May Steele (1936 or 1937 – 8 January 2020) MBE JP was a Northern Irish Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who was Party President from 2016 to 2020, and a Member of the Northern Ireland Forum for East Antrim from 1996 to 1998.

Background

Living in Larne, Steele joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in the 1950s, and became active in County Antrim. She was close to Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party leader William Craig, but remained a member of the UUP.^[1]

In 1990 Steele was appointed as a Justice of the Peace (JP) for County Antrim.

At the 1993 Northern Ireland local elections and 1997, Steele stood unsuccessfully for the UUP on Larne Borough Council.^[2] She also stood in the Northern Ireland Forum election in East Antrim and was elected, although she lost her seat at the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election.^[3] Despite this loss, and a reputation as a hardliner, she remained a prominent supporter of party leader David Trimble, and called for support of the Good Friday Agreement.^[1]

Steele devoted much of her time to the Ulster Women's Unionist Council, becoming Chairman of the organisation.^[4] In the 2000 Birthday Honours, she received the MBE for political and public service.^[5]

At the 2016 UUP annual conference, the party leader Mike Nesbit made Steele honorary president of the party.^{[citation needed]}

Steele died on 8 January, 2020, at the age of 83.^[6]