James Molyneaux James Molyneaux The March 1995 Ulster Unionist Party leadership election occurred at the Annual General Meeting of the Ulster Unionist Council on 18 March 1995.
The UUP has had a leadership election every March since at least 1973, and this is one of the few occasions when it has been contested.
[1] It was widely speculated that Ulster Unionist MP David Trimble was one of those behind Reynolds's candidature, although Trimble, his aides and Reynolds' supporters all denied this at the time and subsequently.
Two days later independent North Down MP, Sir James Kilfedder died in London and that the subsequent by-election was not won by the UUP was seen as further evidence of Molyneaux's failings as leader after 15 years.
Reynolds was later co-opted onto Belfast City Council as a member of the DUP and served as the DUP’s director of policy and as a special advisor to First Minister Arlene Foster.