Now is the moment for a shakeup of Unionism in Northern Ireland
The departures of Arlene Foster and Steve Aiken provide a valuable opportunity for Unionists to appeal more to modern voters
13 May 2021 • 12:04pm
Northern Ireland’s biggest party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), was already embroiled in its first competitive leadership battle, after elected representatives ousted Arlene Foster. Now, the province’s second biggest unionist party, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), is seeking a new leader too, following the resignation of Steve Aiken, a former Royal Navy submarine commander who was in post for just eighteen months.
Foster’s overthrow was an acrimonious affair and she has since announced that she intends to leave the DUP when she stands down officially. In contrast, according to the UUP at least, Aiken left after “long conversations” about the future of the party that took place “face to face”. His potential successor, Doug Beattie, said “He made the decision himself. It was his decision to take.”