Former PUP councillor Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston joins UUP

Former Progressive Unionist Party Belfast councillor Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston has joined the UUP and will represent the party in North Belfast.

UUP leader Doug Beattie made the annoucement today in a short video. He said: "When I became the Ulster Unionist leader I made a number of pledges and one of those was that I would bring more woman into the party and that I would reach into the loyalist community to give a platform for those in it to speak for the loyalist community and who better than Julie-Anne who has become a member of the Ulster Unionists? A woman who lives and breathes her community."

"I am so delighted that she has joined the UUP and agreed to take on the role of our North Belfast representative. Julie-Anne is tuned into the community’s needs and will offer an authentic voice."

“The Ulster Unionist Party is changing, and for the better. Julie-Anne joining the Party shows that we are building a team who want to build a union of people and who share a vision for a modern, accepting Northern Ireland. I would appeal to others who share that vision to join us.”

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She said: “I am delighted to have joined the Ulster Unionist Party and to have been appointed as its North Belfast spokesperson. Quite simply North Belfast needs change. The area continues to rank amongst the worst levels of social deprivation, high levels of our young people are leaving school without employment skills, we need more and better quality social homes and a chilling number of our people are being lost to suicide. I believe that with the UUP I can make a real and lasting difference to North Belfast.

Councillor Corr has been outspoken on many issues ranging from flags to same-sex marriage. She is a pro-choice feminist.