Jim Shannon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Shannon
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Member of Parliament for Strangford |
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| Assumed office 6 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Iris Robinson |
| Majority | 7,071 (18.9%) |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for Strangford |
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| In office 25 June 1998 – August 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Simpson Gibson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 March 1955 Banbridge, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Democratic Unionist Party |
| Spouse | Sandra Shannon |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | Greyabbey, Northern Ireland |
| Profession | Farmer |
| Website | Jim Shannon MP |
Richard James Shannon (born 25 March 1955) is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician in Northern Ireland. He has sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom since 2010 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Strangford. He had previously sat in the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998 to 2010 as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland (MLA) for Strangford. He is an advocate for Leave Means Leave, a pro-Brexit campaign.
Personal life
Shannon was educated at Ballywalter Primary School and Coleraine Academical Institution. He was a soldier in the Ulster Defence Regiment in 1973–1975 and 1976–1977 and was awarded the General Service Medal. He served in the Royal Artillery TA from 1977 to 1989. He is a member of the Orange Order and Apprentice Boys of Derry. In 2022, Shannon broke down in tears as he thanked his "long-suffering" wife in the Commons. Shannon lost his mother-in-law to Covid-19 and has previously spoken about her in the House as well.
Political career
Shannon was a longstanding councillor, first elected to Ards Borough Council in 1985 and serving as Mayor in 1991–1992. He was elected as a member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue in 1996. Shannon was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford in 1998 and then re-elected in 2003 and 2007, representing the DUP.
At the 2010 general election Shannon won in his own constituency of Strangford with 14,926 votes compared to the runners-up, the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists (9,050 votes). The seat had been vacant since the resignation of fellow DUP MP Iris Robinson on 13 January 2010. Following his election to Westminster, he resigned his Assembly seat in favour of Simpson Gibson. He also resigned his council seat in favour of Joe Hagan, who was subsequently deselected.
In 2016, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority announced it was launching a formal investigation into Shannon's expenses. In 2015, he was the highest-claiming MP out of 650, claiming £205,798, not including travel. In 2016 the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority found breaches of the MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses by his constituency workers for claiming mileage and said £13,925 must be repaid by the MP.
Shannon is one of the most active contributors to Parliamentary debates, intervening in almost every adjournment debate, which he says he does to support fellow backbench MPs who wish to raise issues in typically poorly attended debates.
Speaking in a House of Commons adjournment debate on Netflix, Shannon expressed his views on claims made by Margaret Hodge of alleged tax avoidance by the company, describing the behaviour as "simply disgraceful" and called for Government to "ensure that big business has to pay a reasonable rate of tax."
