He was previously an Independent Unionist Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Belfast North from 1998 to 2003.
In the 1985 Northern Ireland local elections, Agnew was re-elected onto Newtownabbey Council as a member of the newly created Doagh Road District.
In the early 1990s, he left the UUP and was later re-elected in 1993 as an independent Unionist for the University District.
[1] In 1996, standing for the 'Independent Templeton' ticket, he was an unsuccessful candidate in the Northern Ireland Forum election in South Antrim.
[5] Tom Elliot, leader of the UUP had this to say regarding his decision: "I strongly believe that voters across the province will return, like Fraser, to their natural Ulster Unionist home and I am looking forward to making sure that the UUP becomes the party of choice for all shades of progressive Unionist opinion.