Sorcha Eastwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sorcha Eastwood
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley |
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| Assumed office 4 July 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Jeffrey Donaldson |
| Majority | 2,959 (6.0%) |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley |
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| In office 5 May 2022 – 5 July 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Trevor Lunn |
| Succeeded by | Michelle Guy |
| Member of Lisburn & Castlereagh Council |
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| In office 7 May 2019 – 5 May 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Geraldine Rice |
| Succeeded by | Fiona Cole |
| Constituency | Castlereagh South |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Sorcha-Lucy Eastwood
Lisburn, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Alliance |
| Spouse |
Dale Shirlow
(m. 2017) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Sorcha-Lucy Eastwood is a politician from Northern Ireland. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lagan Valley since 2024. An MP is someone elected to represent their local area in the UK Parliament.
Before becoming an MP, she was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley. She served as an MLA from 2022 until she was elected to the House of Commons in 2024. She is a member of the Alliance Party.
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Early Life and Education
Sorcha Eastwood was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and has always lived there. Her family was very involved in their local community. Sorcha has shared that some difficult experiences growing up inspired her to get involved in politics.
Her mother had dyslexia and left school at 15. Sorcha also has family members with disabilities. This led to her strong interest in disability rights throughout her life. Sorcha herself has a health condition called endometriosis.
Sorcha went to St Joseph's Primary School and St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls in Belfast. She studied law and politics at university for a year. After that, she started an apprenticeship in retail management at Tesco. She became one of their youngest store managers. Later, she studied business and economics at Ulster University. She focused on human resources and employment.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics (2017–2022)
Sorcha Eastwood first ran for election in 2017. She was a candidate for the Alliance Party in the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election. She ran in Belfast West but did not win enough votes to be elected.
Later that year, she ran again in the 2017 UK general election. She was a candidate for Belfast West. She came in 5th place.
In May 2019, she was elected as a councillor for Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. A councillor helps make decisions for their local area. She represented the Castlereagh South area. In that election, she received the most votes and was elected right away.
Later in 2019, she was the Alliance Party candidate for Lagan Valley in the general election. She came in second place. She significantly increased the Alliance Party's share of the votes in that area.
Serving as an MLA (2022–2024)
In the 2022 Assembly election, Sorcha Eastwood was an Alliance candidate for Lagan Valley. She received many votes and was elected as an MLA. She took over the seat from Trevor Lunn, who was also from the Alliance Party.
In October 2023, she appeared on the BBC TV show Question Time. This show features politicians and public figures discussing current events.
Becoming an MP (2024)
Sorcha Eastwood ran for election again in Lagan Valley during the 2024 general election. She won the seat with 18,618 votes. This made her the first MP for that area who was not from a unionist party.
In November 2024, Sorcha Eastwood joined the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee (NIAC). This committee looks into matters related to Northern Ireland.
Personal Life
On June 8, 2017, Sorcha Eastwood married Dale Shirlow in Lisburn. Her wedding day happened to be the same day as the 2017 UK general election. She famously cast her vote while wearing her wedding dress.
In 2023, she spoke publicly about the care her husband received at Belfast City Hospital. He was being treated for a rare type of blood cancer.
