The September 1995 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election began on 28 August 1995 when

James Molyneaux James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC (27 August 1920 – 9 March 2015), often known as Jim Molyneaux, was a unionist politician from Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1979 to ...

resigned as leader of the

Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it l ...

following a year of political setbacks for his party. Lee Reynolds, a

Young Unionist Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

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 William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, (15 October 1944 – 25 July 2022) was a Northern Irish politician who was the inaugural First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002 and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1995 to 20 ...

was one of those behind Reynolds's candidature, although Trimble, his aides and Reynolds's supporters all denied this at the time and subsequently. 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 The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist oppositi ...

met on 8 September 1995. After three rounds of voting the election was won by David Trimble.

Candidates

Ken Maginnis Kenneth Wiggins Maginnis, Baron Maginnis of Drumglass (born 21 January 1938), is a Northern Irish politician and life peer. Since December 2020, he has been suspended from the House of Lords, where he formerly sat for the Ulster Unionist Party ( ...

, MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone * William Ross, MP for East Londonderry *

Martin Smyth William Martin Smyth (born 15 June 1931) is a Northern Irish unionist clergyman-politician. An ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, he was Grand Master of the Orange Order during much of the Troubles and served as the Ul ...

, MP for Belfast South and Grand Master of the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...

John Taylor John Taylor, Johnny Taylor or similar is the name of: Academics *John Taylor (Oxford), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1486–1487 * John Taylor (classical scholar) (1704–1766), English classical scholar *John Taylor (English publisher) ...

, MP for

Strangford Strangford (from Old Norse ''Strangr fjörðr'', meaning "strong sea-inlet") is a small village at the mouth of Strangford Lough, on the Lecale peninsula in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 475 at the 2001 census. On th ...

and a former minister in the

Government of Northern Ireland A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

, 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. After the third round, David Trimble was elected.

Notes

References

#Goodson, Dean. ''Himself Alone: David Trimble and the ordeal of Unionism'' (London, Harper Perennial, 2004), p. 127. #Goodson, Dean. ''Himself Alone: David Trimble and the ordeal of Unionism'' (London, Harper Perennial, 2004), pp. 146–155. ;Specific {{Ulster Unionist Party 1995-09 1995 elections in the United Kingdom 1995 in Northern Ireland 1995 elections in Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party leadership election