Career
Campbell is the current Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party, having served as Vice Chairman in 2005. He was elected to Lisburn Borough Council in 1989 and served until 1993. Elected Member of Northern Ireland Forum in 1996, where he was Chairman of the Agriculture and Fisheries Committee. Was a member of Ulster Unionist Party Talks team in the All-Party negotiations that led to the Belfast Agreement. In 1997 Campbell contested the UUP selection meeting to succeed Sir Jim Molyneaux, however he lost out to party colleague Jeffrey Donaldson. Campbell also contested the selection meeting in South Antrim following the death of Clifford Forsythe. The selection was marred by internal division, with South Antrim MLA Duncan Shipley-Dalton claiming that UUP HQ were trying to foist Campbell on the constituency. Shipley-Dalton pulled out and Campbell lost out to anti-agreement candidate David Burnside.
He became a senior policy advisor and Chief of Staff to David Trimble whilst First Minister of Northern Ireland between 1998 and 2004.
Between 2005 and 2012 he was Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party. In the run up to the Ulster Unionist Party leadership election, 2012 both candidates made clear that he would be replaced. It was announced in April 2012 that Lord Empey would become Chairman.
Read more about this topic: Robert David Stewart Campbell
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