Robin Newton
MBE
5th Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
In office
12 May 2016 – 11 January 2020
DeputyCaitríona Ruane
Patsy McGlone
Danny Kennedy
Preceded byMitchel McLaughlin
Succeeded byAlex Maskey
Principal Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
In office
20 January 2015 – 12 May 2016
Preceded byMitchel McLaughlin
Succeeded byCaitríona Ruane
Junior Minister at the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister
In office
1 July 2009 – 16 May 2011
Serving with Gerry Kelly
Preceded byJeffrey Donaldson
Succeeded byJonathan Bell
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Belfast East
In office
26 November 2003 – 28 March 2022
Preceded bySammy Wilson
Succeeded byDavid Brooks
Personal details
Born (1945-12-21) 21 December 1945 (age 78)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
NationalityBritish
Political partyDemocratic Unionist Party
SpouseCarole Newton
Children2
WebsiteRobin Newton MLA

Robert "Robin" Gray Newton MBE (born 21 December 1945) is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland representing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Belfast from 2003 to 2022, and was a junior minister in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister from 2009 to 2011.

Newton is a chief executive of a management consultancy company and a member of the East Belfast Partnership Board, which promotes economic development in East Belfast. He served as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 12 May 2016 until 11 January 2020. He and his wife Carole have two children.[1]

He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours "for services to Local Government and to the community in Northern Ireland."[2][3]

Political career

Newton was first elected to Belfast City Council in 1985. Newton is chairman of the Waterfront Hall board. He was an unsuccessful candidate in East Belfast in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum election.[4] He was elected as a DUP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for East Belfast in 2003.[1]

After the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election, he was the deputy chair of the Development Committee. He takes particular interest in housing matters, the elderly, health services and employment opportunities. Newton is the DUP party spokesperson for Enterprise, Trade and Investment.[5] On 12 May 2016 he was elected Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.[6]

In 2022, Newton was deselected as a DUP candidate and as a result did not contest the 2022 Assembly election.[7]

Executive

First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson announced on 22 June 2009 that Robin Newton would replace Jeffrey Donaldson as junior minister in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister at the beginning of the new assembly term in September 2009.[8] This reshuffle took place due to Robinson's plans to phase out "double jobbing" amongst elected representatives. Newton was sworn in as junior minister by the speaker, William Hay, on 1 July 2009, and served until 16 May 2011. From 2011 until 2012, he was a Political Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b "Biography". Robinnewton.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  2. ^ United Kingdom list: "No. 58729". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 21.
  3. ^ "MLA delighted at MBE". Belfast Telegraph. 18 June 2008.
  4. ^ "1996 Candidates - East Belfast". Ark.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  5. ^ "Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) - Northern Ireland". DUP. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  6. ^ "NI Assembly: Foster and McGuinness are NI first and deputy first ministers, UUP to form opposition". BBC News. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  7. ^ Hughes, Brendan (2 February 2022). "DUP MLA 'deselected' as election candidate for East Belfast". BelfastLive. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  8. ^ "DUP reshuffles NI Assembly ministers". Rte.ie. 24 June 2009. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Previous Policing Board Members | Northern Ireland Policing Board". Nipolicingboard.org.uk. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
Civic offices Preceded byJim Clarke High Sheriff of Belfast 1999–2000 Succeeded byTom Campbell Political offices Preceded byJeffrey Donaldson Junior Minister 2009–2011 Succeeded byJonathan Bell Northern Ireland Assembly Preceded bySammy Wilson MLA for Belfast East 2003–2022 Incumbent Preceded byMitchel McLaughlin Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly 2016–2020 Succeeded byAlex Maskey
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