Doug Beattie

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Douglas Beattie

MC MLA
Doug Beattie.png
Beattie in 2020
Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
Assumed office
27 May 2021
DeputyRobbie Butler
Preceded bySteve Aiken
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Upper Bann
Assumed office
7 May 2016
Preceded bySam Gardiner
Personal details
Born (1965-10-13) 13 October 1965 (age 55)
Political partyUlster Unionist Party
Spouse(s)Margaret Beattie
ChildrenLuke
Leigh
ResidencePortadown, County Armagh
Alma materRoyal Military College, Sandhurst
ProfessionSoldier, politician
WebsiteOfficial website
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Branch/serviceFlag of the British Army.svg British Army
Years of service1982–2016 (regular)
2016–present (reserves)
RankCaptain
UnitRoyal Irish Regiment
Battles/warsThe Troubles
Kosovo War
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
AwardsMilitary Cross
Queen's Commendation for Bravery
NATO Meritorious Service Medal

Douglas Ricardo Beattie MC MLA (born 13 October 1965), is a politician in Northern Ireland and a decorated former soldier, who has been the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) since 27 May 2021. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) since 2016, representing the Upper Bann constituency. He is characterized as a 'progressive' and 'liberal' within the UUP.

Early life[]

"Born in barracks" in 1965, his father was a warrant officer in the Royal Ulster Rifles, a regiment of the British Army. The family settled in Portadown, County Armagh, in Northern Ireland when he was 10 following the cessation of his father's regular service. The family moved into a house in Union Street, situated in the densely populated Edgarstown area on the outskirts of the town centre.[1]

Beattie's mother died young, leaving his father (who had by this time enlisted with the Ulster Defence Regiment) to bring him, three sisters and two brothers up. At the age of 15 he accidentally shot a friend when the two of them discovered Beattie Snr's personal protection weapon and were playing with it. Although shot in the head, his friend recovered.[2]

Military career[]

At the age of 16 in 1982, Beattie joined the Royal Irish Rangers and following training was posted to the 2nd Battalion who were stationed in Wavell Barracks, Berlin.[3]

In over 28 years of service, he rose to the rank of Warrant Officer First Class (WO1) and was appointed regimental sergeant major. During that time he served in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Northern Ireland being awarded the General Officer NI commendation, the Queen's Commendation for Bravery (for saving the lives of enemy soldiers)[4] and the NATO Meritorious Service Medal. He was commissioned from the ranks in 2005, gaining promotion to captain.[5]

As part of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team, Captain Beattie was part of an operation intended to retake the town of Garmsir in Helmand Province. As a result of his actions during the intense fighting over a number of days, he was recommended for, and subsequently awarded, the Military Cross.[6]

Following his return from Afghanistan, Beattie published the first of two books, An Ordinary Soldier,[7] which became an immediate best seller in the United Kingdom and propelled him into the public eye.. The Sunday Times said of the book: "... this compelling memoir of an army life… a riveting read…One of the strengths of the book is Beattie’s description of working with the Afghans." [8]

Beattie's follow-up book was Task Force Helmand which the Daily Telegraph described as thoughtful and compassionate.[9]

Political career[]

After retiring from the army, Beattie joined the Ulster Unionist Party[10] and was elected to Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council for the Portadown area in the 2014 local elections.[11]

On Saturday 7 May 2016, he was elected as an MLA for the Upper Bann constituency.[12]

In advance of the 2017 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election Beattie was cited by commentators to be a possible contender to replace former leader Mike Nesbitt; however, in the end only Robin Swann ran, and was elected unopposed.[13][14]

In October 2019, after Robert Swann announced that he was standing down as leader of the party, Beattie ruled himself out of contention as the next leader and endorsed former Royal Navy commander Steve Aiken and served as Deputy instead.[15]

On 14 November 2019, Beattie announced his candidacy as a Member of Parliament for Upper Bann, in the 2019 General Election. [16] He came fourth, losing to the DUP's Carla Lockhart.

Beattie announced on 10 May 2021 that he was putting his name forward to be the next leader of the UUP. He said that he would be "able to reach out to all people in Northern Ireland regardless of what your religion is, sexual orientation or ethnicity".[17] Beattie was elected unopposed on 17 May 2021,[18] and officially became the leader on 27 May 2021.

Views[]

Beattie is characterized as a 'progressive'[19] and 'liberal' within the UUP, but said upon his election as leader that those with conservative values had "nothing to fear" from him and that he would "tread a path to make sure that your voice is heard and I will never denigrate your opinion".[18][20] He proposed a motion in Stormont calling for a ban on gay conversion therapy, which passed, and argued it is "fundamentally wrong to view our LGBTQ community as requiring a fix or cure".[21]

Beattie is against the Northern Ireland Protocol, the post-Brexit trade arrangements, believing it is damaging to the Good Friday Agreement. He said "I do not want a hardened border on the island of Ireland, but neither do I want a border in the Irish Sea".[21]

A former soldier, Beattie has pressed for Northern Ireland to adopt the Armed Forces Covenant and ensure support for military veterans and their families.[22] He also argues that soldiers who served during the Troubles should not be immune from prosecution, saying "Soldiers were here to stand between the terrorists and the terrorised. If they went outside the law then they have to face the law".[23]

On 12 August 2019, Beattie said on Pat Kenny's Newstalk radio show: "I'm Irish. I'm an Irishman, and I've said this all along... I'm also an Ulsterman. You know, I'm British, I'm a European. I'm all of these things and I'm multilayered... God Save the Queen represents me, as does The Sash My Father Wore, Ulster rugby. But so does the shamrock, so does Gaelic games. So does Guinness. So does St Patrick's Day. All of these things are part of my identity."

References[]

  1. ^ "Authors: Doug Beattie". andrewlownie.co.uk.
  2. ^ "'Why I stood up where there are bullets'". Telegraph.co.uk. 8 October 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  3. ^ "2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Rangers move to Berlin". royal-irish.com. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  4. ^ The daily Telegraph, 2 September 2021
  5. ^ "Doug Beattie: 'I wear the Military Cross for all the people who served'". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  6. ^ "No. 57100". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 October 2003. pp. 6–7.
  7. ^ Doug Beattie. "An Ordinary Soldier". Andrewlownie.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
  8. ^ Lamb, The Sunday Times review by Christina (26 October 2008). "An Ordinary Soldier by Doug Beattie". The Sunday Times. ISSN 0956-1382. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  9. ^ Flanagan, Julian. "'Why I stood up where there are bullets'". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  10. ^ "Captain Doug Beattie joins UUP". UTV. 26 March 2014.
  11. ^ "The 2014 Local Government Elections in Northern Ireland". Ark Northern Ireland Elections. 16 November 2019.
  12. ^ Victor Gordon (7 May 2016). "UUP MLA Doug Beattie's election confirmed as he buries his tiny grandson – Belfast Newsletter". Newsletter.co.uk. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Ulster Unionist Party confirm Robin Swann as new leader". BBC News. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  14. ^ "NI Election: Swann and Aiken front runners in quest to be the new leader of Ulster Unionists – BelfastTelegraph.co.uk". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  15. ^ "Doug Beattie rules himself out of UUP leadership race and backs Steve Aiken for role". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Ulster Unionist Party unveils 16 General Election Candidates". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 14 November 2019.
  17. ^ "Doug Beattie declares bid to be next UUP leader". BBC News. 10 May 2021.
  18. ^ Jump up to: a b McCormack, Jayne (17 May 2021). "Doug Beattie is elected new leader of Ulster Unionist Party". BBC News. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  19. ^ Noonan, Laura (6 June 2021). "Unionist upheaval risks fresh political crisis in Northern Ireland". Financial Times. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Doug Beattie : Some UUP members may not like my liberal credentials and may decide to leave the party". Belfast News Letter. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b "Doug Beattie: Who is the new leader of the UUP?". BBC News, 17 May 2021.
  22. ^ "Doug Beattie: First ministers 'failing' military veterans". BBC News, 12 August 2016.
  23. ^ "Troubles soldiers need legal protection says Sir Jeffrey Donaldson". BBC News, 22 April 2021.

External links[]

Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by
Sam Gardiner 		MLA for Upper Bann
2016–present 		Incumbent
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