Peter Weir (politician)
| Peter Weir MLA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for North Down | |
|
Assumed office 25 June 1998 | |
| Preceded by | New Creation |
| Minister for Education | |
|
Assumed office 25 May 2016 | |
| First Minister | Arlene Foster |
| deputy First Minister | Martin McGuinness |
| Preceded by | John O'Dowd |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
21 November 1968 Bangor, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party |
DUP (2002-present) UUP (till 2001) |
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
| Profession | Barrister |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Website | PeterWeir.net |
Peter Weir (born 1968) MLA is a Northern Ireland unionist politician.[1]
A past chairman of the Young Unionists (the UUP Youth Wing), Weir is a barrister by profession. He attended Bangor Grammar School and graduated from the Queen's University of Belfast in Law and Accountancy. He was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1992 and is a former editor of the Ulster Review. Weir has been a member of the Queen's University Senate since 1996 and is also leading member of the University Convocation. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum in 1996 for the constituency of North Down.
Weir refused to support the Belfast Agreement of 1998, saying in one television interview that the only positive comment he could summon for the Agreement was that it was "very nicely typed".[2] A leading critic of party leader David Trimble's policies, Weir was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 1998 election.[3]
Weir was selected as his party's candidate to fight the 2001 general election in North Down, but a month before the election tensions between him and the party reached the stage where he was deselected and replaced by Sylvia Hermon. Weir was later expelled from the Ulster Unionist Party for refusing to support the re-election of David Trimble as First Minister of Northern Ireland. Following a period as an Independent Unionist, Weir joined the Democratic Unionist Party in 2002. Since then, he has been re-elected from North Down at each election for the DUP.
In the 2005 Westminster election Weir finally stood for North Down, this time for the DUP, but lost to Sylvia, Lady Hermon of the Ulster Unionist Party
He is a member of the North Down Borough Council and belongs to the Orange Order and the Royal Black Preceptory. He attends Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church.[4]
| Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by New creation |
MLA for North Down 1998 - |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
References
- ↑ "Weir Peter". Membership of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Northern Ireland Assembly. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- ↑ The Long Good Friday, Channel 4 Television, 1999.
- ↑ Brendan Lynn and Martin Melaugh. "Biographies of Prominent People - 'W' (Weir Pter)". Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland (1968 to the Present) (CAIN). CAIN (located in the University of Ulster and part of INCORE and ARK). Retrieved 4 July 2010.
- ↑ http://www.nddup.org.uk/weir.htm