New Ulster Political Research Group

political organization, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

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July 16, 2026

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The New Ulster Political Research Group was a political think tank established in 1978 by the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in Northern Ireland. This group advocated for a negotiated independence for Northern Ireland, a stance that differed from mainstream unionist politics. The UDA, a loyalist organization, was primarily a paramilitary force but also engaged in fundraising for the unionist cause through both legal and criminal activities. The New Ulster Political Research Group was later replaced by the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party (ULDP) in 1981, which eventually became the Ulster Democratic Party (UDP).1

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Ulster Defence Association
…a political think tank, the New Ulster Political Research Group, which advocated a negotiated independence for Northern Ireland, a policy at variance with mainstream unionism. Skeptical of traditional unionist politicians (it did not allow members of the British Parliament or clergy to join) and separated from them by its staunchly…
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…a political think tank, the New Ulster Political Research Group, which advocated a negotiated independence for Northern Ireland, a policy at variance with mainstream unionism. Skeptical of traditional unionist politicians (it did not allow members of the British Parliament or clergy to join) and separated from them by its staunchly…
Read More