Ulster Unionist Party

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or simply the Unionist Party ) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. Until 2003 it was the largest party, but it has been overtaken by the Democratic Unionist Party.

Leadership

The party was led by David Trimble between 1995 and 2005. Although his support (which some nationalists claim to be ambiguous) for the Belfast Agreement caused a rupture within the Party into pro-agreement and anti-Agreement factions, he maintained unity for a while. Trimble served as First Minister of Northern Ireland in the power-sharing administration, created under the Belfast Agreement.

Related Topics:
David Trimble - Belfast Agreement - First Minister of Northern Ireland

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In a sign of the changing nature of modern Northern Ireland, the UUP had one Roman Catholic MLA (member of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly) (Sir John Gorman) until the 2003 election. In March 2005 the Orange Order voted to end its official links with the UUP, while still maintaining unofficial links. (Trimble faced down Orange Order critics who tried to suspend him for his attendance at a Catholic funeral for a young boy murdered by the breakaway Real IRA, in the infamous Omagh bombing. Trimble and Irish president Mary McAleese, in a sign of unity, walked into the church hand in hand. This show of unity was recently undermined when McAleese compared Ulster Protestants to Nazis in educating children in hate.)

Related Topics:
MLA - Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly - John Gorman - Orange Order - Real IRA - Omagh bombing - Irish president - Mary McAleese - Nazi

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