FORMER ULSTER UNIONIST Party leader Doug Beattie has cited a “toxic atmosphere” under the new leadership as he resigned from the party with immediate effect.
Beattie was leader of the UUP from 2021 to 2024.
He resigned as leader in 2024 and said it had become “clear that some believe the momentum needed to keep the UUP moving in the right direction cannot come from me”.
Mike Nesbitt then took over the leadership of the part for a second time, becoming the first person to have twice held this position.
But he stepped down as leader in January and at the time remarked that he took on the leadership to “do a short-term job”.
Recently co-opted MLA Jon Burrows was named the new leader of the party on 31 January are running unopposed for the position.
In his resignation letter, Beattie said it had “become clear that my continued membership of the UUP is no longer tenable”.
Beattie said that he had made “many valued friendships within the party” but that “over the past two years, I have witnessed a marked deterioration in the relationships” between various UUP groupings.
— Doug Beattie (@BeattieDoug) May 31, 2026
Beattie’s resignation letter was addressed to Burrows and in it he wrote: “This became particularly apparent and accelerated following your election as party leader, when MLAs were increasingly marginalised, ignored, isolated, and discredited.
“Your leadership style became dismissive and overly centralised, empowering individuals to actively undermine elected representatives.
“In the absence of any coherent policy direction from the leadership, a toxic atmosphere has been allowed to flourish within the party.”
Beattie said the UUP “once prided itself on its social conscience, its progressive and moderate outlook, and its respected conservative tradition”.
He added: “I no longer believe that is the case and I no longer feel at home or comfortable within the party.”
He also said he has been “especially concerned by the appalling treatment of both Alan Chambers MLA and Councillor Kate Evans”.
Evans resigned from the party earlier this week and remarked that the “strain of internal party politics has taken a significant toll on my mental wellbeing”.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Chambers has been told that he will be de-selected for next year’s Stormont elections.
Beattie said an “insidious campaign of rumour and gossip was being waged against me regarding selections, party relationships, financial matters, and employment issues”.
“This came to a head last Thursday when you (Burrows) rang me to say that you intended to reopen a disciplinary matter against me.”
Beattie said this was dealt with four years previously and that it “felt vindictive and a deliberate attempt to drive me from the party”.
It is understood this relates to historical social media posts made by Beattie.
Beattie will now sit as an Independent Unionist MLA and added that he hopes the UUP can “rediscover its social conscience and return to the path set by Mike Nesbitt”.
In a statement to the BBC, the UUP said “the party does not accept the characterisation of recent events set out in Mr Beattie’s letter”.
“The party management board met on Thursday evening to consider serious concerns about Mr Beattie’s conduct and judgement,” added the UUP spokesperson.
“The board unanimously agreed a course of action, which was due to be communicated to Mr Beattie by the party leader on Monday.
“Mr Beattie’s resignation has overtaken that process.”