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Democratic Unionist Party
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The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 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 the largest party in Northern Ireland and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The DUP has strong links to Protestant churches, particularly the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, the church Ian Paisley founded, and is considered a Protestant political party.
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Encyclopedia
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 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 the largest party in Northern Ireland and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The DUP has strong links to Protestant churches, particularly the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, the church Ian Paisley founded, and is considered a Protestant political party. The party has a youth wing at under the title Democratic Unionist Association (DUA) and also at the .
Following on from the St Andrews Agreement in October 2006, the DUP has agreed with the Irish republican party Sinn Féin to enter into power-sharing devolved government in Northern Ireland. In the aftermath of the agreement there were reports of divisions within the DUP. Many of its leading members, including Members of Parliament (MPs) Nigel Dodds, David Simpson and Gregory Campbell were claimed to be in opposition to Paisley. All the party's MPs fully signed up to the manifesto for the 2007 Assembly elections, supporting power sharing in principle. An overwhelming majority of the party executive voted in favour of restoring devolution in a meeting in March 2007; however, the DUP's sole Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Jim Allister, and seven DUP councillors later resigned from the party in opposition to its plans to share power with Sinn Féin. They founded the Traditional Unionist Voice in December 2007.
History
The party was established in 1971 by Ian Paisley and Desmond Boal and other members of the Protestant Unionist Party. It has won seats at local council, province, national and European level. It won eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly of 1973-1974, where it opposed the formation of a power-sharing executive made up of unionists and nationalists following the Sunningdale Agreement. The DUP were more radically unionist than the UUP. The establishment of this political party arguably stemmed from insecurities of the Protestant working class. Paisley was elected one of Northern Ireland's three European Parliament members at the first elections in 1979 and retained that seat in every European election until 2004. In 2004 Paisley was replaced as the DUP MEP by Jim Allister, who resigned from the party in 2007 while retaining his seat.
The DUP also holds seats in the British House of Commons, and has been elected to each of the Northern Ireland conventions and assemblies set up since the party's creation. It has long been the major rival to the other major unionist party, the Ulster Unionist Party (known for a time in the 1970s and 1980s as the Official Unionist Party (OUP) to distinguish it from the then multitude of other unionist parties, some set up by deposed former leaders). However, the DUP's main rivals are the Irish Republican Sinn Féin and the Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).
The DUP was originally involved in the negotiations under former United States Senator George J. Mitchell that led to the Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement on account of the day on which it was signed). The party withdrew in protest when Sinn Féin, a republican party with ties to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), was allowed to participate despite the IRA retaining weapons. The DUP opposed the Agreement in the referendum that followed its signing, and which saw the Agreement approved reasonably comfortably nonetheless.
The DUP fought the resulting election to the Northern Ireland Assembly and took two seats in the multi-party power-sharing executive but while serving as ministers refused to sit in at meetings of the Executive Committee (cabinet) in protest at Sinn Féin's participation. The Executive ultimately collapsed over an alleged IRA espionage ring at Stormont. (see Stormontgate).
In the delayed Northern Ireland Assembly election of 2003, the DUP became the largest political party in the region, with 30 seats. In 2004, it became the largest Northern Ireland party at Westminster, with the defection of Jeffrey Donaldson. On December 12, 2004, English MP Andrew Hunter took the DUP whip, giving the party seven seats, in comparison to the UUP's five, Sinn Féin's four, and the SDLP's three.
In the 2005 general election, the party reinforced its position as the largest unionist party, winning nine seats, making it the fourth largest party in terms of seats in the British House of Commons behind Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. In terms of votes, the DUP is the fourth largest party on the island of Ireland.
When this is compared to the Northern Ireland local government elections (held on the same day as the Westminster General Election but under Proportional Representation), then the final figures would indicate that, had the Westminster General Election been on a Proportional Representation basis instead of the First-past-the-post system, the DUP would only have had six seats and the UUP and Sinn Féin four seats each. The SDLP would still have its three seats but there would have been another seat for an independent.
At the Local Government election of 2005, the DUP also emerged as the largest party at Local Government level with 182 Councillors across Northern Ireland's 26 District Councils. The DUP currently has a majority of the members on both Castlereagh Borough Council, which has long been a DUP stronghold and is home to Deputy Leader Peter Robinson, and in Ballymena Borough Counciland finally Ards Borough Council, home to Ian Paisley. As well as outright control on both of these councils, the DUP is also the largest party in eight of the other Councils. These are Antrim Borough Council, Ballymoney Borough Council, Banbridge District Council, Belfast City Council, Carrickfergus Borough Council, Coleraine Borough Council, Craigavon Borough Counciland Newtownabbey Borough Council
Opposition to teaching evolution
In 2007, two DUP members raised the issue of creationism and intelligent design, questioning the availability of materials and resources for schools wishing to teach alternative theories to the evolution. Additionally, one of these members, MP David Simpson, asked for assurances that students who gave creationist answers to examination questions would not be marked lower for it. A spokesman for the DUP confirmed that these views are consistent with party policy.
Party spokesmen - Westminster
| Policy issue | Spokesperson |
|---|
| Party Leader | Peter Robinson | | Deputy Leader | Nigel Dodds | | Defence, Culture, Media and Sport | Gregory Campbell | | Education and Skills, Housing | Sammy Wilson | | Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | William McCrea | | Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Europe | Ian Paisley | | Health, Youth and Women | Iris Robinson | | Home Affairs, Justice | Peter Robinson | | Trade and Industry | David Simpson | | Transport, International Development | Jeffrey Donaldson | | Treasury, Work and Pensions, Shadow Leader of the House | Nigel Dodds |
Belfast Agreement
The 1998 Belfast Agreement was opposed by the Democratic Unionist Party. The opposition was based on a number of reasons, including:
- The early release of republican prisoners
- The mechanism to allow Sinn Féin to hold Government office despite ongoing IRA activity.
- The lack of accountability of Ministers within the Executive.
- The lack of accountability of the North/South Ministerial Council and all-Ireland Implementation Bodies.
The Belfast Agreement relied on the support of a majority of unionists and a majority of nationalists in order for it to operate. During the 2003 Assembly Election, the DUP argued for a "fair deal" that could command the support of both unionists and nationalists. After the results of this election the DUP argued that support was no longer present within unionism for the Belfast Agreement. They then went on to publish their proposals for devolution in Northern Ireland entitled
These proposals have been refined and re-stated in further policy documents including and
The DUP has consistently held the view that any party which is linked to a terrorist organisation should not be eligible to hold Government office. The activities of the IRA and the other paramilitary groups have been monitored by the Independent Monitoring Commission.
Elected representatives
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Members of Parliament:
- Gregory Campbell, East Londonderry,
- Jeffrey Donaldson, Lagan Valley
- Nigel Dodds, Belfast North
- William McCrea, South Antrim
- Ian Paisley, North Antrim
- Iris Robinson, Strangfjord
- Peter Robinson, Belfast East
- David Simpson, Upper Bann
- Sammy Wilson, East Antrim
Northern Ireland Assembly
Members of the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly:
Recent developments
On 11 April 2006, it was announced that three DUP members were to be elevated to the House of Lords: Maurice Morrow, Wallace Browne, the former Lord Mayor of Belfast, and Eileen Paisley, a vice-president of the DUP and wife of DUP Leader Ian Paisley. None, however, sit as DUP peers.
On 27 October 2006, the DUP issued a four page letter in the Belfast Telegraph newspaper asking the question "Are the terms of Saint Andrew's a basis of moving forward to devolution?", with responses to be received to its party headquarters by the 8 November. It was part of the party's overall direction of consultation with its electorate before entering a power-sharing assembly.
On 24 November 2006, Ian Paisley refused to nominate himself as First Minister of Northern Ireland designate. There was confusion between all parties whether he actually said that if Sinn Féin supported policing and the rule of law that he would nominate himself on 28 March 2007 after the Assembly elections on 7 March 2007. The Assembly meeting was brought to an abrupt end when they had to evacuate because of a security breach. Ian Paisley later released a statement through the press office stating that he did in fact imply that if Sinn Féin supported policing and the rule of law, he would go into power sharing with Sinn Féin. This was following a statement issued by 12 DUP MLAs stating that what Ian Paisley had said in the chamber could not be interpreted as a nomination.
The DUP has recently suggested that it would begin to impose fines up to £20,000 on members disobeying the party whip on crucial votes.
On 24 March 2007 the DUP Party Executive overwhelmingly endorsed a resolution put to them by the Party Officers which did not agree to an establishment of devolution and an Executive in Northern Ireland by the Government's deadline of 26 March, but did agree to setting up an Executive on 8 May 2007.
On 27 March 2007, the party's sole Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jim Allister, resigned from the party, in opposition to the decision to enter powersharing with Sinn Féin, he will retain his seat as an Independent MEP. MP Gregory Campbell has warned on April 6, 2007 that his party will be watching to see if benefits flow from the party's agreement to share power with Sinn Féin.
On 7 May 2007 The East Antrim MLA George Dawson passed away after a short battle against cancer. He was replaced by Alastair Ross, who had previously worked as a Parliamentary Researcher for the East Antrim MP and MLA Sammy Wilson.
On 30 May 2008 the DUP held a farewell event to mark the retirement of Ian Paisley as leader of the Party. It was held at the Balmoral Hall, part of the Kings Hall complex in Belfast.
on 31 May 2008 the Party's central Executive Committee met at the offices of Castlereagh Borough Council where Ian Paisley formally stepped down as Party Leader and Peter Robinson was ratified as the new leader with Nigel Dodds as his deputy.
On 11 June 2008 the party supported the governments proposal to detain terror suspects for up to 42 days.
Political links
On Sinn Féin's website it explained that a Sinn Féin assembly member said that he wanted to understand why the DUP's 'Kick the Pope' flute band" is "listed to appear alongside a right-wing neo-Nazi organisation, the British Ulster Alliance."
The BUA has denied in one of its articles called "Divided we fall" that the North Belfast News said the BUA was linked to Combat 18.
The DUP does not seem to know this so their position has not been clear on this problem.
Leadership
Founder Ian Paisley led the party from its foundation in 1971 onwards, but was forced to bring forward his retirement to the spring of 2008. He was replaced by former deputy leader Peter Robinson on 31 May 2008.
The DUP and homosexuality
The DUP has been described as an anti-gay party by Pink News and as having a near pathological obsession with all things gay by The Observer. In 1976, its leader Ian Paisley campaigned to "Save Ulster from Sodomy" by maintaining the laws that defined anal intercourse and any sexual contact between men as crimes. Later, some DUP MPs have spoken out against homosexuality in different ways, while tending to avoid outright calls to punish or discriminate against gay people.
In 2005, DUP Councillor Maurice Mills claimed that Hurricane Katrina was sent by God to the United States as an act of judgment upon those who practise sodomy.
In the same year, The Sunday World reported that the DUP's then Westminster candidate Paul Berry had allegedly met a male masseur in a Belfast hotel. Mr Berry later confirmed he was "there for a sports massage". He later resigned from the DUP.
In May 2007, Ian Paisley, Jr. was criticised for stating during an interview that he was "repulsed" by homosexuals. In this instance, the DUP claim that there was no suggestion of any form of discrimination in any of Mr Paisley Jr's comments though the SDLP's equality spokeswoman, Dolores Kelly, requested that the assembly censure Mr Paisley. At the time he was a Junior Minister in OFMDFM with responsibility for equality.
In February 2008, councillor Edwin Poots condemned gay rugby team the Ulster Titans calling it a form of "apartheid". The Lisburn councillor had also tried to ban Civil Partnerships from taking place in Lisburn Civic Centre. Councillor Poots, who is also a Stormont MLA, was also involved in a row over funding events such as Gay Pride. Despite strong opposition from within his Church, his party were bound by equality legislation to provide the funds.
In June 2008, Iris Robinson made controversial comments on the Stephen Nolan breakfast show on Radio Ulster, saying that "I have a very lovely psychiatrist who works with me in my offices and his Christian background is that he tries to help homosexuals - trying to turn away from what they are engaged in". The pyschiatrist in question, Dr Paul Millar, later resigned from his post as advisor to Robinson and from his post as consultant psychiatrist at Belfast's Mater Hospital. A few days later in Westminster, Iris stated that “There can be no viler act, apart from homosexuality and sodomy, than sexually abusing innocent children”. Iris claimed she was "misrepresented", however Hansard staff reported this to be a statement of fact.
In October 2008, Peter Robinson MP, the First Minister of Northern Ireland backed his wife's claims stating "It wasn't Iris Robinson who determined that homosexuality was an abomination, it was The Almighty. This is the Scriptures and it is a strange world indeed where somebody on the one hand talks about equality, but won’t allow Christians to have the equality, the right to speak, the right to express their views".
By January 2009, the Police Service of Northern Ireland advised that it was forwarding a case against Mrs Robinson to the Public Prosection Service. It is alleged that she twice contravened Article 9 of the Public Order Act 1987 by using threatening, abusive or insulting words which have the likelihood to stir up hatred and arouse fear.
See also
Footnotes
DUP logo gallery
External links
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