It was formed by Conrad Maduro, H. Lavity Stoutt, Terrance B. Lettsome and Ivan Dawson during the first session of the Legislative Council of the British Virgin Islands under the new constitution in 1967 subsequent to the general election on 14 April 1967.
Although Conrad Maduro was the President of the party, he did not win his seat at the 1967 general election, and so it was agreed that Lavity Stoutt would be appointed Chief Minister.
Leading up to the 1971 general election Lavity Stoutt and Terrance Lettsome left the party to form the Virgin Islands Party, presumably for the ostensible reason of Stoutt seeking to remain as Chief Minister if Maduro should win his seat at the next election.
It regained power for the final time in November 1983 as part of a coalition with Cyril Romney.
In June 2014 Conrad Maduro announced his desire to return the United Party to political prominence, and confirmed that if selected as a candidate he would run in the next general election.