Post-agreement electoral decline: the Ulster Unionist Party and the problem of decommissioning

Peace agreements can be costly affairs for political parties. Although a party may have been fundamental in helping resolve conflict this does not mean it will reap the electoral benefits in the post-settlement period. Instead, a party’s support base can significantly wither. The Ulster Unionist Party in Northern Ireland has been affected in this way. This article examines the effects of the decommissioning of terrorist weaponry on support levels for the party. It explores the pitfalls of leaving a divisive issue - a negotiated loose end - unresolved in the Belfast Agreement of 1998.