Emma Little-Pengelly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emma Little-Pengelly
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Little-Pengelly in 2024
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| Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland | |
| Assumed office 3 February 2024 Serving with Michelle O'Neill
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| Monarch | Charles III |
| Preceded by | Michelle O'Neill |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for Lagan Valley |
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| Assumed office 12 May 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Rankin |
| Member of Parliament for Belfast South |
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| In office 8 June 2017 – 6 November 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Alasdair McDonnell |
| Succeeded by | Claire Hanna |
| Junior Minister Assisting the First Minister | |
| In office 28 October 2015 – 25 May 2016 Serving with Jennifer McCann
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| First Minister | Peter Robinson |
| Preceded by | Michelle McIlveen |
| Succeeded by | Alastair Ross |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast South |
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| In office 28 September 2015 – 25 January 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Jimmy Spratt |
| Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mary Emma Little
31 December 1979 Markethill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Democratic Unionist |
| Spouse |
Richard Pengelly
(m. 2014) |
| Children | 3 stepchildren |
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
| Profession | Barrister |
Emma Little-Pengelly (born 31 December 1979) is a politician from Northern Ireland. She is a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Since February 2024, she has served as the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland.
She is also a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Lagan Valley area. An MLA is a politician elected to help make laws for Northern Ireland. She was appointed to this role in May 2022 to take the place of her party's leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.
Before this, Little-Pengelly was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast South. An MP represents their area in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London. She held this role from 2017 to 2019.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Emma Little-Pengelly was born in Markethill, County Armagh. Her father, Noel Little, was a former soldier. During a period in Northern Ireland's history known as the Troubles, her father was involved with a group called Ulster Resistance. When Emma was a child, her father was arrested in Paris in 1989 in connection with a plan to get weapons. He was away for two years.
Little-Pengelly went to Markethill High School and Portadown College. She later studied at Queen's University Belfast and became a barrister (a type of lawyer) in 2003.
Political Career
Starting in Politics
Little-Pengelly began her political work in 2007. She became a Special Advisor, or "Spad," to Ian Paisley when he was the First Minister of Northern Ireland. A Spad gives advice and support to a government minister. She continued in this role when Peter Robinson became First Minister in 2008.
In 2015, she was chosen to become an MLA for Belfast South, taking over from a politician who had to retire. Later that year, she was made a junior minister in the Northern Ireland government.
Elections and Parliament
Little-Pengelly was elected as an MLA for Belfast South in 2016. However, she lost her seat in the 2017 election.
In the 2017 UK general election, she was elected as the MP for Belfast South. She won the seat from the SDLP. She served as an MP for two years but lost her seat to Claire Hanna of the SDLP in the 2019 election.
Return to the Assembly
In May 2022, the DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson won a seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly election. However, he chose not to take his seat to focus on protesting the Northern Ireland Protocol. The DUP then appointed Little-Pengelly to be the MLA for Lagan Valley in his place.
She said she was privileged to take on the role and would work hard for the people of Lagan Valley.
Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
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On 3 February 2024, the Northern Ireland government started working again after a long pause. Little-Pengelly became the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. She works alongside First Minister Michelle O'Neill.
Her appointment was a historic moment. It was the first time a unionist politician held the position of deputy First Minister.
Personal Life
Little-Pengelly is married to Richard Pengelly. He is an important official in Northern Ireland's Education Authority.
