Jim Shannon | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2020 | |
| Member of Parliament for Strangford | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Iris Robinson |
| Majority | 7,071 (18.9%) |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for Strangford | |
| In office 25 June 1998 – August 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Simpson Gibson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 March 1955 Omagh, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Democratic Unionist Party |
| Spouse | Sandra Shannon |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | Jim Shannon MP |
Richard James Shannon (born 25 March 1955) is a Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician. He has sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom since 2010 as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Strangford and is the DUP's Health Spokesperson.[1] He had previously sat in the Northern Ireland Assembly from 1998 to 2010 as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland (MLA) for Strangford. He is an advocate for Leave Means Leave, a pro-Brexit campaign.[2]
Richard Shannon was born on 25 March 1955 in Omagh, Northern Ireland. He is a member of the Orange Order and Apprentice Boys of Derry.[3] He has been voted "least sexy MP" in a list of all Westminster MPs but laughed off his position at the bottom of the poll.[4] In 2022, Shannon broke down in tears as he thanked his "long-suffering" wife in the Commons. Shannon lost his mother-in-law to Covid-19 and has previously spoken about her in the House as well.[5]
Shannon served in the Ulster Defence Regiment in 1974-1975 and 1976-1977.[6] He subsequently served over eleven years in the Royal Artillery Territorial Army (TA) and achieved the rank of Lance Bombardier,[7][8] until he was expelled in May 1989.[9][10][11] Two other TA soldiers were also discharged.[11][10] The expulsions followed the theft of Blowpipe man-portable surface-to-air missile components from the TA base in Newtownards by the loyalist paramilitary group Ulster Resistance.[11][12] A colleague stationed at the Newtownards base, Sergeant Samuel Quinn, had been arrested at the Hilton Hotel, Paris in April 1989 attempting to exchange missile technology for guns from Apartheid South Africa.[11] Two other members of Ulster Resistance, Noel Little and James King, were also arrested. Both men were long-time DUP activists.[13][11]
Shannon later confirmed that following his dismissal from the Territorial Army he had been questioned by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and released without charge. He suggested that his arrest was "designed to embarrass the DUP" ahead of the upcoming European Parliament election.[14]
Shannon was a longstanding councillor, first elected to Ards Borough Council in 1985 and serving as Mayor in 1991–1992. He was elected as a member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue in 1996. Shannon was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford in 1998 and then re-elected in 2003 and 2007, representing the DUP.
At the 2010 general election, Shannon was elected to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as MP for Strangford with 45.9% of the vote and a majority of 5,876.[15][16] Following his election to Westminster, Shannon resigned his Assembly seat in favour of Simpson Gibson.[17]
Shannon was re-elected as MP for Strangford at the 2015 general election with a decreased vote share of 44.4% and an increased majority of 10,185.[18][19]
In 2015, Shannon was the highest-claiming MP out of 650, claiming £205,798, not including travel which lead to his expenses being investigated.[20]
In 2016, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority announced it was launching a formal investigation into Shannon's expenses. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority found breaches of the MPs' Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses by his constituency workers for claiming mileage and said £13,925 must be repaid by the MP.[21][22]
At the snap 2017 general election, Shannon was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 62% and an increased majority of 18,343.[23][24]
Shannon is one of the most active contributors to Parliamentary debates, intervening in almost every adjournment debate, which he says he does to support fellow backbench MPs who wish to raise issues in typically poorly attended debates.[25]
In March 2019, Shannon was one of 21 MPs who voted against LGBT-inclusive sex and relationship education in English schools.[26][27]
At the 2019 general election, Shannon was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 47.2% and a decreased majority of 7,071.[28]
Speaking in a House of Commons adjournment debate on Netflix in February 2020, Shannon expressed his views on claims made by Margaret Hodge of alleged tax avoidance by the company, describing the behaviour as "simply disgraceful",[29] and called for Government to "ensure that big business has to pay a reasonable rate of tax."[30]
During a November 2023 debate on controlling the UK's squirrel population, Shannon referred to grey squirrels as the "Hamas of the squirrel world".[31] Grey squirrels pose a threat to local red squirrel populations as they can outcompete them for food and are prolific breeders.[32] Shannon's comment was met with bewilderment on social media.[33]
