Conservatives in Northern Ireland
Encyclopedia
The Conservatives Northern Ireland is the section of the Conservative and Unionist Party
of the United Kingdom
that operates in Northern Ireland
. The party currently has a small support base, attracting 0.5% of the poll (3,500 votes) in the 2007 Assembly election
.
In 2009 the party agreed to an electoral alliance
with the Ulster Unionist Party
(UUP), whereby the two parties will field joint candidates for elections to the House of Commons and the European Parliament
under the banner of "Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force". Literature and the web site for the 2009 European Parliament election
used "Conservatives and Unionists" as the short name.
in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
, much like the then-independent Unionist Party of Scotland, which integrated into the party in England and Wales in the 1960s.
This relationship broke down in 1972, following Unionist opposition to the proposed Sunningdale Agreement
, when all but one of the UUP MPs resigned the Conservative whip. The sole exception, Stratton Mills
, left the UUP and continued to take the whip for a further year, before joining the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
.
, including George Green
, defected to the party. The party doubled its representation there in the local government elections of 1989
, becoming the largest party on the council. An Independent Conservative also won a seat on Lisburn Borough council, although he joined the UUP before the 1993 local elections
. In the 1989 European Elections the Conservative candidate polled 4.8% and was just 2,000 first preference votes behind the Alliance Party candidate.
Subsequently, the Conservatives were boosted by a number of other defectors. Former UUP Assembly members Dorothy Dunlop
and Billy Bleakes defected in Belfast
and Lisburn respectively, while Robert Mitchell
, a former Stormont MP, defected in Coleraine
. Mary Ardill, a relative of prominent former Stormont MP Austin Ardill
, joined in Carrick and Gary Haggan defected from the Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP) in Larne
. Lloyd Hall-Thompson
, another retired former UUP Stormont politician, became chair of the local Lagan Valley branch.
. , they currently have no elected representatives in the Northern Ireland Assembly
or Parliament. They currently have two councillors, one elected as an Ulster Unionist, and the other elected as a member of the Democratic Unionist Party
.
The party's best performance came in the 1992 general election
, when party candidates polled 44,608 votes across Northern Ireland: 5.7% of the total. Their best performance came in the North Down constituency
, where the local party chairman, Laurence Kennedy, came second, 5,000 votes behind the sitting MP James Kilfedder
.
Subsequently, the party rapidly declined. In the 1993 council elections, the party lost five council seats, being reduced to six councillors across Northern Ireland. In North Down, the party's support more than halved, from 25% in 1989 to 11% in 1993, although they narrowly managed to win a seat in all four North Down electoral areas. Laurence Kennedy quit Northern Irish politics a few months later, while the party's councillors in Lisburn and Carrick left the party to sit as Independent Unionists. In 1997
they were reduced to two council seats in North Down. Both councillors retired before the 2001 council elections and the party failed to defend one of their seats in 2001
with the other lost, leaving them without elected representation in Northern Ireland.
, David Trimble
was elevated to the House of Lords
on losing his Commons seat. Shortly after standing down from the Northern Ireland Assembly
in 2007, he took the Conservative whip. On doing so he made it clear that he would not be campaigning on behalf of the Northern Ireland Conservatives in opposition to his former party.
In July 2008 David Cameron
and Sir Reg Empey announced a working group to develop a partnership with the UUP. This was implemented in 2009, forming the "Ulster Conservatives and Unionists" for certain electoral purposes. The relationship has since broken down and the Conservatives Northern Ireland are operating completely independently from the UUP.
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
that operates in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The party currently has a small support base, attracting 0.5% of the poll (3,500 votes) in the 2007 Assembly election
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were elected. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, along with the Alliance Party, increase their...
.
In 2009 the party agreed to an electoral alliance
Electoral alliance
An electoral alliance may take the form of a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc. It is an association of political parties or individuals which exists solely to stand in elections...
with 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...
(UUP), whereby the two parties will field joint candidates for elections to the House of Commons and the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
under the banner of "Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force". Literature and the web site for the 2009 European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...
used "Conservatives and Unionists" as the short name.
1922–1972
Traditionally the Conservative Party maintained formal links with the UUP, its members taking the Conservative whipWhip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, much like the then-independent Unionist Party of Scotland, which integrated into the party in England and Wales in the 1960s.
This relationship broke down in 1972, following Unionist opposition to the proposed Sunningdale Agreement
Sunningdale Agreement
The Sunningdale Agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland. The Agreement was signed at the Civil Service College in Sunningdale Park located in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on 9 December 1973.Unionist opposition, violence and...
, when all but one of the UUP MPs resigned the Conservative whip. The sole exception, Stratton Mills
Stratton Mills
William Stratton Mills, known as Stratton Mills , is a retired solicitor and former politician in Northern Ireland.He was the only Member of Parliament to have sat for the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland in the British House of Commons, until Naomi Long won Belfast East in 2010...
, left the UUP and continued to take the whip for a further year, before joining the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
.
Entry into Northern Ireland
The Conservative Party did not organise in Northern Ireland until the late 1980s, when three Unionist members of North Down Borough CouncilNorth Down Borough Council
North Down Borough Council is a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland with an overall population of around 80,000. Its main town is Bangor, 20 km east of Belfast with a population of approximately 55,000. The Council is headquartered in Bangor. Its secondary centre is the former Urban...
, including George Green
George Green (politician)
George Green was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Green was the chairman of the Ulster Special Constabulary Association , a group which focussed on opposition to the Irish Republican Army...
, defected to the party. The party doubled its representation there in the local government elections of 1989
Northern Ireland local elections, 1989
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland in 1989.-Background:The elections took place after a turbulent period in Northern Irish politics. The signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in November 1985 had been followed by widespread protests by those in the Unionist community...
, becoming the largest party on the council. An Independent Conservative also won a seat on Lisburn Borough council, although he joined the UUP before the 1993 local elections
Northern Ireland local elections, 1993
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 19 May 1993.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
. In the 1989 European Elections the Conservative candidate polled 4.8% and was just 2,000 first preference votes behind the Alliance Party candidate.
Subsequently, the Conservatives were boosted by a number of other defectors. Former UUP Assembly members Dorothy Dunlop
Dorothy Dunlop
Dorothy Dunlop is a former Ulster Unionist and Conservative politician.Dunlop worked in the Arts Council in London and the for BBC Northern Ireland...
and Billy Bleakes defected in Belfast
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
and Lisburn respectively, while Robert Mitchell
Robert James Mitchell
Robert James Mitchell was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.After becoming a captain during World War II, Mitchell worked as a sales representative. He was elected to Lurgan Borough Council in 1957 for the Ulster Unionist Party, serving until its abolition in 1973...
, a former Stormont MP, defected in Coleraine
Coleraine Borough Council
Coleraine Borough Council is a local council mainly in County Londonderry and partly in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters are in the town of Coleraine. Small towns in the area include Garvagh, Portrush, Portstewart and Kilrea...
. Mary Ardill, a relative of prominent former Stormont MP Austin Ardill
Austin Ardill
Captain Robert Austin Ardill MC was a former Northern Irish unionist politician.Ardill was born in Belfast and educated at Coleraine Academical Institution. He later worked as the managing director of a feedstuffs company...
, joined in Carrick and Gary Haggan defected from the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The 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...
(DUP) in Larne
Larne Borough Council
Larne Borough Council is a Local Council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters is in the town of Larne and the population of the area is nearly 31,000...
. Lloyd Hall-Thompson
Lloyd Hall-Thompson
Robert Lloyd Hall-Thompson TD , known as Lloyd Hall-Thompson, was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Belfast, Hall-Thompson was the son of Samuel Hall-Thompson, and grandson of Rt. Hon. Robert Thompson MP. He studied at Campbell College in Belfast and joined the Ulster Unionist...
, another retired former UUP Stormont politician, became chair of the local Lagan Valley branch.
Electoral performance
The Conservatives in Northern Ireland currently have a low support base, attracting 0.5% of the poll (3,500 votes) in the 2007 Assembly electionNorthern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were elected. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, along with the Alliance Party, increase their...
. , they currently have no elected representatives in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
or Parliament. They currently have two councillors, one elected as an Ulster Unionist, and the other elected as a member of the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The 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...
.
The party's best performance came in the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
, when party candidates polled 44,608 votes across Northern Ireland: 5.7% of the total. Their best performance came in the North Down constituency
North Down (UK Parliament constituency)
North Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Sylvia Hermon, elected as an Independent in the 2010 General Election. -Boundaries:The county constituency was first created in 1885 from the northern part of Down...
, where the local party chairman, Laurence Kennedy, came second, 5,000 votes behind the sitting MP James Kilfedder
James Kilfedder
Sir James Alexander Kilfedder was a Northern Ireland unionist politician.-Early life:...
.
Subsequently, the party rapidly declined. In the 1993 council elections, the party lost five council seats, being reduced to six councillors across Northern Ireland. In North Down, the party's support more than halved, from 25% in 1989 to 11% in 1993, although they narrowly managed to win a seat in all four North Down electoral areas. Laurence Kennedy quit Northern Irish politics a few months later, while the party's councillors in Lisburn and Carrick left the party to sit as Independent Unionists. In 1997
Northern Ireland local elections, 1997
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 21 May 1997, shortly after the 1997 general election across the entire United Kingdom.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
they were reduced to two council seats in North Down. Both councillors retired before the 2001 council elections and the party failed to defend one of their seats in 2001
Northern Ireland local elections, 2001
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 7 June 2001 along with the 2001 general election across the entire United Kingdom.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
with the other lost, leaving them without elected representation in Northern Ireland.
Policy
The party in Northern Ireland was largely opposed to the Good Friday Agreement, in contrast to the national leadership who were in favour.Relationship with the UUP
The Conservatives have for some time maintained a close relationship with the UUP. The former UUP leader and First MinisterFirst Minister and deputy First Minister
The First Minister and the Deputy First Minister , sometimes abbreviated to FM/DFM, are positions in the Northern Ireland...
, David Trimble
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...
was elevated to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
on losing his Commons seat. Shortly after standing down from the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
in 2007, he took the Conservative whip. On doing so he made it clear that he would not be campaigning on behalf of the Northern Ireland Conservatives in opposition to his former party.
In July 2008 David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
and Sir Reg Empey announced a working group to develop a partnership with the UUP. This was implemented in 2009, forming the "Ulster Conservatives and Unionists" for certain electoral purposes. The relationship has since broken down and the Conservatives Northern Ireland are operating completely independently from the UUP.