What is the DUP?

The DUP, or Democratic Unionist Party, is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. It wants Northern Ireland to stay part of the United Kingdom. It is socially conservative and often takes a firm line on the Union. It is one of Northern Ireland's largest parties and sits in Stormont and Westminster.

The DUP was founded in 1971. For many years it was smaller than the Ulster Unionist Party, but it became the largest unionist party in the 2000s. In 2007 it entered a power-sharing government with Sinn Féin, its long-time opponent. Under power sharing, unionist and nationalist parties must govern together. The DUP has generally backed lower taxes and investment in Northern Ireland. On social issues it has opposed same-sex marriage and changes to abortion law, though both were later introduced. The party campaigned for Brexit. It opposed the Northern Ireland Protocol and had concerns about the Windsor Framework. It boycotted Stormont from 2022 until a UK government deal in early 2024. Between 2017 and 2019 it supported a minority Conservative government at Westminster.