Lord Elliott says jobs and positions would be 'stumbling block' to Unionist merger - but other options exist

With two years until the next election, there is increasing chatter within both parties about what they can do together to improve unionism’s electoral position, almost eight years after it lost its Stormont majority.

At the weekend, the Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride revealed a previously undisclosed meeting between the leadership of both parties in 2022. It had been organised by former Ulster Unionist MP David Burnside and Lord Salisbury, with the aim of securing long-elusive unity.

It was one of many attempts down the years, most of which took place under much more favourable circumstances than those facing unionists today. Stormont’s recent endorsement of the Irish Sea border highlighted how unionists no longer have the numbers to shape Northern Ireland’s future in the way they wish.

Any merger between the DUP and UUP looks unlikely, despite there being little between the parties on policy. If anything comes of the desire for greater co-operation, it’s likely to be at least pacts, at most running in elections under an umbrella arrangement.

Former UUP leader Tom Elliott, who now sits in the Lords, attended the 2022 talks in Ballymoney. He didn’t want to speak about them, but was happy to talk about the opportunities that exist now – even if a merger isn’t on the cards yet.

“Unionism needs to look at the bigger picture. We always battle around elections on the detail. But what we need to do is look at some stuff we agree on. We’re unionists because we support the Union. That should be our focus. People get caught up in other aspects, the like of same-sex marriage or abortion or other things,” he told the News Letter.

“Those should be able to be managed within a wider grouping. But unless we sit down and see what we can do around the Union, we’re not going to progress. Because that’s where we agree on stuff.”

Asked if there was enough of a difference between the parties on their approach to the protocol to cause problems between the two main unionist parties, the former Ulster Unionist leader said no.

“I don’t think there is. Obviously there has been a difference in the past, whereby whenever the protocol was first announced, the DUP welcomed it, whereas we didn’t, we have been consistent all along in our opposition to it.

“But even how you manage all of that, and try to get to a better position, it’s in all our interests to do that. So I don’t see even in those tactics a great lot of difference – let alone the longer term strategy.”

Lord Elliott said that positions and roles within the two parties would be a stumbling block, but a full merger doesn’t have to happen right away.

“You could have something like the old UUUC [United Ulster Unionist Council], whereby for a period of time anyway, it gives a bit of comfort that you’re still an Ulster Unionist but you’re within the wider unionist grouping.”

Asked if voters would have something like the UUUC on the ballot paper, he said yes. “These are just options that I’m throwing out there,” he added.

“Unionism needs a boost. I would say the bigger gain out of it is that unionism gets a boost once again and sees that we’re working together and trying to take Northern Ireland forward in a much more positive position than always being pretty negative about everything.”

The leaders of both parties have spoken about unionist unity in the past, but little has changed. Upon taking up the DUP leadership in 2024, Gavin Robinson said “it is important we show unionist unity and unite unionism – that's what I'm about”.

However, former Ulster Unionist leader Doug Beattie was in no mood for compromise, rejecting agreed candidates between the parties at the general election.

Current Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt has said in the past that unionism needs a realignment, based on two parties.

During the 2023 assembly election he told BBC Radio Ulster that one party would “probably be closer aligned to the current TUV”, while another “much larger” party would be made up of “the more progressive unionists”.

In his first conference speech in his current stint as leader, Mr Nesbitt said “unionist unity already exists” as every unionist party, elected representative and voter is “already united in wishing Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom”.