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, also known as Baron Weir of Ballyholme, was born on 21 November 1968. He is a politician from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He served as the Minister for Education in the Northern Ireland Executive. This is the government that runs Northern Ireland. He held this important role from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2020 to 2021.
Weir was the first person not from Sinn Féin to lead the Department of Education since it was created in 1999. He was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) from 1998 to 2022. An MLA is like a local Member of Parliament for Northern Ireland. He first represented North Down and later Strangford. In 2022, he lost his seat in the Assembly. Since 2022, he has been a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament.
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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 has been involved with Queen's University Belfast for a long time. He has been a member of the university's Senate since 1996. The Senate helps to manage the university. He was also a leading member of the University Convocation. In 1996, he was chosen to be a member of the Northern Ireland Peace Forum for North Down. This forum was set up to discuss the future of Northern Ireland.
Political Journey
Peter Weir started his political career early. He was once the chairman of the Young Unionists. This was the youth group for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).
Good Friday Agreement
In 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed. This agreement was a big step towards peace in Northern Ireland. Peter Weir did not support this agreement. He was a strong critic of the UUP leader at the time, David Trimble. Despite his views, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 1998 election.
Changing Political Parties
In 2001, Peter Weir was chosen to run for election in North Down. However, he was later removed as a candidate by the UUP. He was then expelled from the Ulster Unionist Party. This happened because he would not support David Trimble to be First Minister of Northern Ireland again.
After being an independent politician for a short time, Peter Weir joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in 2002. Since then, he has been re-elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly several times as a DUP member. He also ran for the UK Parliament in 2005 but did not win.
Becoming a Lord
In 2022, Peter Weir lost his seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly. However, on 14 October 2022, it was announced that he would become a life peer. This means he would be given a special title and a seat in the House of Lords for the rest of his life. On 16 November 2022, he officially became Baron Weir of Ballyholme. This title connects him to Ballyholme in County of Down.
Personal Life
Lord Weir of Ballyholme is a barrister by profession. This means he is a lawyer who can argue cases in higher courts. He is also a member of the Orange Order and the Royal Black Preceptory, which are Protestant fraternal organizations. He attends Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church. In 2021, he shared that he had to have a toe removed due to an infection. This was a result of his type 1 diabetes diagnosis.
