Progressive Unionist Party

The Progressive Unionist Party is a small unionist party in Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1979 from a group in Belfast’s Shankill area. The party has ties to loyalist groups like the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Red Hand Commando. Its main support comes from working-class loyalist communities in Belfast. Since 2001, it has been the only party representing paramilitary loyalism in Northern Ireland. The party has had some electoral success despite its size. In 1994, its leader Hugh Smyth became Lord Mayor of Belfast. In 1998, David Ervine and Billy Hutchinson were elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly. The party also supported the Belfast Agreement, playing a role in the peace process. Today, the party has one councillor on the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. Its office is in Belfast, where visitors can learn about its history and political role. The party’s office reflects its working-class roots and its place in Northern Ireland’s political landscape.