdom, founded on the 17 March 1990. Third Way has supported a system of federalism for the UK with the possibility of a future break-up, an isolationist foreign policy, environmentalism, the wide use of Swiss-style citizens' initiatives and distributism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party</span> Former Northern Irish political party

The Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (VUPP), informally known as Ulster Vanguard, was a unionist political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1972 and 1978. Led by William Craig, the party emerged from a split in the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and was closely affiliated with several loyalist paramilitary groups. The party was set up in opposition to power sharing with Irish nationalist parties. It opposed the Sunningdale Agreement and was involved in extra-parliamentary activity against the agreement. However, in 1975, during discussions on the constitutional status of Northern Ireland in the constitutional convention, William Craig suggested the possibility of voluntary power sharing with the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party. In consequence the party split, with dissenters forming the United Ulster Unionist Party. Thereafter Vanguard declined and following poor results in the 1977 local government elections, Craig merged the remainder of Vanguard into the UUP in February 1978.

The Northern Ireland peace process includes the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, and subsequent political developments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Allister</span> Northern Irish politician (born 1953)

James Hugh Allister is a Northern Irish politician and barrister who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for North Antrim since the 2024 general election. He founded the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) in 2007 and has led the party since its formation. Prior to his election to Westminster, Allister was a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Antrim, having been first elected in the 2011 Assembly election.

David Thomas Kerr is a Northern Irish politician who is the Chairman of the UK-wide Third Way.

The Volunteer Political Party (VPP) was a loyalist political party launched in Northern Ireland on 22 June 1974 by members of the then recently legalised Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The Chairman was Ken Gibson from East Belfast, an ex-internee and UVF chief of staff at the time. The success of the Ulster Workers Council Strike had shown some UVF leaders the political power they held and they sought to develop this potential further. The UVF had been banned by the Government of Northern Ireland in 1966, but was legalised at the same time as Sinn Féin by Labour Secretary of State Merlyn Rees in April 1974 in order to encourage a political path for Loyalist and republican paramilitary groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster nationalism</span> Ideology that supports independence for Northern Ireland

Ulster nationalism is a minor school of thought in the politics of Northern Ireland that seeks the independence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom without joining the Republic of Ireland, thereby becoming an independent sovereign state separate from both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulster loyalism</span> Pro-UK political ideology in Northern Ireland

Ulster loyalism is a strand of Ulster unionism associated with working class Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland. Like other unionists, loyalists support the continued existence of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, and oppose a united Ireland independent of the UK. Unlike other strands of unionism, loyalism has been described as an ethnic nationalism of Ulster Protestants and "a variation of British nationalism". Loyalists are often said to have a conditional loyalty to the British state so long as it defends their interests. They see themselves as loyal primarily to the Protestant British monarchy rather than to British governments and institutions, while Garret FitzGerald argued they are loyal to 'Ulster' over 'the Union'. A small minority of loyalists have called for an independent Ulster Protestant state, believing they cannot rely on British governments to support them. The term 'loyalism' is usually associated with paramilitarism.

The Ulster Independence Movement was an Ulster nationalist political party founded on 17 November 1988. The group emerged from the Ulster Clubs, after a series of 15 public meetings across Northern Ireland. Led by Hugh Ross, a Presbyterian minister from Dungannon, County Tyrone, the UIC sought to end what it saw as the tyranny of rule from London and instead set up an independent Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Seawright</span> Scottish-born loyalist politician and paramilitary (1951–1987)

George Seawright was a Scottish-born unionist politician in Northern Ireland and loyalist paramilitary in the Ulster Volunteer Force. He was assassinated by the Irish People's Liberation Organisation in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugh Smyth</span> Northern Irish politician (1939–2014)

Hugh Smyth OBE was a Northern Irish Ulster Loyalist and politician who was leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) from 1979 to 2002, as well as during an interim period in 2011. He was Lord Mayor of Belfast from 1994 to 1995, as well as a Belfast City Councillor for the Court DEA from 1972 to January 2014, making him one of the longest-serving members on the Council. Smyth was awarded the Order of the British Empire in the 1996 New Year's Honours list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Unionist Party (1986)</span> Political party in Scotland

The Scottish Unionist Party (SUP) is a minor political party in Scotland. As a unionist party, it advocates keeping Scotland in the United Kingdom. It is also anti-devolution, advocating the abolition of the Scottish Parliament.

Ulster Protestant Action (UPA) was an Ulster loyalist political party and Protestant fundamentalist vigilante group in Northern Ireland that was founded in 1956 and re-formed as the Protestant Unionist Party in 1966.

Clifford Peeples is a self-styled pastor in Northern Ireland who has been associated with Ulster loyalism, for which he was convicted of terrorist activity and imprisoned. Peeples has been a member of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) prisoners' spokesman and leader of the Orange Volunteers (OV). He has taken a prominent role in opposing the Northern Ireland Protocol in the courts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protestant Coalition</span> Political party in the United Kingdom

The Protestant Coalition was a minor Ulster loyalist political party in Northern Ireland. It was registered on 23 April 2013, and launched on 24 April at a hotel in Castlereagh, outside Belfast. It deregistered in November 2015 without contesting any seat.

Robert Lindsay Mason, known as Lindsay Mason, was a Northern Irish unionist politician and businessman. Known as something of an eccentric, Mason's entire career in politics was spent outside the major unionist parties such as the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party.

References

  1. Adam Galamaga, Today's Political Landscape in Northern Ireland As an Aftermath of the Troubles, GRIN Verlag, 2010, p. 14
  2. Ian Malcolm, Towards inclusion: Protestants and the Irish language, Blackstaff Press, 2009, p. 47
  3. Gallaher, Carolyn (2007). After the Peace: Loyalist Paramilitaries in Post-accord Northern Ireland. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University. ISBN   9780801474262. OCLC   125403384 . Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  4. 1 2 West Belfast elections
  5. North Belfast elections
  6. "On the Hustings; Ross opposes one currency". Belfast Telegraph . 25 May 2001. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  7. Hutton, Brian (3 May 2005). "Call for ex-NF man to pull out of poll". Belfast Telegraph . Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  8. The 1994 European elections
  9. List of political parties renamed or deregistered since 2002, The Electoral Commission, accessed 11 July 2010 Archived December 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  10. Registration Search on Electoral Commission website, accessed 13 May 2014.