Doug Beattie seeking legal advice as UUP association accuses him of 'aggressive and accusatory behaviour' at meeting
Doug Beattie has been accused of “aggressive and accusatory” behaviour at a recent meeting about the selection of candidates for next year’s Assembly election – with his former Ulster Unionist Party association also rejecting suggestions anyone was “being deselected on the basis of political ideology”.
The group has also said it is “fully supportive” of the current party leadership under Jon Burrows and Diana Armstrong.
It is understood Mr Beattie does not accept the claim he was aggressive, and is seeking legal advice over the social media post by the UUP’s Upper Bann branch.
The statement was posted on Facebook by the association, which has found itself at the heart of the crisis engulfing the party in recent weeks.
It stems from speculation that Mr Beattie was facing deselection – a decision in the hands of the constituency grouping. It was understood councillor Kyle Savage would get its backing to run for the party in the 2027 Assembly election.
A meeting was later held to discuss the possibility of running two candidates after the party’s management board intervened. However, It was still unclear whether Mr Beattie would be one of the candidates.
At the weekend, Mr Beattie quit the party after an investigation was launched into a misogynistic twitter post from 2013, which the former UUP man believed had been deleted.
Senior party figures were also investigating a claim he had been abusive towards Jon Burrows – something Mr Beattie has denied.
In the statement after the resignation, Upper Bann UUP said: “Following the Party’s statement regarding Doug Beattie’s resignation, the Upper Bann Ulster Unionist Association believes it is important to address a number of issues that have been raised publicly in recent weeks.
“Firstly, we thank Doug for his years of service to the Ulster Unionist Party and to the people of Upper Bann. We wish him and his family well for the future.
“Over a considerable period, many members became increasingly concerned by Doug’s lack of engagement with the Association and local councillors within Upper Bann. Members also repeatedly expressed frustration that internal disagreements between our constituency MLA and the party leadership were being played out publicly. At a time when members were overwhelmingly focused on supporting and uniting behind the current Party leadership, many felt this approach created division and distraction.
“The Association firmly rejects the suggestion that the Association has moved in a right wing direction, the Ulster Unionist Party remains a moderate, progressive and liberal unionist party. This is reflected in both the values and membership of this Association.
“Equally, claims that any individual was being deselected on the basis of political ideology was inaccurate. At the time such speculation appeared, no selection process had taken place, no selection meeting had been held, and no decision had been made regarding any future candidate.
“Doug’s behaviour at a recent meeting to discuss the selection process was aggressive and accusatory and did not lend itself to a constructive way forward. This has not been the first time Doug has used this tactic to steer a decision in his favour.
“Our focus is now firmly on the future. The Association is fully supportive of the Party leadership of Jon Burrows and Diana Armstrong as they continue to implement their vision for a strong and prosperous Northern Ireland”.
Doug Beattie quit the UUP at the weekend, with a ferocious attack on leader Jon Burrows. He said his position was “no longer tenable” – and that he had witnessed a “marked deterioration in the relationships” within the party.
He accused Mr Burrows of “empowering individuals to actively undermine elected representatives” and said that under his leadership “a toxic atmosphere has been allowed to flourish within the party”.
“The Ulster Unionist Party once prided itself on its social conscience, its progressive and moderate outlook, and its respected conservative tradition. I no longer believe that is the case and I no longer feel at home or comfortable within the party”, the Upper Bann MLA said.
but the party says the move has overtaken a probe into “serious concerns about Mr Beattie’s conduct and judgement”.
A UUP spokesperson said it does not accept the “characterisation of recent events set out in Mr Beattie’s letter”.
“The Party Management Board met on Thursday evening to consider serious concerns about Mr Beattie’s conduct and judgement. The Board unanimously agreed a course of action, which was due to be communicated to Mr Beattie by the party leader on Monday. Mr Beattie’s resignation has overtaken that process”, they said.