Ulster Democratic Party

synonyms: Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party (ULDP) The UDP was formed in 1989 from the ULDP which had been set up by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in 1981. The first chairman of the ULDP was John McMichael who was killed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) on 22 December 1987. The ULDP had no real success in elections. The UDP sought to present itself as a distinct and separate organisation from the UDA, much in the same fashion as Sinn Féin (SF) sees its relationship with the IRA. The UDP did however say that it provided political advice to the UDA. In the 1996 Forum Elections in Northern Ireland the UDP polled 2.2 per cent of the vote. The last leader of the UDP was Gary McMichael (son of John McMichael). The UDP was dissolved on Wednesday 28 November 2001.