View source for Ulster Third Way

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{confuse|Third Force (Northern Ireland)}}
{{Infobox political party
|name               = Ulster Third Way
|native_name        =
|lang1              =
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|lang2              =
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|lang4              =
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|logo               = Ulster Nationalist flag.png
|logo_size          = 200px
|colorcode          = #800080
|leader             =
|chairperson        =
|president          =
|secretary_general  =
|spokesperson       =
|founder            =
|leader1_title      = Chairman
|leader1_name       =[[David Kerr (Northern Irish politician)|David Kerr]]
|leader2_title      =
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|slogan             =
|founded            = Unknown
|dissolved          = de-registered 2005
|merger             =
|split              =
|predecessor        =
|merged             =
|successor          =
|headquarters       = [[Shankill Road]], [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]
|newspaper          = ''Ulster Nation''
|student_wing       =
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|membership_year    =
|membership         =
|ideology           = [[Ulster nationalism]] <br /> [[National liberalism]] <br /> [[Euroscepticism]]
|religion           =
|national           = [[Third Way (UK organisation)|Third Way]]
|international      =
|european           =
|europarl           =
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|colours            = {{color box|purple}}{{color box|blue}} [[Purple]], [[Blue]]
|blank1_title       =
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|website            = [http://www.ulsternation.org.uk/ Ulster Nation webpage]
|country            =
|country2           =
|state              = Northern Ireland
|footnotes          =
}}
{{Politics of Northern Ireland}}
'''The Ulster Third Way''' was the [[Northern Ireland]] branch of the [[Third Way (UK organisation)|Third Way]] and was organised by [[David Kerr (Northern Irish politician)|David Kerr]], who had previously campaigned as an 'independent [[Unionists (Ireland)|Unionist]]' (chairing the small North Belfast Independent Unionist Association) as well as for the [[British National Front]]. It followed an [[Ulster nationalist]] ideology.

==Policies==
As well as sharing the Third Way's aims U3W (as it is sometimes shortened to) was committed to securing [[independence for Northern Ireland]] from both the [[United Kingdom]] and [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. U3W tended to focus its attentions on trying to build up grass-roots support in [[Ulster loyalism|loyalist]] areas, emphasising [[Ulster Scots people|Ulster-Scots]] and the [[Battle of the Boyne]] commemorations and has its main office in the [[Shankill, Belfast|Shankill]] area of [[Belfast]]. It advocated the creation of an "all-Northern Ireland" identity as a basis for independence and as a solution to [[the Troubles]].<ref>Adam Galamaga, ''Today's Political Landscape in Northern Ireland As an Aftermath of the Troubles'', GRIN Verlag, 2010, p. 14</ref> During the 1990s it also advocated Protestants learning the [[Irish language]].<ref>Ian Malcolm, ''Towards inclusion: Protestants and the Irish language'', Blackstaff Press, 2009, p. 47</ref> Despite concentrating its efforts on the Protestant community U3W remained a very minor force in Northern Irish politics.

The group published a journal ''Ulster Nation'', as well as irregular books and pamphlets about Ulster nationalism. The group compared its aims with those of [[Neo-Confederate]]s in the [[Southern United States]] and declared its support for the re-establishment of the [[Confederate States of America]]. However, in an interview conducted for [[Cornell University]] in 2003 Kerr confirmed that, despite the group taking this position, U3W had established no formal links with any Neo-Confederate groups.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gallaher |first=Carolyn |author-link=Carolyn Gallaher |date=2007 |title=After the Peace: Loyalist Paramilitaries in Post-accord Northern Ireland |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Us0UUqj5abgC&pg=PA52 |publisher=Cornell University |location=Ithaca, New York |isbn=9780801474262 |oclc=125403384 |access-date=31 July 2014}}</ref>

==Elections==
The party largely confined its activities to [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|the Belfast West constituency]], campaigning only there in the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]] (with Kerr winning 116 votes for a 0.3% share).<ref name="WB">[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/awb.htm West Belfast elections]</ref> As well as in the west of [[Belfast]] U3W also offered candidates in [[Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency)|north Belfast]] in the [[2001 Northern Ireland local elections|2001 local elections]].<ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/anb.htm North Belfast elections]</ref> The unsuccessful 2001 campaign was conducted entirely online by the party.<ref>{{Cite news |title= On the Hustings; Ross opposes one currency |newspaper= [[Belfast Telegraph]]  |access-date= 1 May 2015 |date= 25 May 2001 |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19156483.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160417071405/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-19156483.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 17 April 2016 }}</ref> Kerr represented the party in West Belfast again in the [[2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2003 assembly election]].<ref name="WB"/> The 16 votes the party captured in that election were the lowest province-wide.<ref>{{Cite news |last= Hutton |title= Call for ex-NF man to pull out of poll |newspaper= [[Belfast Telegraph]]  |access-date= 1 May 2015 |date= 3 May 2005 |first= Brian |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10721284.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121103043416/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10721284.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 3 November 2012 }}</ref>

As leader of the group Kerr was also a candidate in the [[1994 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|1994 European election]] for the single [[Northern Ireland (European Parliament constituency)|Northern Ireland constituency]] under the title "Independent Ulster", capturing 578 votes (0.1%) to finish 14th out of 17 candidates.<ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe94.htm The 1994 European elections]</ref> Kerr also served as a candidate for the larger [[Ulster Independence Movement]].

==Deregistration==
The party deregistered on 8 December 2005.<ref>[http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/63167/Renamed-or-Deregistered-Parties.pdf List of political parties renamed or deregistered since 2002, The Electoral Commission, accessed 11 July 2010] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206030211/http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/63167/Renamed-or-Deregistered-Parties.pdf |date=December 6, 2008 }}</ref> The name "National Liberal Party Ulster Third Way" was registered by the UK's [[National Liberal Party (UK, 1999)|National Liberal Party]],<ref>Registration Search on [[Electoral Commission (United Kingdom)|Electoral Commission]] website, accessed 13 May 2014.</ref> a group closely linked to Third Way.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ulsternation.org.uk/ Ulster Nation webpage]
{{clear}}
{{Ulster nationalism}}
{{Defunct political parties in Northern Ireland}}

[[Category:Defunct political parties in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Ulster nationalist parties]]
[[Category:Eurosceptic parties in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Third Position]]