A former UUP councillor who quit the party last year has joined the DUP.
Darryl Wilson, who sits on Causeway Coast and Glens council, said it was the “start of an exciting new chapter in my political life”.
First elected in 2014, Mr Wilson left the UUP in December and said he would continue as an independent councillor for the Ballymoney area.
It came just months after he was at the centre of a row over an assembly seat selection that culminated in the resignation of former UUP leader Doug Beattie.
But in a statement on Monday, DUP leader Gavin Robinson confirmed Mr Wilson had joined the party, as he praised him for his “reputation for dedication and hard work on behalf of the people of Ballymoney over the past 10 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,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Wilson said he had “always worked well” with DUP councillors and “whilst at times there have been disagreements, I want to see all pro-union representatives working together”.
“There are too many divisions,” he said.
DUP Leader @GRobinsonDUP has welcomed Ballymoney Councillor Darryl Wilson into the Democratic Unionist Party in North Antrim.https://t.co/yRK33WuTRj
— DUP (@duponline) January 20, 2025
“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.”
