Nigel Dodds: Difference between revisions
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'''Nigel Alexander Dodds''', [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]], [[Member of Parliament|MP]], [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)|MLA]], [[Barrister-at-Law|BL]] (born [[ |
'''Nigel Alexander Dodds''', [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]], [[Member of Parliament|MP]], [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)|MLA]], [[Barrister-at-Law|BL]] (born [[Londonderry]], 20 August 1958) is a [[barrister]] and [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] [[Unionists (Ireland)|unionist]] politician. He is [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast North]], and a member of the [[Democratic Unionist Party]]. He has been [[Lord Mayor of Belfast]] twice, and from 1993 has been General Secretary of the DUP.<ref name=profile>[http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/dodds_n.htm NI Assembly profile]</ref> Since June 2008 he has been Deputy Leader of the DUP. <ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/apr/14/northernireland.northernireland?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews Dodds will be DUP deputy]</ref> |
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Dodds became North Belfast's MP in the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 UK general elections]]. He is also a member of the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], and is Minister of Finance in the [[Northern Ireland Executive]]. |
Dodds became North Belfast's MP in the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 UK general elections]]. He is also a member of the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], and is Minister of Finance in the [[Northern Ireland Executive]]. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Nigel Dodds was born in [[ |
Nigel Dodds was born in [[Londonderry]]<ref name=profile /> |
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and was educated at [[Portora Royal School]], [[Enniskillen]], [[County Fermanagh]]<ref name=Dibret>Debrett's People of Today</ref> (whose other famous alumni include [[Oscar Wilde]], and [[Samuel Beckett]]) and [[St John's College, Cambridge]] (First class law MA) where he won the university scholarship, McMahan studentship and Winfield Prize for Law.<ref name=Dibret /> Upon graduation, he returned to Northern Ireland and after studying at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at [[Queen's University, Belfast]] (IPLS) was called to the Northern Irish bar <ref>[http://www.stratagem-ni.com/belfastnorthmlas.php Stratagem profile]</ref>. After working as a [[barrister]] he worked at the [[Secretariat of the European Parliament]] from 1984 to 1996.<ref name=profile /> |
and was educated at [[Portora Royal School]], [[Enniskillen]], [[County Fermanagh]]<ref name=Dibret>Debrett's People of Today</ref> (whose other famous alumni include [[Oscar Wilde]], and [[Samuel Beckett]]) and [[St John's College, Cambridge]] (First class law MA) where he won the university scholarship, McMahan studentship and Winfield Prize for Law.<ref name=Dibret /> Upon graduation, he returned to Northern Ireland and after studying at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at [[Queen's University, Belfast]] (IPLS) was called to the Northern Irish bar <ref>[http://www.stratagem-ni.com/belfastnorthmlas.php Stratagem profile]</ref>. After working as a [[barrister]] he worked at the [[Secretariat of the European Parliament]] from 1984 to 1996.<ref name=profile /> |
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Revision as of 18:00, 25 February 2009
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2006) |
Nigel Dodds | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Finance and Personnel | |
| Assumed office June 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Robinson |
| Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment | |
| Member of Parliament for Belfast North | |
| Assumed office 7 June 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Cecil Walker |
| Majority | 5,188 (17.0%) |
| Minister for Social Development | |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast North | |
| Assumed office 25 June 1998 | |
| Preceded by | new assembly |
| Minister for Social Development | |
| In office December 1999 – 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Newly-created office |
| Succeeded by | Maurice Morrow |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 August 1958 Londonderry, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Democratic Unionist Party |
| Spouse | Diane Dodds |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Cambridge, Queen's University Belfast |
| Website | Nigel Dodds |
Nigel Alexander Dodds, OBE, MP, MLA, BL (born Londonderry, 20 August 1958) is a barrister and Northern Irish unionist politician. He is Member of Parliament for Belfast North, and a member of the Democratic Unionist Party. He has been Lord Mayor of Belfast twice, and from 1993 has been General Secretary of the DUP.[1] Since June 2008 he has been Deputy Leader of the DUP. [2] Dodds became North Belfast's MP in the 2001 UK general elections. He is also a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, and is Minister of Finance in the Northern Ireland Executive.
Background
Nigel Dodds was born in Londonderry[1] and was educated at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh[3] (whose other famous alumni include Oscar Wilde, and Samuel Beckett) and St John's College, Cambridge (First class law MA) where he won the university scholarship, McMahan studentship and Winfield Prize for Law.[3] Upon graduation, he returned to Northern Ireland and after studying at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen's University, Belfast (IPLS) was called to the Northern Irish bar [4]. After working as a barrister he worked at the Secretariat of the European Parliament from 1984 to 1996.[1]
His father Joe, was a long standing DUP member of Fermanagh District Council until his death in 2008.[5] Nigel Dodds is married (to Diane Dodds); they have one son and one daughter, and live in Banbridge in County Down.
Politics
Dodds entered municipal politics in 1981 when he stood unsuccessfully for the Enniskillen part of Fermanagh District Council[6]. Four years later in 1985, he was elected to Belfast City Council for the religiously and socially mixed Castle electoral area in the north of the city. [7]
Dodds soon rose to prominence in the party. He was elected for two one-year terms as Lord Mayor of Belfast in June 1988 (when he became the youngest ever Lord Mayor of Belfast aged 29 [8])and June 1992.[3] The same year, he stood unsuccessfully for the East Antrim constituency in the Westminster election. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 and topped the poll in North Belfast in all three elections to the reconstituted Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998, 2003 and 2007.[9] Dodds was awarded the OBE in 1997 for services to Local Government.[3]
The troubled and fragmented constituency of North Belfast, with its kaleidoscope of rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant areas, had historically been strong territory for the DUP, with Johnny McQuade representing the constituency in the British House of Commons from 1979-1983. However, the DUP had stood down in favour of the Ulster Unionist Party in Westminster elections in the late 1980s and 1990s, in order to avoid splitting the unionist vote. However, in 2001, Dodds challenged sitting Ulster Unionist Party MP Cecil Walker, despite the dangers of losing the mixed constituency to a nationalist. However, Dodds won just over 40% of the vote, and a comfortable 6,387 majority over Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly, with Walker being pushed into fourth place.
Dodds was Minister of Social Development in the Northern Ireland Executive from 21 November 1999 but resigned on 27 July 2000, then served again from 24 October 2001, when the devolved institutions were restored, until resigning on 11 October 2002, shortly before the executive and the Assembly were collapsed by the Ulster Unionist Party.
Paramilitary attacks
In December 1996, Dodds was visiting his son in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast when a group of IRA gunmen ambushed him in the corridors. Although nobody was killed in the incident, Dodds' police bodyguard was shot and injured. [10]
His constituency office was targeted by the Continuity IRA in 2003 when a viable improvised explosive device was left outside the office. The bomb was defused by British Army explosive experts. [11]
References
- ^ a b c NI Assembly profile
- ^ Dodds will be DUP deputy
- ^ a b c d Debrett's People of Today
- ^ Stratagem profile
- ^ DUP profile
- ^ Fermanagh 1981 election
- ^ Belfast 1985 local election
- ^ BBC profile
- ^ North Belfast Assembly results
- ^ The Stormont ministers — BBC News, 29 May 2000
- ^ Bomb defused at MP's officeBBC News
External links
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Nigel Dodds MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Nigel Dodds MP
- Maiden Speech : House of Commons - 27 June 2001
- Articles needing additional references from July 2006
- 1958 births
- Living people
- People from Derry
- Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge
- Alumni of Queen's University Belfast
- Northern Irish barristers
- Members of the Bar of Northern Ireland
- Democratic Unionist Party MPs
- Members of Belfast City Council
- Members of the Northern Ireland Forum
- Northern Ireland MLAs 1998-2003
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2003-2007
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2007-
- Northern Ireland Government ministers
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for Northern Irish constituencies
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from Belfast constituencies
- Old Portorans
- UK MPs 2001-2005
- UK MPs 2005-
- Lord Mayors of Belfast
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire