One of the bigger news stories last summer was the resignation of then UUP leader Doug Beattie. We learned in the tumultuous aftermath that Beattie had felt unable to lead the party as he wished, with his desire to go in a more liberal direction seemingly stymied by others within the UUP. What brought things to a head however was the selection of Colin Crawford to replace Robin Swann (who had been elected to Westminster and thus had to resign his seat in the Assembly) rather than Beattie’s preferred candidate, Causeway councillor Darryl Wilson.
We see aftershocks from that seismic event within the UUP today with the BBC reporting that Councillor Wilson has confirmed he has resigned from the party and will continue as an independent Councillor.
“Causeway Coast and Glens councillor Darryl Wilson revealed on social media that he had left the UUP but would continue as an independent councillor for the Ballymoney area. “After 12 years of dedication to the Ulster Unionist Party, I have made the decision to resign my membership,” Wilson said in a statement on Facebook.
In a statement on Tuesday, the party said it was disappointed by his decision but wished him well. Wilson said his decision “follows much reflection, particularly after a challenging yet enlightening year in 2024”.
Earlier this year, he found himself at the centre of a row over Assembly seat selection that culminated in the resignation of then UUP leader Doug Beattie. After he was overlooked to replace Robin Swann in the Stormont Assembly, Wilson said he had raised “concerns and questions” over the selection process with the party.”
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