View source for Protestant Unionist Party

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2008}}
{{Infobox political party 
|country = Northern Ireland
|name = Protestant Unionist Party
|colorcode = {{party color|Protestant Unionist Party}}
|logo = 
|leader = [[Ian Paisley]]
|chairman = 
|foundation = {{start date and age|1966}}
|dissolution = {{end date and age|1971}}
|predecessor = [[Ulster Protestant Action]]
|successor = [[Democratic Unionist Party]]
|ideology = [[Unionism in Ireland|British unionism]]<br />[[British nationalism]]<br />[[Conservatism]] ([[Conservatism in the United Kingdom|British]])
|position = [[Right-wing]]
|religion = [[Protestantism|Fundamentalist Protestantism]]
|international = 
|european = 
|europarl = 
|colours = [[Red]], [[White]] and [[Blue]]
|headquarters = 
|website =
}}

The '''Protestant Unionist Party''' ('''PUP''')<ref>Not to be confused with the [[Progressive Unionist Party]].</ref> was a [[Unionists (Ireland)|unionist]] [[political party]] operating in [[Northern Ireland]] from 1966 to 1971. It was the forerunner of the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP) and emerged from the [[Ulster Protestant Action]] (UPA) movement. It was founded and led by [[Ian Paisley]], who also founded and led the [[Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster]].

The UPA had two councillors elected to [[Belfast City Council|Belfast Corporation]]. In 1967, both were re-elected as PUP candidates. The PUP stood six candidates against the ruling [[Ulster Unionist Party]] of the [[parliament of Northern Ireland|Northern Ireland parliament]] in the January [[1969 Northern Ireland general election|1969 general election]]. They polled over 20,000 votes, but gained no seats, although Paisley was seen as coming close in the previously safe [[Bannside (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)|Bannside]] seat of the [[Prime Minister of Northern Ireland]] [[Terence O'Neill]].

When [[Terence O'Neill]] (the then Northern Irish [[Prime Minister]]) stood down from Stormont in 1970 along with one of his colleagues, the PUP nominated candidates for the two vacant seats. Both were successful. Ian Paisley and fellow Free Presbyterian minister, the Rev. [[William Beattie (politician)|William Beattie]], PUP leader and deputy respectively, were elected - Paisley for [[Bannside (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)|Bannside]] and Beattie for [[South Antrim by-election, 1970|South Antrim]]. In that year's [[1970 United Kingdom general election|Westminster general election]], Paisley was elected to represent [[North Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)|Antrim North]] in the British House of Commons.

The PUP campaigned for the retention of the [[Acts of Union 1800|Union]] and for total freedom for [[Orange Institution|Orange]] parades.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} The PUP was wound up in 1971 and re-emerged as the DUP in October of that year.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

The electoral label Protestant Unionist was subsequently used in the 1980s by [[Belfast City Council]] member [[George Seawright]] after he left the DUP.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DUP}}
{{Defunct political parties in Northern Ireland}}
{{1970 United Kingdom general election|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1966 establishments in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Christian political parties in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Conservative parties in Ireland]]
[[Category:Defunct political parties in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Political parties disestablished in 1971]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1966]]
[[Category:Protestant political parties]]
[[Category:Protestantism in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ulster unionist organisations]]