Jim Allister facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Allister
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024
|
|
| Leader of Traditional Unionist Voice | |
| Assumed office 7 December 2007 |
|
| Deputy | Ron McDowell |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Member of Parliament for North Antrim |
|
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 |
|
| Preceded by | Ian Paisley Jr |
| Majority | 450 (1.1%) |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for North Antrim |
|
| In office 5 May 2011 – 5 July 2024 |
|
| Preceded by | Declan O'Loan |
| Succeeded by | Timothy Gaston |
| In office 1982–1986 |
|
| Preceded by | Assembly reconvened |
| Succeeded by | Assembly dissolved |
| Member of the European Parliament for Northern Ireland |
|
| In office 11 July 2004 – 4 June 2009 |
|
| Preceded by | Ian Paisley |
| Succeeded by | Diane Dodds |
| Member of Newtownabbey Borough Council | |
| In office 15 May 1985 – 17 May 1989 |
|
| Preceded by | New district |
| Succeeded by | John Blair |
| Constituency | Doagh Road |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 April 1953 Listooder, County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Traditional Unionist Voice (since 2007) |
| Other political affiliations |
|
| Spouse |
Ruth McCullagh
(m. 1978) |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
| Profession | Barrister |
James Hugh Allister (born 2 April 1953) is a politician and lawyer from Northern Ireland. He is a unionist, which means he supports Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom. Since the 2024 general election, he has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for North Antrim.
Jim Allister started the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party in 2007 and has been its leader ever since. Before becoming an MP, he was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Antrim. He was first elected as an MLA in 2011.
He was also a member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 until 2007. During that time, he was elected as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Northern Ireland in 2004. He continued to serve as an MEP even after leaving the DUP and starting the TUV, until 2009.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jim Allister was born on 2 April 1953 in a place called Listooder, which is near Crossgar in County Down, Northern Ireland. He lived there until he was nine years old. His family then moved to Craigantlet, which is just outside Newtownards.
His parents, Robert and Mary Jane Allister, were Protestants from County Monaghan. They had moved to County Down in the late 1940s or early 1950s.
Jim Allister went to Barnamaghery Primary School and later Dundonald Primary School. After that, he attended Regent House Grammar School in Newtownards. He then went to Queen's University Belfast, where he studied law and earned a degree.
Early Political Involvement
Jim Allister joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) when it was first created in 1971. Before that, he was part of the Official Unionist Party (OUP).
In the early 1970s, he was involved in student politics at Queen's University Belfast. He was the chairman of the Queen's University DUP Association. He also helped with the 1974 Ulster Workers' Council strike. This strike was a protest against a political agreement called the Sunningdale Agreement. From 1980 to 1982, he worked as an assistant to Ian Paisley, who was a Member of the European Parliament at the time.
Becoming an Elected Politician
In 1982, Jim Allister was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. He represented North Antrim and served as the DUP's chief whip in the Assembly. This meant he helped make sure party members voted as a group.
He was also a member of Newtownabbey Borough Council from 1985 to 1987. In 1983, he ran for the United Kingdom Parliament in the Westminster election for East Antrim, but he did not win.
Politics and Key Events
Jim Allister was a strong opponent of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, which was signed in 1985. This agreement was between the British and Irish governments. He was part of a group that worked to oppose the agreement.
In 1987, he stepped away from active politics for a while. This was reportedly due to a disagreement with Ian Paisley about a voting plan with another unionist party.
Legal Career
Jim Allister became a Barrister in 1976. A barrister is a type of lawyer who represents people in court. He specialized in criminal law. In 2001, he became a Queen's Counsel, which is a special title for experienced barristers.
Member of the European Parliament (MEP)
Jim Allister rejoined the DUP in 2004. He successfully ran as a candidate for Northern Ireland in the 2004 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom. He received the most votes in Northern Ireland.
As an MEP, he was known for being very active. He participated in many debates and asked many questions. He was also a member of the European Parliament Committee on Fisheries, which deals with fishing rules. A group called the TaxPayers' Alliance said he was one of the most hard-working MEPs from the United Kingdom.
On 27 March 2007, Jim Allister left the DUP. This was because the party decided to share power in government with Sinn Féin. He then started his own political party, the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), on 7 December 2007.
In the 2009 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom, he ran as a TUV candidate but was not re-elected.
Leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV)
Jim Allister ran as a TUV candidate in the 2010 Westminster election for North Antrim. He came in second place, behind Ian Paisley Jr of the DUP.
He returned to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 2011 election, winning a seat in North Antrim.
In 2012, Jim Allister started an annual event at Parliament Buildings in Belfast. This event remembers the victims of terrorist attacks around the world, on the anniversary of the 2004 Madrid bombings.
In June 2013, a new law proposed by Jim Allister was passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly. This law, called the Civil Service (Special Advisers) Bill, aimed to make rules stricter for how special advisers are appointed by government ministers. It made sure that people convicted of serious crimes could not be appointed as special advisers. Allister said he was inspired to create this law by Ann Travers, who had protested against a specific appointment. He called it "Ann's Law."
In February 2021, another law proposed by Jim Allister was passed. This law aimed to improve how the Northern Ireland government works. It introduced rules like keeping written records of government meetings and preventing confidential information from being shared improperly. It also required ministers and special advisers to declare their financial interests.
In the May 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly elections, Jim Allister was re-elected in North Antrim. His party, the TUV, saw an increase in overall votes.
Member of Parliament (MP)
In March 2024, the TUV formed an agreement with another political party, Reform UK. They decided to support each other's candidates in Northern Ireland for the 2024 United Kingdom general election. Jim Allister confirmed he would run for the North Antrim area as part of this alliance.
North Antrim had been a very safe seat for the DUP for a long time, held by Ian Paisley Jr and before him, his father Ian Paisley. However, Jim Allister won the election, defeating Ian Paisley Jr by 450 votes. This was the first time the TUV won a seat in the UK Parliament.
After his election, Jim Allister confirmed that he would not formally join the Reform UK group of MPs. However, he said he would work with them and support them on issues they agreed on. In September 2024, he was chosen in a ballot that allows MPs to propose their own new laws in Parliament.
Personal Life
Jim Allister married Ruth McCullagh in 1978. They have three children: two sons and one daughter. He is a member of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster.
