David Trimble

UUP MP Upper Bann

Date of birth

15 October 1944

Political profile

A Nobel Peace Prize winner, the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and First Minister of Northern Ireland is a significant figure in British politics.

He was one of the principal architects of the Good Friday Agreement.

A former law lecturer and Orange Order veteran, he was first elected to the Commons in a 1990 by-election and became leader of the Ulster Unionist Party in 1995.

Although his intelligence and oratorical skills were well known, he was widely regarded as a hardline unionist before he became party leader.

However, he proved to be prepared to take a succession of bold steps in negotiating with the main nationalist and republican parties of Northern Ireland, and helped to broker the Good Friday Agreement, against a background of strong opposition from within his own party.

He became First Minister in the power-sharing executive in 1998 after the inaugural elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, but resigned in July 2001 in protest at the IRA's failure to decommission its arms.

In November 2001, he was re-elected as First Minster, with help from the non-sectarian Alliance Party, though he continues to face much criticism among unionists and his own MPs.

He has been challenged by many within his party to change its policy on staying in government with Sinn Fein on numerous occasions, but has always won the day on knife-edge votes.

With John Hume, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998.

Contact

Constituency office 028 3832 8088