Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party

The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party is the most senior position within the party ranks. Since 2024 the leader has been Mike Nesbitt MLA.^[1]

Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
Incumbent Mike Nesbitt MLA since 30 August 2024
Appointer	Elected by party
Inaugural holder	Edward James Saunderson
Formation	1905

List

No.	Image	Name	Term start	Term end	Notes
1		Colonel Edward Saunderson	1905	1906	Also leader of the Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party
2		Walter Hume Long	1906	1910	Also leader of the Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party
3		Sir Edward Carson	1910	1921	Also leader of the Irish Unionist Parliamentary Party
4		The Viscount Craigavon	1921	1940	1st Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
5		John Miller Andrews	1940	1946	2nd Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
6		The Viscount Brookeborough	1946	1963	3rd Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
7		Captain Terence O'Neill	1963	1969	4th Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
8		James Chichester-Clark	1969	1971	5th Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
9		Brian Faulkner	1971	1974	6th and final Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
10		Harry West	1974	1979
11		James Molyneaux	1979	1995
12		David Trimble	1995	2005	First Minister of Northern Ireland
13		Sir Reg Empey	2005	2010
14		Tom Elliott	2010	2012
15		Mike Nesbitt	2012	2017	Leader of the Opposition
16		Robin Swann	8 March 2017	9 Nov 2019
17		Steve Aiken	9 Nov 2019	27 May 2021
18		Doug Beattie	27 May 2021	30 August 2024
19		Mike Nesbitt	30 August 2024		Minister of Health

See also

• Ulster Unionist Party
• Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
• Ulster Unionist Party Presidents and General Secretaries

References

1. https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/0830/1467553-mike-nesbitt-to-be-new-uup-leader/