Progressive Unionist Party
Progressive Unionist Party Páirtí Aontachtach Forásach | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Abbreviation | PUP |
Leader | Russell Watton |
President | Billy Hutchinson |
Chairman | Brian Lacey |
Founder | Hugh Smyth |
Founded | 1979 |
Headquarters | 182 Shankill Road, Belfast, BT13 2BH |
Paramilitary wing | Ulster Volunteer Force Red Hand Commando |
Ideology | British unionism Ulster loyalism Democratic socialism[1][2] Social democracy |
Political position | Centre-left[3][4] to left-wing[5] |
Colours | Blue and red |
Northern Irish seats in the House of Commons | 0 / 18 |
Northern Ireland Assembly | 0 / 90 |
Local government in Northern Ireland | 1 / 462 |
Website | |
www | |
The Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) is a minor unionist[6] 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.[7]
Since the Ulster Democratic Party's dissolution in 2001, the PUP has been the sole party in Northern Ireland representing paramilitary loyalism.[8]
The party has one elected representative on the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Russell Watton, the party's current leader.[9]
History
[edit]The party was founded by Hugh Smyth in the mid-1970s as the "Independent Unionist Group". In 1977, two prominent members of the Northern Ireland Labour Party,David Overend and Jim McDonald, joined. Overend subsequently wrote many of the group's policy documents, incorporating much of the NILP's platform.[10][11] In 1979, the group was renamed the "Progressive Unionist Party".
In 1995, shortly after the Combined Loyalist Military Command announced a ceasefire, former UVF member Billy Hutchinson, who was jailed for the murder of two Catholics in 1974, defined the relationship between the PUP and the UVF: "The relationship is a very strict one in terms of acting as political confidants and providing political analysis for them, but it doesn't go any deeper than that."[12]
The party has had a degree of electoral success. In 1994 PUP leader Hugh Smyth became Lord Mayor of Belfast, and in the 1996 elections to the Northern Ireland Forum they secured two seats, with Smyth and David Ervine both being elected. The PUP supported the Belfast Agreement and in the 1998 election to the Northern Ireland Assembly they also won two seats, with Hutchinson and David Ervine elected from the Belfast North and East constituencies respectively. Hutchinson lost his seat in the 2003 election, leaving Ervine as their sole Assembly representative. This was followed by a poor showing in the Northern Ireland local election of 2005, where Smyth and Ervine were their only two members to retain their seats on local authorities, and the party now seems to be in a state of decline.
Their position on the left of the political spectrum differentiates them from other unionist parties (such as the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party) which are ideologically right-wing.[13]
Following a loyalist feud between the UVF and Loyalist Volunteer Force, in which four men were murdered by the UVF in Belfast and recognition of the UVF's ceasefire was withdrawn by the British government, the PUP debated ending its "special relationship" with the UVF. This was defeated in a closed vote at the party's annual conference in October 2005.
In March 2006, the Chairwoman of the PUP, Dawn Purvis, a research associate at the University of Ulster, was appointed as an independent member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
David Ervine died following a heart attack on 8 January 2007. On 22 January 2007 Dawn Purvis was chosen as party leader.[14] She is the second woman to lead a unionist party in Northern Ireland (after Anne Dickson's short-lived leadership of the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland following Brian Faulkner's retirement). Dr John Kyle was co-opted on to Belfast City Council to fill Ervine's seat. The party did not field any candidates for the 2010 general elections - party members were encouraged to vote for a candidate of their choice.
Assembly elections, March 2007
[edit]The election was for 108 seats spread evenly across 18 constituencies.
The PUP fielded three candidates: Elaine Martin in North Down, Andrew Park in Belfast South and Dawn Purvis in Belfast East. Overall the party polled 3,822 votes or 0.6% of the votes cast in Northern Ireland, down 0.6% from the elections of 2003.
Dawn Purvis was elected to represent Belfast East, polling 3,045 votes (10.3%), finishing 5th out of the 15 candidates.
2010 resignations and relationship with UVF/RHC
[edit]In June 2010, Dawn Purvis resigned as leader, and as a member, of the party because of its relationship with the UVF and a recent murder attributed to that group. John Kyle was subsequently appointed interim leader, following Purvis's resignation.[15][16] On 28 August 2010 the former deputy leader, David Rose, resigned from the party. He cited the recent murder attributed to the UVF and his belief that the party was "becoming increasingly conservative in outlook.[17]
During a meeting in Belfast on 29 September 2010, members of the party agreed to maintain its relationship with the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commando.[18][19] Despite the links with the UVF, Billy Hutchinson acknowledges that most UVF members vote for the larger Democratic Unionist Party.[20]
2011 local and Assembly elections, and Brian Ervine's leadership
[edit]Brian Ervine was appointed PUP leader in October 2010.[21]
At their manifesto launch for the 2011 Assembly and local elections, the PUP revealed their manifesto pledges, including: a balanced economy, greater integrated education and building a full-size replica of the RMS Titanic to be docked in Belfast Harbour. Additionally, Ervine announced that he would be standing in Belfast East, and that the party would be running local candidates in Larne, Castlereagh and Derry as well as in Belfast and Antrim.[22]
No PUP candidates were elected to the Assembly, leaving the party without representation for the first time since 1998. Ervine himself finished behind Purvis who had run for re-election as an independent. She, too, was not elected.[23][24]
Despite losing their Assembly seat, the PUP did return their two councillors in Belfast. [25]
A month after the elections, Ervine announced his resignation as party leader, and later was replaced by veteran west Belfast activist Billy Hutchinson in October 2011.[26]
Hutchinson leadership
[edit]2014 local elections
[edit]The PUP stood candidates for the new 'super councils' at the 2014 local elections, doubling their total number of representatives from two to four.[27]
In Belfast, deputy leader John Kyle was re-elected, this time for the Titanic district, while Hutchinson topped the poll in Court. The party were also joined on the council by Julie Anne Corr-Johnston, who regained a seat in Oldpark for the party.[28][29]
On the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Coleraine candidate, Russell Watton, was the first to be elected in that district.[30]
Hugh Smyth died during the election campaign.[31]
2016 and 2017 Assembly elections
[edit]The PUP stood six candidates at the 2016 Assembly election, but, despite an increase in their overall vote, no candidates were elected.[32][33]
Their support dipped slightly at the snap election in 2017, but did see an increase in their votes in North and East Belfast.[34][35][36]
2019 local elections
[edit]The party stood candidates at the 2019 local elections, including all four of their incumbent councillors. No further gains were made, with the party only losing their seat in Oldpark.[37][38]
The Northern Ireland Protocol
[edit]Following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, the PUP have been protesting against the Northern Ireland Protocol, part of the arrangements to prevent a 'hard border' in the Irish Sea. The party believes that the Protocol inhibits the Principle of consent, leading to Hutchinson saying that the PUP no longer support the Good Friday Agreement in November 2021.[39][40]
Conversely, in an interview on BBC's The View programme, John Kyle stated that the Protocol could have "significant advantages" if "fundamental" changes are made. Kyle's remarks sparked outrage among unionists, with the PUP releasing a statement clarifying that the party still remains opposed to the Protocol, and that Kyle was giving a personal view.[41][42]
Kyle subsequently resigned as both deputy leader and a member of the party three weeks later, citing "differing approaches" in regard to the Protocol.[43]
2022 Assembly election
[edit]The party stood only three candidates at the 2022 Assembly election, with Hutchinson standing in North Belfast, Russell Watton in East Londonderry and Karl Bennett in East Belfast.[44]
No candidates were elected, with the PUP seeing a 52% drop in their support, compared to 2017.[45][46]
2023 local elections
[edit]The PUP had four candidates at the local elections, with one candidate each across Belfast, Causeway Coast and Glens, Antrim and Newtownabbey and Mid and East Antrim.[47]
The party polled 2,103 votes (0.3%) overall, and were wiped out in Belfast, with Hutchinson losing out to the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV).[48][49]
In the Causeway Coast and Glens, Watton retained his seat, making him the sole PUP candidate to be elected.[50]
Following on from his electoral defeat, Hutchinson resigned as leader, and was succeeded by Watton the following month.[51]
Notable members
[edit]Former UVF member Billy Giles, who spent 14 years in the Maze Prison for a sectarian killing, was part of the PUP's negotiating team at the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998.[52] Others involved in this process included Billy Mitchell, David Ervine, Jim McDonald, William 'Billy' Greer, Winston Churchill Rea and William "Plum" Smyth; all former UVF and Red Hand Commando members.
Party leaders
[edit]Leader | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Hugh Smyth | 1979 | 2002 |
2 | David Ervine | 2002 | 2007 |
3 | Dawn Purvis | 2007 | 2010 |
4 | Brian Ervine | 2010 | 2011 |
5 | Billy Hutchinson | 2011 | 2023 |
6 | Russell Watton | 2023 | Incumbent |
Electoral performance
[edit]UK general elections
[edit]1997 UK general election
[edit]Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast South | David Ervine | 5,687 | 14.4 | 3 |
East Antrim | Billy Donaldson | 1,757 | 5.1 | 5 |
South Antrim | Hugh Smyth | 3,490 | 9.0 | 4 |
2001 UK general election
[edit]Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast East | David Ervine | 3,669 | 10.0 | 4 |
Belfast South | Dawn Purvis | 1,112 | 2.9 | 6 |
Northern Ireland Assembly
[edit]Election | Seats won | ± | First Pref votes | % | ± |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | 2 / 108 | ![]() | 20,634 | 2.6% | ![]() |
2003 | 1 / 108 | ![]() | 8,032 | 1.2% | ![]() |
2007 | 1 / 108 | ![]() | 3,822 | 0.6% | ![]() |
2011 | 0 / 108 | ![]() | 1,493 | 0.2% | ![]() |
2016 | 0 / 108 | ![]() | 5,955 | 0.9% | ![]() |
2017 | 0 / 90 | ![]() | 5,590 | 0.7% | ![]() |
2022 | 0 / 90 | ![]() | 2,665 | 0.3% | ![]() |
Local Elections
[edit]Election | Seats won | ± | First Pref votes | % | ± |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | 1 / 526 | N/A | 3,057 | 0.5% | N/A |
1985 | 2 / 565 | ![]() | 3,612 | 0.6% | ![]() |
1989 | 3 / 565 | ![]() | 3,839 | 0.6% | ![]() |
1993 | 1 / 582 | ![]() | 2,350 | 0.4% | ![]() |
1997 | 7 / 582 | ![]() | 12,051 | 2% | ![]() |
2001 | 4 / 582 | ![]() | 12,261 | 1.55% | ![]() |
2005 | 2 / 582 | ![]() | 4,591 | 0.7% | ![]() |
2011 | 2 / 582 | ![]() | 3,858 | 0.6% | ![]() |
2014 | 4 / 462 | ![]() | 12,753 | 2.0% | ![]() |
2019 | 3 / 462 | ![]() | 5,338 | 0.79% | ![]() |
2023 | 1 / 462 | ![]() | 2,103 | 0.3% | ![]() |
See also
[edit]- Northern Ireland Assembly
- 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election
References
[edit]- ^ Edwards, Aaron (2007). "Democratic Socialism and Sectarianism: The Northern Ireland Labour Party and Progressive Unionist Party Compared". Politics. 27 (1): 24–31. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9256.2007.00275.x. S2CID 145393084.
- ^ New Statesman: Volume 131, Issues 4569-4576. London: New Statesman. 2002. p. 56.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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- ^ Coulter, John (11 September 2019). "A socialist alternative for Northern Ireland?". Northern Slant. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
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- ^ Aaron Edwards, A history of the Northern Ireland Labour Party, p.219
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- ^ New PUP leader seeks Ervine seat Archived 25 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 23 January 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2009.
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- ^ "2014 Belfast City Council Election". Ark Elections. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "Councillor: I took part in illegal UVF/UDA-linked parade – and I don't care". Belfast Newsletter. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Former Progressive Unionist Party leader Hugh Smyth dies". BBC News. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
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- ^ "NI Protocol could have advantages - PUP councillor John Kyle says". BBC News. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
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