Announcement of Former PSNI Officer Jon Burrows as Leader of UUP Meets Mixed Reactions

The election of Former PSNI officer Jon Burrows as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party on January 31^st has been greeted with a mixture of curiosity as well as general disinterest.

That reaction, in itself, says something about the party’s current position. Once the biggest political party within unionism, the UUP now finds itself struggling to define its purpose, sifting through leaders while searching for a direction that might restore its relevance.

I went to Portstewart promenade to garner the public’s reaction to the news and whether they think his lack of political experience will have an impact on his ability to lead the party successfully.

The majority of younger people I approached seemed to not know much about the subject I noticed. Lots of the responses I received were ones of indifference but there were a few that seemed to think the Government was the problem and not really party leadership.

Jon Burrows’ name has never appeared on a ballot paper and he’s never been elected as he only entered politics six months ago when he was co-opted to the party’s North Antrim seat last August following the shock resignation of his predecessor, Colin Crawford.

That remains the case as he also takes over the role as leader of the pack without a contest, as he was the only candidate.

Burrows rejects criticism of his lack of political experience, he argues it can be viewed as a sign of strength rather than weakness as it demonstrates that anyone can rise to the top.

Jon Burrows is from Bangor in Co Down and followed his father Colin into a policing career, joining the Met in London in 1999.

He transferred to the PSNI in 2004 and held a number of roles including Area Commander in Derry and head of the PSNI’s Discipline Branch.

He was discharged on medical grounds in 2021. However, the terms of that discharge and his police pension are the subject of a complaint to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. The complaint questions his continued eligibility for the pension given his ability to take up a political job.

He has rapidly gained reputation as a skilled media speaker with his public profile has soaring. He is also a frequent user of social media, which could be seen as a big draw for younger people.