Arlene Foster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Chair of Intertrade UK | |
| Assumed office 19 September 2024 |
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| Appointed by | Steve Baker |
| Secretary of State | Hilary Benn |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| First Minister of Northern Ireland | |
| In office 11 January 2020 – 14 June 2021 Serving with Michelle O'Neill
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| Preceded by | Herself (2017) |
| Succeeded by | Paul Givan |
| In office 11 January 2016 – 9 January 2017 Serving with Martin McGuinness
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| Preceded by | Peter Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Herself (2020) |
| Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | |
| In office 17 December 2015 – 28 May 2021 |
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| Deputy | The Lord Dodds of Duncairn |
| Preceded by | Peter Robinson |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Poots |
| Minister for Finance and Personnel | |
| In office 11 May 2015 – 12 January 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Simon Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | Mervyn Storey |
| Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment | |
| In office 9 June 2008 – 11 May 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Nigel Dodds |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Bell |
| Minister for the Environment | |
| In office 8 May 2007 – 9 June 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Dermot Nesbitt |
| Succeeded by | Sammy Wilson |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 9 November 2022 Life Peerage |
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| Member of the Legislative Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone |
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| In office 26 November 2003 – 6 October 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Joan Carson |
| Succeeded by | Deborah Erskine |
| Member of Fermanagh District Council | |
| In office 5 May 2005 – 5 May 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Raymond Ferguson |
| Succeeded by | Alison Brimstone |
| Constituency | Enniskillen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Arlene Isobel Kelly
17 July 1970 Enniskillen, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | None (non affiliated) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic Unionist Party (2004–2021) Ulster Unionist Party (Before 2004) |
| Spouse | Brian Foster |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland |
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
| Foster served as acting first minister from 11 January 2010 to 3 February 2010 and from 10 September 2015 to 20 October 2015 while Robinson was on leave. | |
Arlene Isobel Foster is a broadcaster and politician from Northern Ireland. She was the First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2020 to 2021. She was also the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2015 to 2021. Foster was the first woman to hold either of these important jobs.
Before becoming First Minister, she held several other government roles, including Minister for the Environment and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment. In 2021, she left politics and became a presenter on the news channel GB News. In 2022, she became a member of the House of Lords in the UK Parliament. Since September 2024, she has been the Chair of Intertrade UK, a group that helps promote trade within the United Kingdom.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Arlene Kelly was born in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. Her childhood was affected by The Troubles, a period of conflict in Northern Ireland. When she was a child, her father, who was a police reservist, was injured in an attack at their family farm. Later, as a teenager, a bomb exploded on her school bus. These events had a big impact on her life and her political views.
She went to Enniskillen Collegiate Grammar School and later studied law at Queen's University Belfast. It was at university that she first became involved in politics. She joined the Queen's Unionist Association, which was part of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).
Political Career
Early Years in Politics
Foster was first elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2003 as a member of the UUP. However, she and some other members disagreed with the party's leader, David Trimble, over the Belfast Agreement. In 2004, she left the UUP and joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
She held several important jobs in the Northern Ireland government, called the Northern Ireland Executive.
- Minister for the Environment (2007–2008): She made decisions about protecting Northern Ireland's natural spaces, like the famous Giant's Causeway.
- Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment (2008–2015): She worked to help businesses in Northern Ireland grow. She helped lower the tax on long-haul flights to attract more visitors and business.
- Minister for Finance and Personnel (2015–2016): She was in charge of the government's money and staff.
First Minister of Northern Ireland
In December 2015, Arlene Foster became the leader of the DUP. A month later, in January 2016, she became the First Minister of Northern Ireland. She shared power with the deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness from the Sinn Féin party. This power-sharing system is part of how Northern Ireland's government works.
The RHI Scandal
In 2017, Foster's government faced a major problem called the "Renewable Heat Incentive" (RHI) scandal. The RHI was a plan she had started when she was Enterprise Minister. It was meant to encourage businesses to use eco-friendly heating.
However, the plan had serious flaws and was set to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of pounds more than expected. This was nicknamed the "Cash for Ash" scandal. Martin McGuinness asked Foster to step down as First Minister while the issue was investigated, but she refused. Because the First Minister and deputy First Minister must work together, McGuinness's resignation meant that Foster also had to leave her post. This caused the government to collapse.
Government Shutdown and Return
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After the government collapsed in 2017, the political parties in Northern Ireland could not agree on how to form a new one. For three years, Northern Ireland had no working government. One of the main disagreements was over a proposed Irish Language Act.
During this time, the DUP played an important role in UK politics. After the 2017 UK general election, no single party won a majority. The DUP, led by Foster, made an agreement to support the Conservative government under Prime Minister Theresa May.
Finally, in January 2020, the parties reached a new agreement called New Decade, New Approach. The Northern Ireland government was restored, and Arlene Foster became First Minister again, this time with Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Féin as deputy First Minister.
Brexit and Resignation
After the UK left the European Union (Brexit), new trade rules were created for Northern Ireland, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol. These rules created a trade border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Foster and the DUP strongly opposed these new rules. They felt the Protocol damaged Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom. This disagreement caused a lot of tension within her party.
In April 2021, many DUP politicians signed a letter saying they no longer had confidence in her leadership. A day later, Foster announced she would resign as DUP leader and as First Minister. She was replaced as DUP leader by Edwin Poots and as First Minister by Paul Givan.
Life After Politics
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After leaving the Northern Ireland Assembly in October 2021, Foster began a new career in the media. She became a presenter for the news channel GB News and a writer for a local magazine.
In 2022, she was given the title Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her public service. Later that year, she was appointed to the House of Lords as a non-party peer, with the title Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee.
In September 2024, she became the chairperson of a new organization called Intertrade UK. Its goal is to improve trade between the different parts of the United Kingdom.
Personal Life
Arlene Foster is married to Brian Foster, and they have three children. Their family lives near the village of Brookeborough in County Fermanagh.
In 2020, she won a court case against a TV personality who had posted false and damaging information about her on social media. The court ordered him to pay her a large sum of money in damages.
See also
In Spanish: Arlene Foster para niños
- Demography and politics of Northern Ireland
