The 2004

Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...

leadership election was triggered by the decision of a group of UUP members to challenge incumbent leader

David Trimble William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, (15 October 1944 – 25 July 2022) was a British politician who was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002, and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1995 to 2005. He was ...

over the party's direction following the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly elections at the party's annual general meeting on 27 March 2004. The UUP has held a leadership election every March since at least the Ulster Unionist Council constitution was altered in 1973, however it is rarely contested. This is one of the few occasions when it has been contested. The election was decided by delegates to the

Ulster Unionist Council The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...

. After one round of voting Trimble retained his leadership.

Candidates

*David Hoey, management consultant from

Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from ga, Cúil Rathain , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern I ...

*Robert Oliver, businessman from

Portadown Portadown () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about southwest of Belfast. It is in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of a ...

and Treasurer of Trimble's Constituency Party *

, MP for Upper Bann and sitting leader Hoey declared prior to the election that he was a

Stalking horse A stalking horse is a figure used to test a concept or mount a challenge on behalf of an anonymous third party. If the idea proves viable or popular, the anonymous third party can then declare its interest and advance the concept with little risk o ...

candidate who would stand aside in favour of others should he win the contest. Oliver insisted that should he win he would serve as leader despite holding no elected office. It was believed that Trimble would easily win, but would have to stand down should both challengers poll more than 50% of votes cast combined.

Results

David Trimble was re-elected. In addition the party Presidency was subject to re-election. The incumbent, the Rev.

Martin Smyth William Martin Smyth (born 15 June 1931) is a Northern Irish unionist politician, who served as the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast South from 1982 to 2005. He was a vice-president of the Conservative Monday ...

MP, a constant critic of Trimble, lost the post to Lord Rogan by 407 to 329 votes. Following the election neither defeated candidate immediately left the party. Hoey contested the party selection convention for the nomination to fight the

East Londonderry East Londonderry or East Derry can refer to: * The eastern part of County Londonderry * The eastern part of the city of Derry * East Londonderry (Assembly constituency) * East Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency) East Londonderry is a par ...

seat in the 2005 UK general election but was defeated by MLA, David McClarty. He also unsuccessfully stood to be a party officer at the 2006 AGM of the UUC. Hoey left the party sometime in 2006, and contested the

2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election The 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election was held on Wednesday, 7 March 2007. It was the third election to take place since the devolved assembly was established in 1998. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two l ...

for Robert McCartney's

UK Unionist Party The UK Unionist Party (UKUP) was a small unionist political party in Northern Ireland from 1995 to 2008 that opposed the Good Friday Agreement. It was nominally formed by Robert McCartney, formerly of the Ulster Unionist Party, to contest the ...

(UKUP) in South Belfast. Oliver unsuccessfully stood for election to

Craigavon Borough Council Craigavon Borough Council was a local council in counties Armagh, Down and Antrim, in Northern Ireland. It merged with Armagh City and District Council and Banbridge District Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Norther ...

in 2005 as a UUP candidate, and considered also standing for the

2010 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election An election for the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) was held on 22 September 2010. Background Following poor results in the 2005 general election, the UUP held a leadership election, in which Reg Empey was successful. Empey forme ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ulster Unionist Party Leadership Election, 2004

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

2004 elections in the United Kingdom 2004 in Northern Ireland 2004 elections in Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party leadership election