Transforming Unionism: David Trimble And the 2005 General Election [Hardcover]

Michael Kerr (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 071653388X | ISBN-13: 978-0716533887 | Publication Date: November 2005

In what is their centenary year, the Ulster Unionist Party has been left reeling from the 2005 Westminster general election results. The historic party of the union has but one remaining seat in the House of Commons, and as was predicted, Northern Ireland's electorate has abandoned the centre-ground parties in favour of the extremes. The DUP and Sinn Fein now hold the key to political progress - a scenario almost inconceivable when the Belfast Agreement was signed seven long years ago. So how did the UUP become so out of touch with mainstream Unionist opinion? What could the party have done to hold its vote in the 2005 general election? Why did the British Government abandon Trimble after he had led Ulster Unionism from international isolation to being the driving force behind the Belfast Agreement? In Transforming Unionism Michael Kerr offers a view of the UUP's electoral meltdown from inside Ulster Unionist Party Head Quarters, and unravels the last days of Trimble as Ulster Unio

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 258 pages
• Publisher: Irish Academic Pr (November 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 071653388X
• ISBN-13: 978-0716533887
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)

Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars A party self destructs, January 30, 2010

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Thomas Mitchell (Madison, WI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Transforming Unionism: David Trimble And the Gereral Election 2005 (Paperback)

This is the story of the 2005 general election in Northern Ireland and the replacement of the Ulster Unionists by the Democratic Unionists as the mainstream unionist party. It is of interest to students of Northern Ireland and unionism. It is based on Michael Kerr's election campaign diary and his analysis of why the Ulster Unionists lost so badly. Essentially this is a combination of paying the price for trusting the promises of Tony Blair, punishment by the electorate for the failure of the IRA to disarm in accordance with the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, and very poor organization.