Ulster Unionist Party leadership election, 2005
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election began on 7 May 2005 when David Trimble
resigned as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
following his party's poor performance in the 2005 general election
when it lost all but one of its seats, including Trimble's own. Following his resignation, the UUP's Executive Committee charged Sir Reg Empey
, Lady Hermon
and Lord Rogan
with the interim leadership of the Party.
This was the first occasion when the UUP leadership was contested under the Party's new constitution. Therefore this was the first occasion where the candidates were not proposed and seconded from the floor of the meeting, but in writing one week prior to the meeting.
Trimble's successor was elected by delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council who met on 24 June 2005. After two rounds of voting the election was won by Sir Reg Empey
.
Collins was named by Lord Kilclooney as his preferred candidate on his announcement that he would not run. McCartney announced that he would seek to rejoin the party he left in the 1980s with a view to becoming leader should a majority or significant number of delegates spoil their ballots. Less than 5 delegates spoilt their ballots in the event.
No candidate won an outright victory and David McNarry, as the lowest placed candidate, was eliminated.
Sir Reg Empey was elected.
David Trimble
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC , is a politician from Northern Ireland. He served as Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party , was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland , and was a Member of the British Parliament . He is currently a life peer for the Conservative Party...
resigned as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
following his party's poor performance in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
when it lost all but one of its seats, including Trimble's own. Following his resignation, the UUP's Executive Committee charged Sir Reg Empey
Reg Empey
Reginald Norman Morgan Empey, Baron Empey of Shandon, OBE, – known as Sir Reg Empey prior to 2011 – is a former Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for East Belfast...
, Lady Hermon
Sylvia Hermon
Sylvia Eileen Hermon, Lady Hermon is a Northern Irish politician. Since 2001, she has been the Member of Parliament for the constituency of North Down, first elected for the Ulster Unionist Party , but now an independent...
and Lord Rogan
Dennis Rogan, Baron Rogan of Lower Iveagh
Dennis Robert David Rogan, Baron Rogan is a Ulster Unionist Party politician in Northern Ireland who served as President of the party from 2004 until 2006...
with the interim leadership of the Party.
This was the first occasion when the UUP leadership was contested under the Party's new constitution. Therefore this was the first occasion where the candidates were not proposed and seconded from the floor of the meeting, but in writing one week prior to the meeting.
Trimble's successor was elected by delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council who met on 24 June 2005. After two rounds of voting the election was won by Sir Reg Empey
Reg Empey
Reginald Norman Morgan Empey, Baron Empey of Shandon, OBE, – known as Sir Reg Empey prior to 2011 – is a former Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for East Belfast...
.
Declined to run
The following prominent Ulster Unionist Party politicians were speculated upon by media organisations but declined to run:- David BurnsideDavid BurnsideDavid Wilson Boyd Burnside is a Northern Ireland politician, and was Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for South Antrim....
, an MP until 2005 - Sylvia HermonSylvia HermonSylvia Eileen Hermon, Lady Hermon is a Northern Irish politician. Since 2001, she has been the Member of Parliament for the constituency of North Down, first elected for the Ulster Unionist Party , but now an independent...
, UUP's only MP after the general election. - Lord Maginnis of DrumglassKen Maginnis, Baron Maginnis of DrumglassKenneth Wiggins Maginnis, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass is a Northern Irish Ulster Unionist politician who sits in the House of Lords...
, an MP until 2001. - Lord KilclooneyJohn Taylor, Baron KilclooneyJohn David Taylor, Baron Kilclooney, PC , is a former Ulster Unionist Party MP and a life peer. He was deputy leader of the UUP from 1995 to 2001, and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.-Career and family:...
, an MP until 2001, and a former minister in the Government of Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland ExecutiveThe Northern Ireland Executive is the executive arm of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for Northern Ireland. It is answerable to the Assembly and was established according to the terms of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, which followed the Good Friday Agreement...
Outsiders
Some in the party called for a figure from outside the party to become the next leader; however those named declined. They included:- Colonel Tim CollinsTim Collins (soldier)Colonel Timothy Thomas Cyril Collins OBEMA BSSc PSC+ is a former officer in the British Army. He is best known for his role in the Iraq War in 2003, and his inspirational eve-of-battle speech, a copy of which apparently hung in the White House's Oval Office...
- Robert McCartneyRobert McCartney (politician)Robert Law McCartney QC is a Northern Ireland barrister and former leader of the UK Unionist Party.He was initially a member of the Ulster Unionist Party but was expelled in June 1987 when he refused to withdraw from the general election of that year...
Collins was named by Lord Kilclooney as his preferred candidate on his announcement that he would not run. McCartney announced that he would seek to rejoin the party he left in the 1980s with a view to becoming leader should a majority or significant number of delegates spoil their ballots. Less than 5 delegates spoilt their ballots in the event.
Timeline of events
- 6 May 2005 - In the general election David Trimble loses his constituency of Upper BannUpper Bann (UK Parliament constituency)Upper Bann is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current Member of Parliament for Upper Bann is David Simpson.-Boundaries:...
, prompting speculation that he will step down as leader.
- 7 May 2005 - Trimble declares he is resigning.
- 8 May 2005 - The party's sole MP, Sylvia Hermon, is reported to be considering standing for the leadership, but states she also has strong family commitments.
- 11 May 2005 - Hermon states she wishes to see the UUP move in a "more liberal direction", away from the rival Democratic Unionist PartyDemocratic Unionist PartyThe Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
.
- 14 May 2005 - A meeting of the UUP Executive calls a special meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council for 24 June. In the interim it places the running of the party in the joint hands of Party President Lord RoganDennis Rogan, Baron Rogan of Lower IveaghDennis Robert David Rogan, Baron Rogan is a Ulster Unionist Party politician in Northern Ireland who served as President of the party from 2004 until 2006...
, MLAMembers of the Northern Ireland AssemblyThe Northern Ireland Assembly elected in November 2003, never met as such, since Northern Ireland's devolved government and representative institutions were suspended following the re-introduction of direct rule by the United Kingdom government on 14 October 2002....
Sir Reg Empey and the party's sole MP Syvlia Hermon.
- 14 May 2005 - David Burnside gives an interview in which he suggests a Hermon leadership would be a disaster, taking the party down "some sort of softy, wishy-washy, liberal sort of route." He declines to run and endorses Lord Kilclooney as an interim leader.
- 17 May 2005 - Hermon declares she will not be a candidate due to family commitments.
- 7 June 2005 - David McNarry becomes the first candidate to publicly enter the race. He declares he wants "to take the party out of denial."
- 8 June 2005 - Lord Kilclooney issues a statement that he would be prepared to back a leader from outside the party who could bring the "radical new approach the party leads" and declines to run himself. He suggests Colonel Tim Collins would be a good choice, but the latter declines, stating he has "no experience of politics."
- 9 June 2005 - Sir Reg Empey formally launches a bid for the leadership, with the backing of more than half the party's MLAs and its sole MEPMember of the European ParliamentA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
Jim NicholsonJim Nicholson (UK politician)James Frederick "Jim" Nicholson is a Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party politician, who is currently a Member of the European Parliament .-Career:...
. He pledges to end "the days of heavy handedness" and listen to grassroots supporters.
- 13 June 2005 - Alan McFarland announces his intention to stand, declaring that he is leading "a grass roots rebellion". He pledges to rebuild the party structure, impose a sense of self-discipline and refocus it upon the issues that matter to ordinary voters. Amongst those present at his launch are the party's sole MP, Sylvia Hermon.
- 13 June 2005 - It is reported that members of the UUP are asking Robert McCartney to put his name forward, despite no longer being a member of the party. McCartney rejects rejoining the party prior to the leadership election.
- 15 June 2005 - Lord Maginnis declares that he will not seek the leadership.
- 17 June 2005 - Nominations close. Empey, McFarland and McNarry are all nominated.
- 24 June 2005 - The Ulster Unionist Council meets.
Results
At the meeting delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council voted in a succession of ballots until one candidate had an absolute majority.Round 1
Votes were cast as follows| Name | Votes | % share |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Reg Empey Reg Empey Reginald Norman Morgan Empey, Baron Empey of Shandon, OBE, – known as Sir Reg Empey prior to 2011 – is a former Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for East Belfast... |
295 | 47.97 |
| Alan McFarland Alan McFarland Major Robert Alan McFarland, MLA was an Independent Unionist politician and MLA for North Down in Northern Ireland. He lost his Assembly seat in the 2011 election.... |
266 | 43.25 |
| David McNarry David McNarry David McNarry MLA is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland. He stood for the Ulster Unionist Party in North Down in the 1982 Assembly elections but failed to be elected. He is now a UUP MLA for Strangford, elected in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. He is currently UUP chief whip... |
54 | 8.8 |
| Total | 615 | 100 |
No candidate won an outright victory and David McNarry, as the lowest placed candidate, was eliminated.
Round 2
| Name | Votes | +/- | % share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Reg Empey Reg Empey Reginald Norman Morgan Empey, Baron Empey of Shandon, OBE, – known as Sir Reg Empey prior to 2011 – is a former Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for East Belfast... |
321 | +26 | 52.8 |
| Alan McFarland Alan McFarland Major Robert Alan McFarland, MLA was an Independent Unionist politician and MLA for North Down in Northern Ireland. He lost his Assembly seat in the 2011 election.... |
287 | +21 | 47.2 |
| David McNarry David McNarry David McNarry MLA is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland. He stood for the Ulster Unionist Party in North Down in the 1982 Assembly elections but failed to be elected. He is now a UUP MLA for Strangford, elected in 2003 and re-elected in 2007. He is currently UUP chief whip... |
0 | -54 | 0 |
| Total | 608 | -7 | 100 |
Sir Reg Empey was elected.