List of Ulster Unionist Party peers explained

This is a list of members of the United Kingdom House of Lords who have represented, or have personal or family links with the Ulster Unionist Party.

This list does not include hereditary peers whose only parliamentary service was in the House of Lords prior to the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999, and who lost their seats under that Act.[1] Nor does it include those in the Peerage of Ireland, who have never had an automatic right to a seat in the House of Lords at Westminster.[2]

Note: There is no such thing as the Peerage of Northern Ireland and peers do not represent geographic areas as such.[3] Some do, however, choose titles which reflect geographical localities, e.g. Lord Kilclooney, this is, however, entirely nominal.

Current members

Sitting as Ulster Unionists

Name Entered Lords Notes
19 January 2011former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
22 July 1999former chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party

Sitting under another designation but with Ulster Unionist links

Name Party Entered Lords Notes
The Viscount Brookeborough    Crossbencher11 November 1987Elected hereditary peer, grandson of a Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and son of an Ulster Unionist Stormont MP.
The Viscount Craigavon    Crossbencher30 July 1974Elected hereditary peer, grandson of a Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
The Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee   Non-Affiliated9 November 2022former Ulster Unionist MLA, later leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and First Minister of Northern Ireland
   Independent Unionist20 July 2001former Ulster Unionist Westminster MP
Suspended from the House since 7 September 2020 for "at least 18 months"[4]
The Lord Kilclooney    Crossbencher17 July 2001former deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and former Stormont MP
The Lord Weir of Ballyholme    DUP16 November 2022former Ulster Unionist MLA

Former members

Living

Deceased

Notes and References

  1. The House of Lords Act 1999 reduced the sitting rights of several hundred inherited members to ninety-two hereditaries described in the Act as excepted hereditary peers
  2. Irish Peers sat in the Irish House of Lords, with the passing of the Act of Union 1800 this House was abolished and twenty-eight Peers in the peerage of Ireland were elected to sit in the United Kingdom House of Lords between 1800 and 1922, when the right was exhausted due to the Government of Ireland Act 1920.
  3. In the Earl of Antrim's Petition [1967] 1 A.C. 691 it was held that Irish representative peer did, in fact, represent Ireland as an entity, thus on the passing of the Government of Ireland Act 1920 elections from the Irish Peerage could no longer take place, as the Ireland of the Act of Union 1800 ceased to exist.
  4. Web site: Conduct Committee Report Volume 808 . House of Lords Hansard . 8 December 2020 . 7 December 2020 . That, in accordance with Standing Order 12, Lord Maginnis of Drumglass be suspended from the service of the House for a period of at least 18 months and until the Conduct Committee confirms that he has satisfactorily completed the other requirements of the sanction.
  5. The Duke of Abercorn lost his seat under section 1 of the House of Lords Act 1999 on 11 November 1999.
  6. Lord Glentoran resigned from the House of Lords under section 1 of the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 on 30 October 2017.

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