[1] Kirkpatrick joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in 1996 and lost his council seat in 1997, having moved from Balmoral to Laganbank.
[4] Following this, in December 2004 he again defected to the DUP and was returned for that party to Belfast City Council in 2005, regaining his original seat in Balmoral.
In 2007 however, Kirkpatrick was pictured at a fundraising dinner with Jim Allister MEP, held to raise funds for a new Unionist Party opposed to powersharing.
[5] On 2 June 2009 he again defected back to the UUP, accusing senior DUP members of "caring more about dynasty building and expense claims than voters.
"[6] He lost his seat at the 2011 council elections to businessman and publisher Máirtín Ó Muilleoir (Sinn Féin).