Mike Nesbitt Returns as Ulster Unionist Leader: Aiming for a More Inclusive and Confident Unionism

Mike Nesbitt: Ex-reporter set to helm Ulster Unionist Party once again

Mr. Nesbitt, succeeding the retiring leader Doug Beattie, expressed his intention to present a unionist party that embodies a more "relaxed", "confident", and "inclusive" approach.

Friday, August 30, 2024, at 9

Mike Nesbitt is set to take the helm of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) as he was the sole nominee for the leadership position.

The deadline to submit nominations for the leadership role vacated by Doug Beattie, who resigned last week following a conflict with party officials, was this past Friday.

Mr. Nesbitt successfully gathered the necessary 35 signatures from nine different districts throughout Northern Ireland.

The individual, aged 67, presently serves as the health minister at Stormont and is scheduled to be officially confirmed as leader during a party assembly on September 15.

He serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Strangford and has a background in broadcast journalism.

He is set to make history as the first individual to helm the UUP for a second term, having earlier served as leader from 2012 to 2017, a tenure he ended after a challenging outcome in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections.

Mr. Nesbitt expressed his desire to "carry forward the progressive initiatives that Doug (Beattie) initiated."

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"I aim to present a unionist party that is somewhat more laid-back, self-assured, and welcoming, one that strives to be more inclusive."

"I'm interested in forming a party that goes beyond just appealing to voter identities. We should also focus on discussing our policies and what we aim to achieve for the public."

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Mr. Beattie cited "irreconcilable differences" with party officials as the reason for his resignation on August 19.

In 2021, the representative for Upper Bann in the Assembly, who is also a distinguished Army veteran, was chosen as the

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Mr. Beattie stepped down following a General Election in which the UUP had a fairly successful outcome, capturing a Westminster seat for the first time in six years.

He departed following an internal dispute regarding the procedure to choose a replacement for the party’s newly elected MP, Robin Swann, in the Stormont Assembly.

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Mr. Nesbitt expressed strong assurance in having the backing of "almost all, if not every" elected representative from the UUP, though he refrained from confirming Mr. Beattie's support.

He mentioned, "It's a well-established custom within our party that a departing leader refrains from swaying the party's choice of a new leader."

This year, the DUP, which is the biggest unionist group, also underwent a change in leadership.

Gavin Robinson succeeded Sir Jeffrey Donaldson after he resigned following his indictment on charges of rape and other historical abuse offenses, all of which he has denied.

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