Pauline Armitage facts for kids

Pauline Armitage is a former politician from Northern Ireland. She was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for the area of East Londonderry. She served in this role from 1998 to 2003.

Pauline Armitage's Early Political Life

Pauline Armitage started her journey in politics in 1969. She joined a group called the Young Unionists in her hometown of Coleraine. Later, she served in the Ulster Defence Regiment. This was a local defense force.

Becoming a Local Councillor

In 1985, Pauline was elected to the Coleraine Borough Council. This is like a local government body. She represented the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). She worked as a councillor for many years. From 1995 to 1997, she held the important position of Mayor of Coleraine.

Joining the Northern Ireland Assembly

In 1996, Pauline tried to get elected to the Northern Ireland Forum. This was a group set up to discuss the future of Northern Ireland. She was not successful that time. However, in 1998, she was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly. This is the main law-making body for Northern Ireland. She represented the East Londonderry area.

Political Decisions and Party Changes

While in the Assembly, Pauline sometimes voted differently from her own party. For example, she supported a motion to exclude members of another party, Sinn Féin, from the government.

Leaving the Ulster Unionist Party

In November 2001, Pauline Armitage was temporarily removed from the UUP. This happened because she voted against her party leader, David Trimble. She disagreed with his re-appointment as First Minister. After this, she continued to serve in the Assembly as an independent Unionist. This meant she was still a Unionist but not officially part of a specific party.

In June 2003, she officially left the UUP. She then joined a different political group, the UK Unionist Party (UKUP). She ran for election again in 2003 for the UKUP but did not win.