Douglas Ricardo Beattie MC MLA (born 13 October 1965) is a Northern Irish politician and former member of the British Army,[2] who was leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) between 27 May 2021 and 28 September 2024.

Beattie was born in 1965 in a military base in Hampshire; his father was a warrant officer in the Royal Ulster Rifles, a regiment of the British Army.

[3] Beattie's mother died young, leaving his father (who had by this time enlisted with the Ulster Defence Regiment) to raise him, his three sisters and two brothers.

[4] 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.

[8] Following his return from Afghanistan, Beattie published the first of two books, An Ordinary Soldier,[9] which became an immediate best seller in the United Kingdom and propelled him into the public eye.

[23] In the aftermath, several of Beattie's historic tweets re-emerged, containing content that was perceived as "casually misogynistic", and including derogatory comments about women and members of the Irish Traveller community.

“I don’t believe that’s the case this time.” [29] [30] Beattie caused further controversy in December 2022 when he said, during a debate on restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly, that the DUP "scream, whinge and whine like a girl from the sidelines".He subsequently apologised for the remarks.

[31] Following losses for the UUP in the 2023 local elections, Beattie said that unionism was always likely to "take a hit across the board" due to Sinn Féin's growth.

He confirmed this in a statement later that same day, stating: “It is now clear that some believe the momentum needed to keep the Ulster Unionist party moving in the right direction cannot come from me.

[38] Following his announcement, there was speculation that he would stand in the subsequent leadership election, though Beattie ruled himself out, saying: "It would simply not be credible, or right, for me to put my name forward to be re-elected as the party leader.

"[39] [40] Beattie has been characterized as a 'progressive'[41] 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".

[43] A former soldier, Beattie has pressed for Northern Ireland to adopt the Armed Forces Covenant and ensure support for military veterans and their families.