David Simpson (Northern Ireland politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Simpson
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| Member of Parliament for Upper Bann |
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| In office 5 May 2005 – 6 November 2019 |
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| Preceded by | David Trimble |
| Succeeded by | Carla Lockhart |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann |
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| In office 26 November 2003 – 1 July 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Mervyn Carrick |
| Succeeded by | Sydney Anderson |
| Mayor of Craigavon | |
| In office 2004–2005 |
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| Preceded by | Ignatius Fox |
| Succeeded by | George Savage |
| Member of Craigavon Borough Council |
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| In office 7 June 2001 – 5 May 2011 |
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| Preceded by | James Gillespie |
| Succeeded by | Gladys McCullough |
| Constituency | Portadown |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas David Simpson
16 February 1959 Moy, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Democratic Unionist |
| Spouse | Elaine Simpson |
| Residence | Annaghmore, County Armagh |
| Alma mater | College of Business Studies |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Website | David Simpson MP |
David Simpson was born on 16 February 1959. He is a politician from Northern Ireland. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper Bann. He served as an MP from 2005 to 2019.
Before becoming an MP, Simpson was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA). He represented Upper Bann in the Assembly from 2003 to 2010.
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David Simpson's Political Journey
David Simpson started his political career in local government. He was first elected to the Craigavon Borough Council in 2001. Later, he served as the Mayor of Craigavon from 2004 to 2005.
In 2001, he ran for a seat in the UK Parliament. He tried to become the MP for Upper Bann but was not successful that time. However, in 2003, he was elected as an MLA for Upper Bann. This meant he became a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Becoming a Member of Parliament
David Simpson successfully won the parliamentary seat for Upper Bann in the 2005 general election. He took the seat from David Trimble, who was a well-known politician. Even after becoming an MP, he kept his council seat for a while.
He was re-elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007. But after being elected to the UK Parliament again in 2010, he decided to leave his roles in the Assembly and the Craigavon Borough Council. This allowed him to focus fully on his work as an MP in Westminster.
Working in Parliament
As an MP, David Simpson was part of several important committees. These committees help Parliament do its work. He was a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments. He also served on the Commons Committee on Statutory Instruments from 2006 to 2009. From 2007 to 2009, he was on the Transport Select Committee. In 2009, he joined the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.
He also held different spokesperson roles for his party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He was a DUP Spokesperson for:
- Trade and Industry (2005–2007)
- Transport (2007–2009)
- Young People (2007–2010)
- International Development (2007–2010)
- Business, Innovation and Skills (2009 onwards)
- Communities and Local Government (2010 onwards)
- Education (2012 onwards)
As the DUP Spokesperson on Communities and Local Government, Simpson spoke about important issues. He asked the government to take action against cyberbullying. He suggested that new laws might be needed to make cyberbullying an offense.
Simpson was also a member of the Orange Order. He held a leadership role as Deputy Master of the Loughgall District.
He supports the idea of creationism. This is a belief that the universe and living things were created by a divine being. He also supported continued funding for homeopathy on the National Health Service. Homeopathy is a type of alternative medicine.
On 6 November 2019, David Simpson announced that he would not run for re-election. He stepped down as an MP in the 2019 general election.
David Simpson's Personal Life
David Simpson attended The Birches Primary School and then Killicomaine Junior High School in Portadown. He later studied at the College of Business Studies in Belfast, which is now known as Belfast Metropolitan College.
Before becoming a full-time politician, he worked at the Universal Meat Company in Portadown. David Simpson is married and has a son and two daughters. He lives in Portadown. He has also been involved in youth work and programs that help people get back on track.
