Jonathan Bell (politician)
| Jonathan Bell MLA |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment | |
| In office 11 May 2015[note 1] – 5 May 2016 |
|
| First Minister | Peter Robinson Arlene Foster (Acting) Arlene Foster(Permanent) |
| Preceded by | Arlene Foster |
| Succeeded by | Simon Hamilton |
| Junior Minister at the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister | |
| In office 16 May 2011 – 11 May 2015 |
|
| First Minister | Peter Robinson Arlene Foster (Acting) |
| deputy First Minister | Martin McGuinness John O'Dowd (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Robin Newton |
| Succeeded by | Michelle McIlveen |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford |
|
| Assumed office 22 January 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Iris Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 March 1970 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | DUP (suspended 2016) UUP (until 2000) |
| Spouse(s) | Lisa |
| Children | Andrew Emma |
| Residence | Conlig, County Down |
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
| Profession | Social worker |
| Religion | Free Methodist |
Jonathan Fergus Bell MLA (born 5 March 1970)[1] is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician in Northern Ireland. He was selected in 2010 to fill the vacancy for the Strangford constituency of the Northern Ireland Assembly following the resignation of Iris Robinson.[2] In the 2011 Assembly election he won the seat, and was on 16 May 2011 endorsed by the Assembly as a Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Between 11 May 2015 and 5 May 2016 he was Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment on six occasions.[3]
Biography[edit]
Bell was the youngest of three children of Fergus Bell, a minister in the Free Methodist Church, and his wife Nora, a secretary. At three months old he survived a bout of whooping cough.[4]
Bell graduated from Queen's University Belfast, with a degree in psychology, and obtained a postgraduate diploma and a master's degree in social work. He worked until 2010 in child care social work.[2]
He is married to Lisa, a nurse. The have two children and live in Conlig, County Down.[4]
Political career[edit]
He sat on Craigavon Borough Council from 1997 until 2005, where he served as both deputy mayor and mayor. Bell was originally elected for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)[5] but dissatisfied with the leadership of David Trimble, quit the party in March 2000.[6] In 1999 he was the organiser and spokesperson of a demonstration in favour of Protestant/Unionist rights, the Long March.[6][7]
By the time of the 2001 local elections he had joined the DUP. When he was appointed as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), he was a councillor for the DUP in Ards. On accepting the invitation to replace Robinson as an MLA he resigned his position as a member of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, as the Northern Ireland Act 1998 stipulated that membership of the Commission was incompatible with Assembly membership.[2] Bell had, with UUP member Daphne Trimble, been one of two Commissioners to publicly oppose the Commission's stance on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland.
Bell was the fourth person to be appointed an MLA under the Northern Ireland Assembly (Elections) (Amendment) Order 2009. Under these arrangements where a vacancy arises due to the death or resignation of an MLA who was a member of a political party, instead of a by-election the nominating officer of the party concerned nominates a person to fill the vacancy.[8]
Following his election to the Assembly in May 2011, and his appointment shortly thereafter as a junior minister, Bell worked alongside his Sinn Féin counterpart Martina Anderson to support the diarchy operated by the First Minister and deputy First Minister.
In May 2012, Jonathan Bell attacked golf clubs in Northern Ireland for being a haven for sectarian attitudes, though he later apologised. He claims his attack was "a clumsy use of language".[9]
In May 2015, Bell was appointed Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in a re-shuffle of offices held by DUP MLAs which saw Arlene Foster, the previous DETI minister, move to Finance and Personnel.[3] Following the Northern Ireland Assembly election on 5 May 2016, when Bell was elected as MLA for Strangford,[10] DETI was renamed the Department for the Economy. Simon Hamilton became its minister, and Bell left the Executive.
On 16 December 2016, Bell gave an interview with Stephen Nolan for BBC Northern Ireland about his and Foster's involvement with the scandal-hit Renewable Heat Incentive,[11][12] Two days later, he was suspended from the party.[13]
References[edit]
- ^ Resigned on 10 September 2015, re-entered office on 16 Sept. till 17 Sept., then 23 Sept.-24 Sept, 28 Sept.-29 Sept., 30 Sept.-1 Oct. 2015. From 20 October assumed the office
- ^ NI Assembly Profile
- ^ a b c BBC News: DUP's Jonathan Bell to replace Iris Robinson as MLA
- ^ a b "DUP reshuffle: Foster, Bell and Hamilton in new jobs". BBC News Online. 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
- ^ a b Noel McAdam, "Jonathan Bell's journey to high office laced with ups and downs", Belfast Telegraph, 16 December 2016
- ^ Craigavon local election results
- ^ a b Bell quits UUP
- ^ The Sunday Herald (Dublin) 4 July 1999: 'Ulster peace deal is dead, say bitter Unionists'
- ^ Electoral Office of Northern Ireland
- ^ Devenport, Mark. "BBC news- Jonathan Bell apologises over golf club sectarianism comments". Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ^ "Northern Ireland election 2016: Who are all the 108 Assembly members elected?", Belfast Telegraph, 8 May 2016
- ^ "DUP's Jonathan Bell: I'll tell the truth over RHI scandal and it will ruin my career", Belfast Telegraph, 15 December 2016
- ^ "In full: DUP MLA Jonathan Bell's Nolan interview", The News Letter, 15 December 2016
- ^ "RHI scandal: Jonathan Bell suspended from DUP", BBC Northern Ireland, 18 December 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sam Gardiner |
Mayor of Craigavon 2002–2003 |
Succeeded by Ignatius Fox |
| Preceded by Robin Newton |
Junior Minister 2011 - 2015 |
Succeeded by Michelle McIlveen |
| Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
| Preceded by Iris Robinson |
MLA for Strangford 2010–present |
Incumbent |
- Living people
- Alumni of Queen's University Belfast
- Democratic Unionist Party politicians
- Ulster Unionist Party politicians
- Mayors of places in Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2007–11
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–16
- Northern Ireland Government ministers
- 1970 births
- Christian creationists
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–
