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A new body has again emerged, under the UUP's new Constitution. This means that it is no longer a loosely affiliated body, but an integral constituent part of the UUP, with enhanced representation at the levels of party governance{{Fact|date=March 2008}} and greater integration. Although its second chairman Peter Bowles has left the party in protest over association with the [[Progressive Unionist Party]] (PUP)<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/jun/13/uk.northernireland1</ref>, the group claims to have enjoyed a period of sustained growth since its emergence<ref>http://uuptoday.org/newsroom/2007/06/22/lagan-valley-young-unionists-launch-branch/</ref>. The UYUC has branches at [[Queen's University, Belfast]]<ref>http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:heSnA-H4AXEJ:www.qubsu.org/cmsfiles/suc_mins_14_nov_05.doc+site:http://www.qubsu.org/+unionist&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=uk</ref>, the [[University of Ulster]]<ref>http://uuptoday.org/newsroom/2008/03/14/young-unionist-society-forms-at-coleraine-university/</ref> and branches at constituency level in the [http://www.belfastyu.org City of Belfast], Mid-Ulster and West Tyrone<ref>http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/UH/free/342740266794167.php</ref>, Lagan Valley<ref>[http://uuptoday.org/newsroom/2007/06/22/lagan-valley-young-unionists-launch-branch/ uuptoday.org » Lagan Valley Young Unionists Launch Branch<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and also Newry and Armagh/South Down.
A new body has again emerged, under the UUP's new Constitution. This means that it is no longer a loosely affiliated body, but an integral constituent part of the UUP, with enhanced representation at the levels of party governance{{Fact|date=March 2008}} and greater integration. Although its second chairman Peter Bowles has left the party in protest over association with the [[Progressive Unionist Party]] (PUP)<ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/jun/13/uk.northernireland1</ref>, the group claims to have enjoyed a period of sustained growth since its emergence<ref>http://uuptoday.org/newsroom/2007/06/22/lagan-valley-young-unionists-launch-branch/</ref>. The UYUC has branches at [[Queen's University, Belfast]]<ref>http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:heSnA-H4AXEJ:www.qubsu.org/cmsfiles/suc_mins_14_nov_05.doc+site:http://www.qubsu.org/+unionist&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=uk</ref>, the [[University of Ulster]]<ref>http://uuptoday.org/newsroom/2008/03/14/young-unionist-society-forms-at-coleraine-university/</ref> and branches at constituency level in the [http://www.belfastyu.org City of Belfast], Mid-Ulster and West Tyrone<ref>http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/UH/free/342740266794167.php</ref>, Lagan Valley<ref>[http://uuptoday.org/newsroom/2007/06/22/lagan-valley-young-unionists-launch-branch/ uuptoday.org » Lagan Valley Young Unionists Launch Branch<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and also Newry and Armagh/South Down.


The youth wing has produced many current and former senior faces in the party including [[John Laird, Baron Laird of Atrigarvan|The Lord Laird of Artigarvan]], [[Dennis Rogan, Baron Rogan of Lower Iveagh|The Lord Rogan of Lower Iveagh]], [[Jeffrey Donaldson]] MP MLA <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/764997.stm BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | Profile: Jeffrey Donaldson<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and [[David McNarry]] MLA, all of whom are former Chairmen, as well as Sir [[Reg Empey]] MLA, who served as Vice Chairman before leaving the UUP for the [[Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party|Vanguard]]<ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reg_Empey</ref>.
The youth wing has produced many current and former senior faces in the party including [[John Laird, Baron Laird of Atrigarvan|The Lord Laird of Artigarvan]], [[Dennis Rogan, Baron Rogan of Lower Iveagh|The Lord Rogan of Lower Iveagh]], [[Jeffrey Donaldson]] MP MLA <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/764997.stm BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | Profile: Jeffrey Donaldson<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and [[David McNarry]] MLA, all of whom are former Chairmen, as well as Sir [[Reg Empey]] MLA, who served as Vice Chairman.


== Young Unionists and the Internet ==
== Young Unionists and the Internet ==
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==External links==
==External links==


* [http://www.youngunionists.org.uk Official Young Unionists website]
* [http://www.youngunionists.org.uk Young Unionists website]
* [http://www.belfastyu.org Official Website of Belfast Young Unionists]
* [http://www.belfastyu.org Website of Belfast Young Unionists]


==Sources==
==Sources==

Revision as of 14:32, 20 March 2008

File:Smallyulogo.jpg
YU logo

The Young Unionists, formally known as the Ulster Young Unionist Council (UYUC), is the youth wing of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). It has in its present incarnation been in existence since 2004. A body of the same name has existed and been affiliated to the Ulster Unionist Council (UUC) since 1946, however disbandments happened in 1976 and again in 2004 following a period of decline, with the body losing many members opposed to the 1998 Belfast Agreement.

History

UYUC Crest

The body emerged in the party because of what JH Harbinson describes as dissatisfaction amongst young members to have their voices heard. Attempts had been made in the 1920s to create a youth movement linked to that of the Conservative Party (the Junior Imperial and Constitutional League) without much success. A second attempt was made before the out break of the Second World War which also failed. The UYUC was formed by the UUC's Standing Committee in 1946 and quickly became a successful movement in South & West Belfast, Fermanagh and Down[1]. The body's first Chairman was future Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, Brian Faulkner[2][3]

The body created many prominent figures in Northern Ireland politics throughout the 1960s and 1970s such as William Craig and John D Taylor, however disagreements over Government policy and other factors left the body is disarray by the early 1970s, and it disbanded following the collapse of the Stormont Parliament. The body re-emerged under the Chairmanship of David McNarry and continued to thrive throughout the 1980s, producing figures such as Jeffrey Donaldson, Peter Weir and Arlene Foster.

1990s to present

The body's membership was strongly opposed to the Belfast Agreement in 1998, and many campaigned against it. It lost members at a greater proportion and sooner than the rest of the party[4][5], with many former members such as Arlene Foster and Jeffrey Donaldson eventually defecting to the DUP. By the 2004 AGM only the outgoing Officers could vote due to a voting system designed for a much larger organisation. The officers voted to disband the group[6][7][8].

A new body has again emerged, under the UUP's new Constitution. This means that it is no longer a loosely affiliated body, but an integral constituent part of the UUP, with enhanced representation at the levels of party governance[citation needed] and greater integration. Although its second chairman Peter Bowles has left the party in protest over association with the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP)[9], the group claims to have enjoyed a period of sustained growth since its emergence[10]. The UYUC has branches at Queen's University, Belfast[11], the University of Ulster[12] and branches at constituency level in the City of Belfast, Mid-Ulster and West Tyrone[13], Lagan Valley[14] and also Newry and Armagh/South Down.

The youth wing has produced many current and former senior faces in the party including The Lord Laird of Artigarvan, The Lord Rogan of Lower Iveagh, Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA [15] and David McNarry MLA, all of whom are former Chairmen, as well as Sir Reg Empey MLA, who served as Vice Chairman.

Young Unionists and the Internet

Their website contained what is claimed to be the first party political weblog in Northern Ireland. [16] The weblog, which is as of February 2008 not available, was ranked tenth best political blog in Ireland by Mick Fealty [17] and 221st best political blog in the UK[18] in a 2007 reader's poll run by Iain Dale. The homepage as of March 2008 reads "We'll be back soon with a new website". The last traceable post on the Young Unionist weblog appeared on Sunday 16 September 2007[19] The City of Belfast Branch has since established a weblog.

2008 senior officers

  • Chairman: Peter Munce
  • Vice-Chairman: Michael J Shilliday
  • Secretary: Graeme Smyth
  • Treasurer: Stephen Goss

[20]

Chairmen

Second UYUC

  • 2002 & 2003 Cllr Peter Brown

Current UYUC

  • 2004 Kenny Donaldson
  • 2005 Cllr Peter Bowles
  • 2006 & 2007 Cllr Mark Dunn
  • 2008 Peter Munce

References

  1. ^ Faulkner, Brian, Memoirs of a Statesman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1978
  2. ^ Faulkner, Brian, Memoirs of a Statesman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1978
  3. ^ In the Land of King Canute: the Influence of Border Unionism on Ulster Unionist Politics, 1945–63 H Patterson - Contemporary British History, 2006
  4. ^ Intra-Party Support for the Good Friday Agreement in the Ulster Unionist Party, E Kaufmann, H Patterson - Political Studies, 2006
  5. ^ Faultlines in unionism: Division and dissent within the Ulster Unionist Council J Tonge, JAJ Evans - Irish Political Studies, 2001
  6. ^ http://www.4ni.co.uk/northern_ireland_news.asp?id=25077
  7. ^ http://www.phoblacht.net/esdefence.html
  8. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/heartsandminds/ifyouaskme/2004_IYAM/20040226.shtml
  9. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/jun/13/uk.northernireland1
  10. ^ http://uuptoday.org/newsroom/2007/06/22/lagan-valley-young-unionists-launch-branch/
  11. ^ http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:heSnA-H4AXEJ:www.qubsu.org/cmsfiles/suc_mins_14_nov_05.doc+site:http://www.qubsu.org/+unionist&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=uk
  12. ^ http://uuptoday.org/newsroom/2008/03/14/young-unionist-society-forms-at-coleraine-university/
  13. ^ http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/UH/free/342740266794167.php
  14. ^ uuptoday.org » Lagan Valley Young Unionists Launch Branch
  15. ^ BBC News | NORTHERN IRELAND | Profile: Jeffrey Donaldson
  16. ^ bbc.co.uk
  17. ^ Iain Dale's Diary: Guide to Blogging 2007: Top Twenty Irish Blogs
  18. ^ Iain Dale's Diary: The Top 500 Political Blogs in the UK - Voted for By You
  19. ^ http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:iHdtIYwLb2MJ:www.youngunionists.org.uk/2007/09/senior-ulster-unionist-calls-for.php+%22senior+ulster+unionist+calls+for%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk&client=firefox-a
  20. ^ http://www.uup.org/peoplefinder_yuframe.htm

Sources

  • 'The Ulster Unionist Party, 1882-1973 : its development and organisation' (1973), J F Harbinson
  • 'A history of the Ulster Unionist Party : protest, pragmatism and pessimism' (2004) Graham Walker
  • 'The Ulster Unionist Party 1972-92 (A Political Movement in an Era of Conflict and Change)' (1996), Dr David Hume
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