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File image of UUP MLA Mike Nesbitt Alamy Stock Photo

Mike Nesbitt to become Ulster Unionist Party leader for a second time

Nominations for next party leader closed at 4.40pm this afternoon and Nesbitt was the only declared candidate.

MIKE NESBITT WILL be the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) after he was the only declared candidate when nominations closed this afternoon at 4.40pm.

Nesbitt, 67, is currently Northern Ireland’s health minister and will be formally ratified as leader at an extraordinary general meeting of the party on 14 September.

Doug Beattie quit as UUP leader last week after citing “irreconcilable differences” between him and party officers.

The internal row centred over the process to select the Stormont Assembly replacement for the party’s new MP Robin Swann and ultimately led to Beattie’s resignation.

river - 2024-08-30T170524.277 File image of former UUP leader Doug Beattie Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Nesbitt was formerly a broadcaster at the BBC and UTV and first ran for office unsuccessfully in UK general election of 2010.

He was elected as am MLA for Strangford in 2011 and became UUP leader a year later.

He stepped down as party leader in 2017 following a difficult Northern Ireland Assembly election result.

Nesbitt is the North’s health minister and speaking to reporters shortly after nominations closed, he noted that he has added another “challenging role” to his portfolio.

Nesbitt also paid tribute to Beattie and said he was “the first on the list of the people I wanted to attract into the party” when he first became party leader in 2012.

Meanwhile, Nesbitt said Beattie’s departure “gave rise to the narrative that this is a badly split party” and that the party “fed the narrative by washing out dirty linen in public”.

“I am suggesting we all take a beat and relax a little bit over the weekend and then we will pick things up at the beginning of next week as the Stormont Assembly begins to return,” said Nesbitt.

He received the required 35 signatures from nine constituencies across Northern Ireland.

When asked if Beattie was among these signatures, Nesbitt said he was “not going to discuss Doug”.

“There is a long-standing tradition in our party that an outgoing leader does not try and influence the decision of the party as to who should be the successor,” said Nesbitt.

Asked how he will balance his role as health minister with his role as UUP leader, Nesbitt said there is “very little that you can or should delegate to others” as health minister but there are “many, many, many things that a party leader can delegate to others and that’s the way it will be”.

“I will be looking to senior colleagues to form a leadership team, and we will divide up all the responsibilities and all the actions accordingly,” said Nesbitt.

He added that he is still “very energised about being health minister”.

Nesbitt further remarked that he wants the UUP to be a unionist party that is a “bit more relaxed, confident, that is outreaching and embracing and more inclusive”.

“I would like a party which isn’t just saying, ‘vote for us because of identity’, let’s also talk about policy and what we want to do for people,” added Nesbitt.

“If you’re a unionist and you want to secure the union, that’s the way to do it. If you’re delivering that for people, who is going to say ‘I would rather vote for change and the uncertainty associated with that’.

“They’re going to say, ‘tell you what, give me more of the same’.”

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 11:49 AM

    People should learn to grow old gracefully!

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    Mute Thesaltyurchin
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 1:26 PM

    @Brian Hunt: None of our business what ppl do tbf

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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 11:10 AM

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    28
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    Mute J Ven
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 2:16 PM

    @Freda Peeple: All that money and connections and she still had that face. Some people are immune to good advice.

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    Mute Vicki Walsh
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 3:22 PM

    @Freda Peeple: she didn’t earn it.. divorce settlement

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    Mute FlipBip
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 10:46 AM

    Oh no… Anyway

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    Mute Maurice
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 11:05 AM

    Wrapped in plastic, she ain’t fantastic….oh….oh….oh….yeah.

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    Mute Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 11:24 AM

    @Maurice: the whole crematorium will go up in flames burning that amount of plastic.

    44
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    Mute Patricia Mc namara
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 12:28 PM

    @Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson: I’m ashamed of myself BUT I had the best laugh in months
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    Mute Brendan O'Brien
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 11:54 AM

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 7:02 PM

    @Basildon Joe: Self-regarding buffoon, he has to stick his nose in everywhere!

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    Mute Peter J H
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 1:05 PM

    Will she be recycled??

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    Mute David Field
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 1:12 PM

    @Peter J H: Yes. 1000 Tesco bags.

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    Mute Kevin O'Brien
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 12:28 PM

    She will take over 100 to decompose.

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    Mute Louis Jacob
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 12:32 PM

    @Kevin O’Brien: lol. Cryogenics. They’ll bring her back when they can. Klein Junior can’t wait.

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    Mute Tom tom
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 2:39 PM

    Well holy god as Miley would have said.

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    Mute Darran Macken
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 1:07 PM

    Spending all that money to look ‘better’ waste of money it always appears.

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    Mute David F
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 5:55 PM

    She didn’t die, she just sat too close to the fire and melted. Grotesque.

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    Mute Louis Jacob
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 12:25 PM

    But she looked so young…. I know. Too early.

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    Mute Shimo F
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    Jan 2nd 2025, 2:55 PM

    Imagine been famous for having a melted face. Lol….

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