In January 2018, Howard was made High Sheriff of Belfast, making her the first Alliance representative to hold the office since 2000. She said: "It is a great honour to have been elected to the post of High Sheriff, and I pledge to serve the people of Belfast, and to support the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor in carrying out my duties to the best of my ability. I will continue to work hard for our city during my time as High Sheriff, and hope to bring a positive contribution to making Belfast a better and brighter city for all its citizens."[7][8]
In December 2021, Howard joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), by asserting that she has pro-Union views and "feel that I can now openly and comfortably express them to help promote a confident, progressive brand of unionism." Leader Doug Beattie welcomed her to the party, saying: "I am absolutely delighted that Carole has decided to join the Ulster Unionist Party. Carole is exactly the type of elected representative we want to attract, encourage and promote. She has a long-established track record of dedicated public service and I am glad that she wishes to continue that public service with the Ulster Unionist Party."[11][12]Alliance described Howard's decision as "an act of bad faith."
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