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
October 1985 (age 38) Lisburn, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Alliance |
| Spouse |
Dale Shirlow
(m. 2017) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Sorcha-Lucy Eastwood (born October 1985) is a politician from Northern Ireland. She is currently a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lagan Valley. She started this role in 2024. Before becoming an MP, she was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley from 2022 to 2024. Sorcha Eastwood is a member of the Alliance Party.
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Early Life and Education
Sorcha Eastwood was born in Lisburn in 1985. She has lived in Lisburn her whole life. Her family was very involved in their local community. They helped people from different backgrounds. Growing up, Sorcha saw how important it was to help others. This made her want to get involved in politics.
Her mother had dyslexia, which is a learning difference. Sorcha also has family members with disabilities. These experiences made her care a lot about disability rights. She wants to make sure everyone is treated fairly. Sorcha herself has a health condition called endometriosis.
Sorcha went to St Joseph's Primary School. She then attended St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls in Belfast. She studied law and politics at university for a year. After that, she did 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 was especially interested in how companies manage their staff.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics (2017–2022)
Sorcha Eastwood first ran for election in 2017. She was a candidate for the Alliance Party. She tried to become a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Belfast West. She received 747 votes but was not elected that time.
Later in 2017, she ran in the UK general election. She was a candidate for Belfast West. She came in 5th place with 731 votes.
In May 2019, Sorcha was elected as a councillor. She joined the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council. She represented the Castlereagh South area. In that election, she received the most votes and was elected right away.
Later in 2019, she ran for the general election in Lagan Valley. She came in second place. She got 28.8% of the votes. This was a big increase for her party in that area. She reduced the lead of the person who was already in power.
Serving as an MLA (2022–2024)
In the 2022 Assembly election, Sorcha Eastwood ran for Lagan Valley again. She received 8,211 votes. She was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). She took over the seat from Trevor Lunn, who was also from the Alliance Party.
Sorcha appeared on the BBC show Question Time in October 2023. This show discusses current events and politics.
Becoming an MP (2024)
Sorcha Eastwood ran for the general election in Lagan Valley in 2024. She won the election with 18,618 votes. This gave her a lead of 2,959 votes. She became the first MP for Lagan Valley who is not from a unionist party. This means she is from a party that does not support Northern Ireland staying part of the United Kingdom.
In November 2024, Sorcha joined the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee. This committee looks at issues related to Northern Ireland in the UK Parliament.
Personal Life
On June 8, 2017, Sorcha Eastwood married Dale Shirlow in Lisburn. Her wedding day was also the day of the 2017 UK general election. She famously cast her vote while wearing her wedding dress!
In 2023, her husband was being treated for a serious illness. Sorcha spoke out about the healthcare system. She wanted to make sure people received the best care.
