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Trevor Clarke

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Trevor Clarke
Clarke in 2021
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for South Antrim
Assumed office
28 June 2017
Preceded byPaul Girvan
In office
7 March 2007 – 2 March 2017
Preceded bymultiple members
Succeeded bymultiple members
Member of
Antrim Borough Council
In office
5 May 2005 – 22 May 2014
Preceded byWilson Clyde
Succeeded byCouncil abolished
ConstituencyAntrim North West
Personal details
Born (1967-07-28) 28 July 1967 (age 57)
Antrim, Northern Ireland
NationalityBritish
Political partyDemocratic Unionist Party

Trevor Clarke MLA (born 28 July 1967) is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician, serving as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for South Antrim since June 2017, having previously served from 2007 to March 2017. Clarke is the DUP's Spokesperson for Policing. [1]

Political career

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Clarke was first elected in 2007 to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) member for South Antrim. Clarke lost his seat at the 2017 Assembly election, but was later co-opted by the DUP after Paul Girvan was elected in the 2017 general election to represent South Antrim in the House of Commons.

Controversies

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Speaking in the Assembly in November 2016, he confessed to not knowing that heterosexual individuals could contract HIV, which was criticised by Elton John.[2]

In 2020, Clarke apologised for liking a social media post suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic was "God's punishment" for the legalization of same-sex marriage and abortion.[3]

In 2021, Clarke defended meeting with loyalist paramilitaries, stating that "examples like that" showed "leadership".[4]

Personal life

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Clarke is active in the Orange Order.[3] His wife Linda is a DUP councillor.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Trevor Clarke MLA". DUP. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Sir Elton John criticises Trevor Clarke Aids comments". BBC News. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Coronavirus: DUP man in apology after claiming pandemic God's wrath for abortion and same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland". belfasttelegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  4. ^ "DUP MLA Trevor Clarke defiant over meeting with loyalist paramilitaries". belfasttelegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  5. ^ Hughes, Brendan (19 November 2019). "DUP's Trevor Clarke in U-turn over unauthorised triple garage". The Irish News. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
[edit]
  • Profile, dup.org.uk; accessed 15 May 2016.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by MLA for South Antrim
2007–2017
Succeeded by
multiple members
Preceded by MLA for South Antrim
2017–present
Incumbent