Tom Elliott

For the Stockport County footballer of the same name, see Tom Elliott (footballer).

Not to be confused with Tom Elliot.

Tom Elliott MLA
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Fermanagh & South Tyrone
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 November 2003
Preceded by	Sam Foster
Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 September 2010 -
Preceded by	Reg Empey
Personal details
Born	11 December 1963 (1963-12-11) Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Political party	Ulster Unionist Party
Religion	Anglicanism (Church of Ireland)
Website	http://www.tomelliottmla.net

Tom Elliott MLA (born 11 December 1963) is a Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist MLA and the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and former UDR member. He beat Basil McCrea 643 votes to 296 in a leadership contest after the 2010 UK general election.

Education

• Ballinamallard Primary School
• Duke of Westminster High School, Ballinamallard & Kesh
• Enniskillen College of Agriculture where he earned a College Certificate in Agriculture

Political

• Activist in Ballinamallard Ward Ulster Unionist committee for many years. Currently Chairman of that committee.
• Honorary Secretary Fermanagh Divisional Unionist Association since 1998.
• Chairman of internal Ulster Unionist ad-hoc Review Group for its duration.
• Election Agent for James Cooper in 2001 Westminster campaign.
• Ulster Unionist Councillor on Fermanagh District Council representing Erne North – Elected June 2001 – Re-elected May 2005 - Resigned to allow a Co-option August 2010
• Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly representing Fermanagh & South Tyrone – Elected November 2003 - Re-elected March 2007 - Re-elected May 2011.
• Ulster Unionist Assembly spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
• UUP candidate for Fermanagh and South Tyrone UK Parliament constituency, in 2005 Westminster elections.
• Currently Vice Chair of the Agricultural Committee in Stormont and also sits as a member of the Committee of the Office of the First and deputy First Minister.

Elliott was selected as the UUP candidate for Fermanagh and South Tyrone UK Parliament constituency in the 2010 general election, but stood down in favour of independent Unionist candidate Rodney Connor.

In June 2010, Elliott announced his intention to run in the Ulster Unionist Party leadership election, 2010. He was elected although not without some controversy. It emerged shortly before the leadership election that a quarter of the UUP membership came from Fermanagh and South Tyrone, a disproportionately high figure. The Irish political magazine, the Phoenix, described Elliott as a "blast from the past" and that his election signified "a significant shift to the right" by the UUP

Membership of the Loyal Orders

Elliott is a Past County Grand Master of the Orange Order within Fermanagh and Assistant Secretary to the Grand Lodge of Ireland. He is also a member of the Royal Black Preceptory.

Personal life

He is married to Anne and has one daughter and one son. They live on the family farm near Ballinamallard. He is a member of the Church of Ireland Magheracross Parish Church. He also has a strong interest in local soccer at Ballinamallard Football Club. He served part-time in the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Irish Regiment for 18 years.

Controversies

• Elliott caused controversy while campaigning for the UUP leadership when he stated publicly that he wouldn't attend gay pride parades or Gaelic Athletic Association matches.

• After he was elected in the 2011 Assembly election, in his victory speech Elliott referred to the Irish tricolour as a "flag of a foreign nation". When he started to receive heckles from the audience, he went on to describe nationalist supporters holding Irish flags as "the scum of Sinn Féin" causing the Independent Unionist MLA David McClarty to quip that he "made Jim Allister sound like the Dalai Lama'. Although initially refusing to retract his comments he later issued an apology.

External links

• NI Assembly profile
• Tom Elliott MLA Website

References

Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by Sam Foster	MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone 2003–present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Reg Empey	Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party 2010–present	Incumbent