Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2024
Edwin Poots
MLA
Poots in 2024
7th Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 February 2024
Deputy
Carál Ní Chuilín John Blair Steve Aiken
Preceded by
Alex Maskey
Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
In office 28 May 2021 – 30 June 2021[b]
Deputy
Paula Bradley
Preceded by
Arlene Foster
Succeeded by
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
Ministerial offices 2007–2022
Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs
In office 11 January 2020[a] – 27 October 2022
First Minister
Arlene Foster Paul Givan
Preceded by
Michelle McIlveen
Succeeded by
Andrew Muir (2024)
Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety
In office 16 May 2011 – 23 September 2014
First Minister
Peter Robinson
Preceded by
Michael McGimpsey
Succeeded by
Jim Wells
Minister of the Environment
In office 3 July 2009 – 4 May 2011
First Minister
Peter Robinson
Preceded by
Sammy Wilson
Succeeded by
Alex Attwood
Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
In office 14 May 2007 – 9 June 2008
First Minister
Ian Paisley Peter Robinson
Preceded by
Michael McGimpsey
Succeeded by
Gregory Campbell
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Lagan Valley
In office 25 June 1998 – 6 March 2022
Preceded by
Constituency created
Succeeded by
Paul Rankin
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast South
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 March 2022
Preceded by
Christopher Stalford
Personal details
Born
(1965-05-27) 27 May 1965 (age 59) Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Nationality
British
Political party
Speaker (since 2024)
Other political affiliations
Democratic Unionist Party (before 2024)
Spouse
Glynis Poots[1]
Children
4
Alma mater
College of Agriculture
Occupation
Farmer
Website
Edwin Poots MLA
^a Gordon Lyons served as Acting Agriculture Minister from 2 February 2021 to 8 March 2021 while Poots temporarily stood aside for health reasons. ^b Poots announced that he had requested a new leadership contest on 17 June 2021, but remained in office until a successor was elected.
Edwin Poots (born 27 April 1965) is a British[2] politician from Northern Ireland, serving as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly since February 2024. He served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from May to June 2021.[3][4] He was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in 1998. As of 2023, Poots was the DUP's Spokesperson for Institutional Reform and Hard to Reach Communities.[5]
In 2007, First Minister Ian Paisley appointed Poots to the Northern Ireland Executive as Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure. Poots left office after Peter Robinson became First Minister in 2008. In 2009, Poots returned to the Executive as Minister of the Environment, before being promoted to Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in 2011. He was removed as Health Minister in 2014. In January 2020, he was reappointed to the Executive by First Minister Arlene Foster as Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs, a position that he held until October 2022.[6]
After Foster resigned as DUP leader in 2021, Poots was elected as her successor, defeating Sir Jeffrey Donaldson. However, less than three weeks later, on 17 June, following controversy over his decision to nominate Paul Givan to be First Minister, Poots announced that he had requested a new leadership contest and that he would remain in post until a successor was appointed. Donaldson succeeded Poots on 30 June 2021.[7]
Following the death of his friend Christopher Stalford, it was announced on 7 March 2022 that Poots would be co-opted to fill the Belfast South Assembly seat, and run in the 2022 Assembly election,[8] leaving a vacancy in Lagan Valley.
In February 2024, Poots was elected as the 7th Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.[9]
^"Luke Poots adds his name to a planning application made in his mother's name". irishnews.com. Irish News. 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
^"► VIDEO: Poots: 'We are British people whose forefathers made this country'". www.irishtimes.com. 28 March 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
^"Edwin Poots officially ratified as leader of the DUP". rte.ie. RTÉ. Archived from the original on 2 June 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^"The timeline of Edwin Poots' leadership of the DUP". BBC News. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
^"Edwin Poots MLA". DUP. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
^"Mr Edwin Poots". Northern Ireland Assembly. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
^"DUP leadership: Sir Jeffrey Donaldson ratified as party leader". BBC News. 30 June 2021. Archived from the original on 1 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
^Cochrane, Amy (7 March 2022). "Edwin Poots confirmed to replace Christopher Stalford for south Belfast seat". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast. ISSN 0307-5664.
^"'Poacher turned game-keeper': Edwin Poots elected Speaker of the Assembly". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
EdwinPoots (born 27 April 1965) is a British politician from Northern Ireland, serving as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly since February 2024...
leadership election, losing to EdwinPoots. After Poots resigned the following month, Donaldson was elected unopposed to succeed Poots in the June DUP leadership...
(2008–2015), then by Arlene Foster (2015–2021). After Foster was ousted, EdwinPoots briefly became leader and nominated Paul Givan as First Minister, but...
for EdwinPoots previously, might be nominated to become First Minister of Northern Ireland after Poots was elected DUP leader. On 8 June 2021, Poots introduced...
Unionist Party, EdwinPoots, said he would not become the First Minister. Instead, DUP MLA Paul Givan was nominated for First Minister by Poots. Despite concerns...
EdwinPoots MLA stood in an election to replace Foster as Leader of the DUP. On 14 May 2021, Poots was elected as her successor as DUP leader. Poots succeeded...
"Mr EdwinPoots". Northern Ireland Assembly. Retrieved 9 June 2021. "EdwinPoots is elected DUP leader". BBC News. 14 May 2021. "DUP's EdwinPoots mourns...
City Charles Poots (1929-2020), politician from Northern Ireland EdwinPoots (born 1965), politician from Northern Ireland Imogen Poots (born 1989), British...
2024, the Northern Ireland Assembly met to elect a new Speaker, with EdwinPoots, a former leader of the DUP, chosen to be the Assembly's 7th Speaker...
DUP MPs signed a letter "...voicing no confidence in her leadership". EdwinPoots narrowly won the subsequent May 2021 DUP leadership election, but announced...
Commons. A sitting of the assembly was called for 3 February 2024 at which EdwinPoots was elected as Speaker and a new executive led by Michelle O'Neill and...
leadership election was triggered by EdwinPoots' resignation from the leadership of the party on 17 June 2021. Poots released a statement on 17 June 2021...
as the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs after EdwinPoots stood down temporarily for health reasons. On 6 July 2021 he became Minister...
Hargey, SDLP MP Claire Hanna and Alliance Party leader Naomi Long. When EdwinPoots was elected to Stalford's former constituency of Belfast South at the...
is currently held (since February 2024) by the MLA for Belfast South EdwinPoots of the Democratic Unionist Party. The Office of the Speaker is located...
March 2021 while Gordon Lyons was Acting Agriculture Minister while EdwinPoots stood aside due to ill health. In June 2021, Middleton replaced Lyons...
teacher, was appointed as the Minister for Education by the DUP leader EdwinPoots. She remained in the post under Sir Jeffrey Donaldson's leadership. Her...
instruction by the UK Environment Secretary (George Eustice), DAERA Minister EdwinPoots (DUP) (who had taken over the portfolio from Gordon Lyons) continued...
– EdwinPoots becomes Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. 11 to 13 June: 47th G7 summit is held at Carbis Bay, Cornwall. 17 June – EdwinPoots resigns...
2021. "As it happened: How EdwinPoots won DUP vote". BBC News. 14 May 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021. "DUP leader EdwinPoots resigns amid internal party...
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