Causeway Coast and Glens councillor Darryl Wilson has joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) after quitting the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) at the end of December 2024.
After the general election in July, Wilson expressed his disappointment after his local party association chose Colin Crawford to replace Robin Swann in the Assembly.
This ultimately led to then UUP leader Doug Beattie stepping down from the role, quoting “irreconcilable differences” with party officers.
Today the DUP have announced that Wilson will join their team on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.
“I am delighted that Darryl is now a Democratic Unionist Party Councillor. He has built a reputation for dedication and hard work on behalf of the people of Ballymoney over the past ten years.
Darryl will be a fantastic addition to the DUP group on Causeway Coast & Glens Council, to our wider team within the North Antrim constituency and the Democratic Unionist Party as a whole.
I want to see unionists working together at every level. North Antrim stands as an example from the last Northern Ireland Assembly election when there were four unionist quotas but only three unionists elected. We can’t allow that to happen again in 2027.
We are building a team for the future. A team that has a passion for people and for Northern Ireland. Being convinced of the Union means more than simply defending it, it means making it work for everyone and delivering the best public services for the people who live and work here.
Whilst some are focused on inter-unionist bickering, I am focused on growing and strengthening unionism. The days of manufactured divisions should be over. We are all pro-union and we should be working together to maximise the unionist vote rather than splitting the vote and enabling non-unionists to win.”
– Gavin Robinson MP, DUP leader
“I have always worked well with Democratic Unionist colleagues on Council. Whilst at times there have been disagreements, I want to see all pro-Union representatives working together. There are too many divisions.
I will continue to serve the people of Ballymoney as a DUP Councillor alongside my party colleagues.
The future of Northern Ireland is what we should all be focused on and Gavin very clearly represents someone who is committed to not just defending the Union, but promoting it. It is always easiest in life to identify the problems, but the real task is in identifying the solutions. The vision of a more cohesive and effective unionism is something I will continue to work towards achieving.
This is the start of an exciting new chapter in my political life, and I am looking forward to working with colleagues, not just in Ballymoney but right across Northern Ireland.”
– Cllr Darryl Wilson
The DUP are now the largest party on the council, with a total of thirteen councillors, closely followed by Sinn Féin, with twelve.
