Democratic Unionist Party
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Democratic Unionist Party
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| Abbreviation | DUP |
| Leader | Arlene Foster |
| Chairman | Lord Morrow |
| Deputy Leader / Westminster Leader | Nigel Dodds |
| Founder | Rev Ian Paisley |
| Founded | September 30, 1971 |
| Preceded by | Protestant Unionist Party |
| Headquarters | 91 Dundela Avenue Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Ideology | National conservatism Social conservatism British unionism British nationalism Euroscepticism |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| European affiliation | None |
| European Parliament group | Non-Inscrits |
| Colours | Red, White and Blue |
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House of Commons (NI Seats) |
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| House of Lords |
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European Parliament (NI seats) |
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| NI Local Councils |
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| Website | |
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The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is the largest unionist political party in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and now led by Arlene Foster, it is the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fifth-largest party in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.
The DUP has historically strong links to Protestant churches, particularly the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster (the church Paisley founded) and has traditionally been regarded as the more Ulster loyalist of the two large unionist parties. However, this influence reduced somewhat under the Robinson leadership in an attempt to reach out to non-Protestants, particularly socially conservative Catholics.
Following on from the St Andrews Agreement in October 2006, the DUP agreed with the Irish republican party Sinn Féin to enter into power-sharing devolved government in Northern Ireland. In the aftermath of the agreement there were reports of divisions within the DUP. Many of its leading members, including Members of Parliament (MPs) Nigel Dodds, David Simpson and Gregory Campbell, were claimed to be in opposition to Paisley. All the party's MPs fully signed up to the manifesto for the 2007 Assembly elections, supporting power-sharing in principle. An overwhelming majority of the party executive voted in favour of restoring devolution in a meeting in March 2007; however, the DUP's sole Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Jim Allister, and seven DUP councillors later resigned from the party in opposition to its plans to share power with Sinn Féin. They founded the Traditional Unionist Voice in December 2007.
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Wikipedia