September 1995 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election

September 1995 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election

8 September 1995

Candidate David Trimble John Taylor Ken Maginnis First Ballot 287 226 117 Percentage 35.6% 28.0% 14.5% Final Ballot 466 333 Withdrew Percentage 58.3% 41.7% Withdrew   Candidate William Ross Martin Smyth First Ballot 116 60 Percentage 14.4% 7.4% Final Ballot Eliminated Eliminated Percentage Eliminated Eliminated

Leader before election James Molyneaux Elected Leader David Trimble

The September 1995 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election began on 28 August 1995 when James Molyneaux resigned as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party following a year of political setbacks for his party. Lee Reynolds, a Young Unionist had contested the leadership at the Ulster Unionist Council AGM in March 1995, receiving a small but significant number of votes. It was widely speculated that David Trimble was one of those behind Reynolds's candidature, although Trimble, his aides and Reynolds's supporters all denied this at the time and subsequently.^[1]

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.

Molyneaux's successor was elected by delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council met on 8 September 1995. After three rounds of voting the election was won by David Trimble.

Candidates

• Ken Maginnis, MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
• William Ross, MP for East Londonderry
• Martin Smyth, MP for Belfast South and Grand Master of the Orange Order
• John Taylor, MP for Strangford and a former minister in the Government of Northern Ireland
• David Trimble, MP for Upper Bann who had recently received strong attention for his role in a disputed Orange Order march at Drumcree

Results

At the meeting delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council voted in a succession of ballots until one candidate had an absolute majority.

Candidate	Total
	Round 1			Round 2			Round 3
	Votes		%	Votes		%	Votes		%
David Trimble Y	287		35.6	353		43.6	466		58.3
John Taylor	226		28	255		31.5	333		41.7
Ken Maginnis N	117		14.5	110		13.6
William Ross N	116		14.4	91		11.2
Martin Smyth N	60		7.4
Total	806		100	809		100	799		100

After the third round, David Trimble was elected.^[2]

References

1. ^ Goodson, Dean. Himself Alone: David Trimble and the ordeal of Unionism (London, Harper Perennial, 2004), p. 127.
2. ^ Goodson, Dean. Himself Alone: David Trimble and the ordeal of Unionism (London, Harper Perennial, 2004), pp. 146–155.

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