Peter Weir, Baron Weir of Ballyholme facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Weir of Ballyholme
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| Minister for Education | |
| In office 11 January 2020 – 13 June 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Himself (2017) |
| Succeeded by | Michelle McIlveen |
| In office 25 May 2016 – 2 March 2017 |
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| Preceded by | John O'Dowd |
| Succeeded by | Himself (2020) |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| Assumed office 16 November 2022 Life Peerage |
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| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford |
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| In office 2 March 2017 – 28 March 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Jonathan Bell |
| Succeeded by | Nick Mathison |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for North Down |
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| In office 25 June 1998 – 26 January 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Member of North Down Borough Council |
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| In office 5 May 2005 – 22 May 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Patricia Wallace |
| Succeeded by | Council abolished |
| Constituency | Ballyholme and Groomsport |
| Northern Ireland Forum Member for North Down |
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| In office 30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998 |
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| Preceded by | New forum |
| Succeeded by | Forum dissolved |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter James Weir
21 November 1968 Bangor, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | DUP (2002–present) UUP (until 2001) |
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
| Profession | Barrister |
Peter James Weir, Baron Weir of Ballyholme (born 21 November 1968), is a politician from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He served as the Minister for Education in the Northern Ireland Executive (the government of Northern Ireland) twice. His first term was from 2016 to 2017, and his second was from 2020 to 2021. He was the first person not from Sinn Féin to lead the Department of Education since it began in 1999.
Peter Weir was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) from 1998 to 2022. He first represented the area of North Down (1998–2017). Later, he was elected to represent Strangford in 2017. He lost his seat in the 2022 election. Since 2022, he has been a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament.
Early Life and Education
Peter Weir grew up in Bangor, Northern Ireland. He went to Bangor Grammar School. After school, he studied Law and Accountancy at The Queen's University of Belfast.
In 1992, he became a Barrister, which is a type of lawyer who represents people in court. He also worked as an editor for a magazine called The Ulster Review. Since 1996, he has been a member of the Queen's University Senate. He was also part of the Northern Ireland Peace Forum in 1996, representing North Down. This forum was a group that discussed peace in Northern Ireland.
Political Journey
Peter Weir started his political career as a leader of the Young Unionists. This was the youth group of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).
In 1998, he did not support the Good Friday Agreement. This agreement was a major step towards peace in Northern Ireland. Despite this, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 1998 election.
He was chosen to be a candidate for the UUP in the 2001 general election. However, he later left the Ulster Unionist Party. After being an independent politician for a short time, he joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in 2002.
Since joining the DUP, he was re-elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for North Down several times. In the 2005 UK election, he ran for the DUP in North Down but did not win.
He was a member of the North Down Borough Council before it was changed in 2014.
In 2022, Peter Weir lost his seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly election. Later that year, in October 2022, it was announced that he would become a life peer. This means he would become a member of the House of Lords for life. On 16 November 2022, he officially became Baron Weir of Ballyholme.
Personal Life
Lord Weir of Ballyholme works as a barrister. He is also a member of the Orange Order and the Royal Black Preceptory, which are cultural and religious organizations. He attends Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church.
In November 2021, he shared that he had a toe amputated due to an infection. This happened after he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
