United Ulster Unionist Council - Decline

Decline

The UUUC began to fall apart in 1976 when VUPP leader William Craig suggested working in a potential coalition government with the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party. When it became clear that Craig's ideas were not in keeping with those of his partners, Vanguard split with his opponents setting up the United Ulster Unionist Party (UUUP) while Craig's supporters stayed with Vanguard which left the UUUC. The UUUC thereafter consisted of the UUP, DUP and UUUP.

The UUUC set up the United Unionist Action Council (UUAC) in 1977 a policy group and an activism co-ordinating committee. Chaired by Joseph Burns and featuring DUP leader Ian Paisley and UUUP leader Ernest Baird, the group included representatives from loyalist paramilitary groups the Ulster Defence Association, Down Orange Welfare and the Orange Volunteers and also organised its own vigilante group under the name Ulster Service Corps. The UUAC helped organise the May 1977 strike by the Ulster Workers Council, that sought to repeat the effects of 1974. However the second strike proved much less effective and did not get the backing of the Ulster Unionists, who in fact campaigned against it. The strike proved the final straw for the UUUC with the UUP, DUP and UUUP going their separate ways after it collapsed.