Editing Ulster Democratic Party (section)

==History==
The party's roots were firmly in the [[Protestant]] community of Northern Ireland, but its initial political stance was not the traditional [[Unionists (Ireland)|unionist]] one favoured by that section of society. Instead, it supported [[Ulster nationalism|independence for Northern Ireland]] within the [[European Economic Community]] and the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]]. These policies had been set out by its predecessors in the New Ulster Political Research Group, in their ''Beyond the Religious Divide'' policy document.<ref>Ian S. Wood, ''Crimes of Loyalty: A History of the UDA'', Edinburgh University Press, 2006, pp. 73–74</ref> However, this position did not capture the electorate's imagination, and the UDP switched to supporting the UDA's ''Common Sense'' position, which suggested an assembly and executive for the region, elected by [[proportional representation]]. It also supported a written Bill of Rights and Constitution.

In the early years the party's electoral support was limited. Its first foray into electoral politics was deeply disappointing,<ref>P. Taylor, ''Loyalists'', London: Bloomsbury, 2000</ref> with the party leader [[John McMichael]] polling only 576 votes (1.3%) in the [[1982 Belfast South by-election]]. The party's two candidates in the [[1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election|1982 Assembly election]] in [[Belfast North (Assembly constituency)|Belfast North]] similarly failed to make an impact. It was not until the [[1989 Northern Ireland local elections|1989 local elections]] that the party made its electoral breakthrough, when [[Ken Kerr]] won a seat on [[Derry City Council]], in the Waterside area. Around that time, the UDP dropped the "Loyalist" part of its name. Although Kerr lost his council seat in [[1993 Northern Ireland local elections|1993]], [[Gary McMichael]]—son of the late John McMichael, who had been assassinated in 1987—won a seat on [[Lisburn City Council]] for the party. It increased its number of council seats to four in [[1997 Northern Ireland local elections|1997]].

This was due in part to the UDP's increased public profile, after it played a role in the loyalist ceasefire of 1994 and contested the 1996 election to the [[Northern Ireland Forum]]. Although it failed to win any constituency seats, as one of the ten most successful parties it was awarded two "top-up" seats; these were taken by Gary McMichael and [[John White (Northern Ireland politician)|John White]]. This entitled the party to a place in the all-party talks that led to the 1998 [[Belfast Agreement]]. In January 1998 the UDP voluntarily withdrew from the peace talks, before it could be expelled in response to a number of murders committed by the [[Ulster Freedom Fighters]], a cover name for the UDA.

The party officially supported [[devolution]] for Northern Ireland and the creation of an [[Northern Ireland Assembly|assembly]], but in this it was at odds with the UDA and much of the party's membership;<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1132648.stm Loyalist party split over peace accord] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030223144453/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1132648.stm |date=23 February 2003 }} from [[bbc.co.uk]]</ref> this led to a split in the party. The UDP failed to win any seats at the [[1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election|1998 Assembly election]]. It lost a council seat in the [[2001 Northern Ireland local elections|2001 local elections]] and saw its support reduce. (The party's candidates had been forced to run as independents, after the party forgot to register its name with the [[Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)|Electoral Commission]].)<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20010506/ai_n14527650 UDP] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080922143046/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20010506/ai_n14527650 |date=22 September 2008 }} from ''[[Sunday Mirror]]'', 6 May 2001</ref>

Disagreement over the Belfast Agreement continued between the UDP leadership and the UDA, and within the UDP itself. Gary McMichael declared in July 2001, after the paramilitary group declared itself anti-Agreement, that the UDP could no longer speak for the UDA.<ref>{{Cite news |last= Anderson |title= McMichael Career in Doubt |newspaper= [[Irish Voice]] |access-date= 3 November 2014 |date= 11 December 2001 |first= Brendan |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79370098.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150328193657/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-79370098.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 28 March 2015 }}</ref> As a result of these tensions, the party dissolved in November 2001.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/othelem/organ/uorgan.htm|title=CAIN: Abstracts of Organisations - 'U'|website=cain.ulster.ac.uk|access-date=23 September 2021|archive-date=26 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226112139/https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/othelem/organ/uorgan.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Its role has largely been taken over by the [[Ulster Political Research Group]].