UUP leader ‘too unwell’ to attend St Patrick’s Day events in Washington

Doug Beattie will not travel to the US for St Patrick’s Day celebrations as the Ulster Unionist Party leader is “too unwell” to attend.

The UUP confirmed on Monday evening that Mr Beattie will not be travelling to Washington, which traditionally sees an influx of Irish politicians to mark the feast day of the country’s patron saint.

A party spokesperson said Mr Beattie was “too unwell” to travel but stressed that the move was not a “snub”.

The spokesperson said: “Doug is too unwell to travel to Washington and a lot of the events are non-transferable.

“The Ulster Unionist Party remains committed to ongoing engagement with the US government, officials and all those who have Northern Ireland’s best interests at heart.

“This is not a snub, in fact quite the opposite, and we regret that our party leader is unable to take up the invitation on this occasion.

“It would have been an ideal opportunity to follow up on our last series of engagements in the United States after Doug Beattie led an Ulster Unionist delegation to Washington and New York in November 2021.

“We wish those attending this week’s events a happy St Patrick`s Day and we look forward to taking up future invitations and opportunities to engage directly with the US administration.”

Taoiseach Micheal Martin will meet US President Joe Biden later this week as part of the traditional visit of the Irish premier to the White House.