Summary

  • The Ulster Unionist Party held its first gathering for a party conference since 2018

  • Doug Beattie gave his first conference speech since he became party leader in May

  • The Upper Bann MLA called for a return to the "factory settings" of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement

  • Mr Beattie set out his plan to promote a more confident "pro-union message" in the run up to the next assembly election

  • He criticised other unionist parties over their response to the Northern Ireland Protocol

Live Reporting

Ali Gordon and Jessica Black

  1. 'You may all look up at me and see a man confident in himself'

    The son of a soldier, a new school every two years and a three-bed terrace in Portadown, County Armagh, to house three boys, three girls, mum, dad and a beagle called Jonny - Doug Beattie is laying out his early years.

    "You may all look up at me and see a man confident in himself with a well-grounded upbringing, but you would be wrong," he tells the conference.

    "The son of a soldier, I travelled the world, changing schools every two years until I returned to a terrace house in a loyalist estate in Portadown.

    "My uncle Samuel was murdered by terrorists the year I returned home to Northern Ireland. I was 10, it was the first funeral I ever attended.

    "My mother died from cancer having suffered for two years when I was 15 and, at the age of 16, I left school with no educational qualifications and joined the military."

  2. 'People don’t just want politicians who are there on the big occasions'

    Doug Beattie opens his first speech as Ulster Unionist Party leader with a pledge to run a party for the "every day".

    He says there have been "many extraordinary days" in Northern Ireland's history - but there are many ordinary days in between.

    Doug BeattieUUP

    "We face hardships, grieve, fall in love, we may marry, raise children, strive for a better for ourselves and for our children. We deal with divisions, sectarianism, misogyny, racism, bigotry.

    "People don’t just want politicians who are there on the big occasions.

    "They want politicians who understand the issues they face every single day."

  3. It's almost time

    AudienceUUP

    Thanks for you joining us.

    UUP leader Doug Beattie is about to make his first leader's speech at the party conference.

  4. Irish dancers put best foot forward

    BBC News NI's political editor says the Royal Tara dancers "hit the right note" with delegates earlier.

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  5. Most Covid inpatients under 50 are unvaccinated, says Swann

    Robin SwannUUP

    At the UUP conference this morning, Northern Ireland's health minister said that those spreading "misinformation and lies" about Covid-19 vaccines are putting lives at risk.

    UUP MLA Robin Swann also criticised the EU over the Northern Protocol and the potential impact on medical supplies.

    The former UUP leader, praised the health service response to the Covid pandemic but also criticised those sceptical about vaccines.

    He said three-quarters of the adult Covid inpatients under 50 are unvaccinated, with unvaccinated individuals aged 50 and over being five times as likely to be admitted to hospital than fully-vaccinated people.

    Read more here.

  6. Good afternoon

    Hello and welcome to the live page.

    We will be bringing you coverage of Doug Beattie's first leader's speech at the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) conference in Belfast.

    It is the UUP’s first party conference since 2018.

    Stay with us for news and reaction.