Progressive Unionist Party

A small Loyalist political party which has links with the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The party was formed in 1979 out of the Independent Unionist Group which had been set up the previous year. Hugh Smyth was one of the founding members. The PUP became more prominent during the 1990s when the party emerged as the political voice of the UVF particularly in the wake of the ceasefire called by the Combined Loyalist Military Command in October 1994. As such it contested the elections to the Northern Ireland Forum in May 1996 and won two seats. This allowed the PUP to participate in the multi-party talks which began in July 1996 and which culminated in April 1998 with the Good Friday Agreement (GFA). In spite of the unease of many within the unionist community the PUP campaigned for a 'Yes' vote in the referendum of May 1998. A month later it gained two seats in the elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 1998 and during the life span of the Assembly (1998-2003) the party remained largely supportive of the GFA. In April 2002 David Ervine was chosen to replace Hugh Smyth as leader of the PUP and led it into the Assembly elections in November 2003, where it managed to win one seat. Reading: Garland, Roy. (2001), Gusty Spence. Belfast: Blackstaff Press. Sinterton, Henry. (2002), David Ervine. Dublin: Brandon.