John Alderdice, Baron Alderdice facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Alderdice
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Official portrait, 2023
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| President of Liberal International | |
| In office 25 April 2005 – 20 April 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck |
| Succeeded by | Hans van Baalen |
| 1st Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly | |
| In office 1 July 1998 – 29 February 2004 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| First Minister | First Ministers (1998–2002) David Trimble Reg Empey (Acting) David Trimble Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland (2002–2004) John Reid Paul Murphy |
| Deputy | Sir John Gorman Donovan McClelland Jane Morrice Jim Wilson |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Eileen Bell |
| Leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | |
| In office 1987–1998 |
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| Deputy | Gordon Mawhinney Seamus Close |
| General Secretary | Eileen Bell David Ford |
| Preceded by | John Cushnahan |
| Succeeded by | Seán Neeson |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast East |
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| In office 25 June 1998 – 26 November 2003 |
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| Preceded by | New creation |
| Succeeded by | Naomi Long |
| Member of Belfast City Council |
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| In office 17 May 1989 – 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Oliver Napier |
| Succeeded by | David Alderdice |
| Constituency | Victoria |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
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Lord Temporal
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| Assumed office 5 November 1996 as a life peer |
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| Personal details | |
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John Thomas Alderdice
28 March 1955 Ballymena, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Other political affiliations |
Alliance |
| Spouse | Joan Hill |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
John Thomas Alderdice, Baron Alderdice (born 28 March 1955), is a politician from Northern Ireland. He served as the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998 to 2004. He was also a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Belfast from 1998 to 2003. Before that, Alderdice led the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland from 1987 to 1998. Since 1996, he has been a member of the House of Lords in the UK Parliament, representing the Liberal Democrats.
Contents
About John Alderdice
Early Life and Education
John Alderdice was born on March 28, 1955. His parents were David Alderdice and Annie Margaret Helena Shields. He went to Ballymena Academy for school. Later, he studied medicine at Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and became a doctor in 1978.
Family and Career
In 1977, John Alderdice married Joan Hill. They have two sons and one daughter. Besides his political work, he was a part-time psychiatrist. He worked in psychotherapy for the NHS from 1988 until 2010. He also taught at Queen's University's medical school from 1991 to 1999. John is the older brother of David Alderdice.
Political Journey in Northern Ireland
Joining the Alliance Party
The Alliance Party was started in 1970. It offered a different way of doing politics, moving away from groups that caused conflict. John Alderdice joined the party's main committee in 1984. He led the policy committee from 1985 to 1987. In 1987, he became the party's vice-chair. After the 1987 United Kingdom general election, he became the leader of the Alliance Party.
Elections and Key Ideas
Alderdice ran for election in Belfast East in 1987 and 1992. In 1987, he received 32.1% of the votes. This was the highest percentage for the Alliance Party in that area for a long time. Later, Naomi Long won the seat for the party in 2010.
In 1988, Alderdice suggested a new way for Northern Ireland to be governed. He wanted a government where different groups shared power. This government would be chosen by a special majority vote. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Alliance Party usually got between 6% and 8% of the votes across Northern Ireland.
Peace Talks and Leadership
John Alderdice was part of important peace talks. He led the Alliance team at the Forum for Peace and Reconciliation in Dublin. He also took part in the Northern Ireland multiparty talks. He was a member of the Northern Ireland Forum.
After the IRA stopped fighting in 1994, Alderdice was willing to talk with Sinn Féin. Many people in the unionist community at the time did not think these talks were a good idea.
Speaker of the Assembly
In 1998, Alderdice was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast East. He became the very first Speaker of the Assembly. He held this important role until 2004. Mo Mowlam, a key political figure, said that Alderdice was well-suited for the job.
Before becoming Speaker, he was a member of the Belfast City Council. He represented the Victoria area from 1989 to 1997. He stepped down as party leader in 1998 to take on the Speaker role. From 2004 to 2011, he was also a member of the Independent Monitoring Commission.
Becoming a Peer
Joining the House of Lords
On October 8, 1996, John Alderdice was given the title of Baron Alderdice. This made him a life peer, meaning he could sit in the House of Lords for the rest of his life. He was one of the youngest people ever to become a life peer. In the House of Lords, he is part of the Liberal Democrats party. On June 10, 2010, he was chosen to lead the Liberal Democrat peers in the House of Lords.
International Role
Alderdice was elected president of Liberal International in 2005. This is a worldwide organization for liberal political parties. He served in this role until 2009. He was followed by Dutch politician Hans van Baalen.
Awards and Recognitions
John Alderdice has received many awards for his work. These include:
- The John F Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award (1998)
- The W. Averell Harriman Democracy Award (1998)
- The Silver Medal of Congress of Peru (1999 and 2004)
- The Medal of Honour, College of Medicine of Peru (1999)
- The Freedom of the City of Baltimore (1991)
In 2001, he was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He also received an honorary doctorate in law from Robert Gordon University.
See also
- List of Northern Ireland members of the House of Lords
