Mike Nesbitt to Step Down as Ulster Unionist Party Leader
Mike Nesbitt has announced he will stand down as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), informing MLAs and party officers on Friday morning. Nesbitt intends to remain Health Minister until the next Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May 2027, subject to approval from his successor.
Nesbitt has led the UUP since August 2024 in his second tenure; he initially won the leadership in 2012 but resigned in 2017 following disappointing assembly election results. Since 2017, the party leadership has passed unopposed among Robin Swann, Steve Aiken, Doug Beattie, and Nesbitt, with no significant improvement in the party's standing.
Speculation about Nesbitt's successor focuses on Robbie Butler, the deputy leader and representative of the party's liberal wing, and Jon Burrows, an MLA since July who was co-opted in North Antrim and is known for making controversial statements. Should both run, it would mark the first UUP leadership contest since 2012 when Nesbitt defeated John McCallister.
Nesbitt described the task of reviving the party while serving as health minister as an "impossible job" and expressed hope that the new leader will allow him to continue his ministerial role until May 2027. Observers suggest Butler may continue Nesbitt's progressive leadership approach, whereas Burrows presents a more uncertain prospect for the party's future.
