Sylvia Hermon - Parliamentary Career

Parliamentary Career

Within the UUP Hermon was regarded as being on the more liberal and social democratic wing of the party along with Ken Maginnis. Hermon was chosen as UUP candidate for the North Down constituency to contest the 2001 general election and went on to defeat the incumbent Robert McCartney by over 7,000 votes. During the election she garnered the support of the local branch of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland who withdrew their own candidate.

Hermon became Chair of the North Down branch of the UUP in 2001 and held this position until 2003. In 2001 she was also appointed UUP Spokesperson for Youth and Women's Issues, Home Affairs and Trade and Industry. She subsequently lost the Trade and Industry portfolio and took responsibility for Culture, Media and Sport in 2002. Outside of the UUP, Hermon has also been involved in policing support and pensioners' rights campaigns. In Parliament, she has established herself as an independently minded politician, in some instances voting against the prevalent beliefs of fellow unionist MPs, including her decision to vote against the replacement of the Trident Nuclear Weapons System and also to repeal Section 28, legislation that prevented the promotion of homosexuality in English schools. She also voted for identity cards and 90-day detention. Her votes were generally in support of the Labour government.

Hermon was the only Ulster Unionist to be returned to Westminster in the 2005 general election and as a result figured in consideration for who would succeed David Trimble as party leader. Initially considered to be amongst the frontrunners, Hermon eventually declined the opportunity, feeling that she could not combine it with her care duties for her husband, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and instead supported the unsuccessful bid of Alan McFarland.

In Westminster, Hermon largely supported the Labour Party government much to the chagrin of the UUP leader Sir Reg Empey, who had been seeking an alliance with the Conservative Party. On 13 May 2009, Lady Hermon ended months of speculation over her supposed opposition to the Ulster Unionist link-up with the Conservative Party. She declared, in an unplanned announcement, during an interview in her constituency office, "At the present time, I can’t see myself standing under a Conservative banner.... If my party chooses to move to call themselves by a different name, I'm terribly sorry and terribly disappointed by that but I remain an Ulster Unionist. That was certainly my mandate and I’ve loved serving the people of North Down. They have stood by me through the most difficult of times and if they choose and wish me to serve them I would do my very best to do that." She was criticised for the timing of her remarks by the party Leader Sir Reg Empey and by Jim Nicholson, as the party was running its European Parliament election campaign.

On 23 February 2010, Lady Hermon confirmed that she would not be seeking the nomination as a Conservative and Unionist candidate. On 6 May 2010 standing as an Independent candidate she was re-elected with a majority of over 21,000 votes ahead of the UCUNF candidate. She continues to vote generally with the Labour Party.