Peter's Guide To Politics in Northern Ireland

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Small Unionist Parties

PROGRESSIVE UNIONIST PARTY

This small but highly influencial party was until recently one of the strongest supporters of the Good Friday Agreement. Led by, in my view, one of the best politicians in Northern Ireland, David Ervine, the PUP's profile has risen substanially since the negotiations leading up to the GFA. Set up to provide a voice to members of the UVF and led by former prisoner David Ervine the party has been very crucial in getting motions, under cross community voting, passed through the Assembly. However recently their support for the GFA has wained, they pulled out of talks in London and have continuously talked about reviewing their support for the GFA. Ervine has criticised the UUP for always assuming that the PUP will go along with them. If the PUP do decide to withdraw their support for the GFA it would be a disaster for the pro-agreement parties, motions requiring cross community support would falter and new elections would have to be called.

If elections were called it would be hard to know how the PUP would fare, their vote dropped overall in the recent General Election and local elections, it looked at one stage that Billy Hutchinson might lose his seat. They may be suffering the same decline as the UUP as dissillusionment within the Unionist camp has increased. However their leader is popular and after an election the PUP may still hold the balance of power.

UK UNIONIST PARTY

Led by the eloquent and highly intelligent Robert (Bob) McCartney this vocal anti-agreement party has suffered somewhat in recent times. At the recent general election Robert McCartney, the UKUP's only MP lost his seat to the pro-agreement UUP candidate Lady Sylvia Hermon but was highly critical of the manner of her election as the Alliance party and Women's Coalition didn't run candidates to enable her to increase her vote, however what he neglected to mention was that the DUP didn't run a candidate there either! Accused by some of being little more than the DUP's lapdogs the party refuted that when they called on the DUP to withdraw from the Executive and the Police Board.

The profile of the party was raised in the Republic of Ireland when former Labour party TD and anti-Sinn Fein campaigner, Conor Cruise-O'Brien joined the party but then caused consternation in the camp when he said that perhaps in order to protect the Unionist culture that Northern Ireland should be constitutionally worked into a United Ireland. He made his position in the party untenable and later resigned, Robert McCartney described his leaving as a "great loss".

What about their prospects at the next election? Well at the moment the only high profile member of the party is their leader and they could suffer as a result. Robert McCartney's personal vote will always remain high but the rest of the party could suffer substanial losses to the DUP. A voting pact between the UKUP and DUP is a possibility and that would be of considerable help to the UKUP