Following the stepping down of Doug Beattie, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is tasked with the appointment of its fourth leader after Mike Nesbitt’s exit in 2017. The party, which once held sway in Northern Ireland for close to 80 years, is now wrestling to locate its position within the political scope after the Belfast Agreement.
The UUP’s electoral performance under Beattie’s rule has been mediocre, with unsatisfactory results in Assembly and local elections. On a more positive note, Robin Swann’s triumph in the UK general election last month provided some relief as it ensured the party’s re-entry into the House of Commons following a seven-year pause. However, it is suggested that internal disagreements concerning Swann’s Assembly seat replacement led to Beattie’s resignation.
Beattie held a distinctive charm as the leader compared to some of his preceding counterparts. His former military experience combined with his empathetic approach hinted that he had the potential leadership attributes needed for the UUP to represent itself as a sound pro-union voice, especially during a time when its DUP competition was caught up in controversy surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol. Initially, the UUP even overtaken the DUP in public voting surveys during Beattie’s leadership. However, the temporary surge of support for Beattie dwindled and the party took a step back to its usual subordinate position.
The issue for Beattie’s successor is the party’s fixed position sandwiched between the DUP on one side and the Alliance party on the other, having been in the same dilemma for several years. The question is whether the party should try to move forward and take back its authority from the DUP or push itself more towards the centre?
Choosing the latter might be a better approach. Within the post-Brexit dimension, coupled with growing calls for a border poll, a liberal, secular, unapologetically pro-union party is clearly needed. Such a party should fearlessly participate in constitutional debates, confident in its belief that although unionism might have lost its political majority, the rationale for union can still prevail based on its inherent strengths.