Jim Allister
Encyclopedia
James Hugh "Jim" Allister, QC
(born 2 April 1953) is a Northern Ireland
Unionist politician and senior barrister
. He is the leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice
(TUV) political party, serving as MLA
in the Northern Ireland Assembly
, where he represents Antrim North
.
He was formerly a member of the Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP), for which he successfully stood for election in 2004 to the European Parliament
(succeeding Ian Paisley
). He continued as a member of the European Parliament
following his resignation from the DUP, and his subsequent establishment of the TUV, but failed to retain his seat at the 2009 European parliamentary elections. In the European Parliament, although an avowed Euro-sceptic, he was also a strong supporter of the Common Agricultural Policy
.
in County Down
. After attending Regent House Grammar School
in Newtownards
, Allister graduated with a Bachelor of Law with Honours in Constitutional Law from Queen's University of Belfast
. He was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland as a barrister in 1976, where he specialised in criminal law, and later called to the Senior Bar as a QC
; he "took silk" in 2001.
from 1980 to 1982. In 1982 he was elected as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
at Stormont
for North Antrim and served as the DUP Assembly Chief Whip. He was also as the Vice-Chairman of Scrutiny Committee of Department of Finance and Personnel from October 1982 to June 1986. Outside the Stormont Assembly, he was a member of Newtownabbey Borough Council
from 1985-87. In 1983, he had stood as a DUP candidate in the Westminster election
for East Antrim
. Although he was the favourite to win he narrowly lost to Roy Beggs
by 367 votes.
Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in November 1985 by the Thatcher/FitzGerald governments, he was one of the most vocal and active opponents of the treaty. He was also a prominent member of the Joint Unionist Working Party, a body set up by his party and the Ulster Unionist Party to oversee the unionist campaign against the Agreement. His colleagues Peter Robinson
and Sammy Wilson were also members. During the Unionist "Day of Action" on Monday, 3 March 1986, against the Anglo-Irish Agreement
, which saw most of Northern Ireland electricity power supplies cut off and its main industry closed down, Allister led numerous Ulster loyalist street protests.
His departure from active politics in June 1987 followed a reported disagreement with Ian Paisley
over a voting pact with James Molyneaux
's Ulster Unionist Party
. The situation resembled fellow unionist politician and barrister Robert McCartney
in the North Down constituency. McCartney was later expelled from the UUP around the same time for not accepting the policy of the leadership. Allister and McCartney share the same assessment of the current political process in Northern Ireland, claiming it will ultimately lead to the creation of the political and economic unification of Ireland. The former North Down MP was invited by Allister to speak to the TUV's 2009 annual party conference in Belfast, which McCartney accepted.
. In March 2005 Allister was the victim of cybersquatting
, when a domain advertised on the outside of his office was registered by the Ulster Young Unionist Council which preceded him.
The domain read "Too slow Jim, vote Ulster Unionist
"
On 27 March 2007, he resigned from the DUP because of the party's decision to enter into government with Sinn Féin
. It was the second occasion on which he had resigned from the party In the press conference announcing his resignation, he stated that he could never accept Sinn Féin in the government of Northern Ireland while the Provisional IRA Army Council remained in existence.
In late 2007, speculation began over Allister's political intentions, with it being suggested that a new Unionist political party was imminent. While it was suggested on 10 October 2007 that he had been approached by the United Kingdom Independence Party
, he proceeded to found the Traditional Unionist Voice
on 7 December 2007. In the 2009 European elections
, he gained 66,000 first preference votes and 13.5% of the first preference vote, standing as a TUV candidate, but lost his European parliament seat on the second count. His candidacy was blamed in some quarters for the poor performance of the DUP candidate, Diane Dodds
.
He intimated that he might stand as a candidate for the Westminster Parliamentary election in North Antrim
. According to the European election result in North Antrim, Allister stood a good chance of winning the seat, which would have been a tremendous loss to the DUP - historically the DUP's safest seat in the land and the seat of DUP founder and former party leader Ian Paisley
. In November 2009, Alex Kane, the Ulster Unionist Party
's press officer, speculated in his weekly News Letter column that Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) could win at least 14 seats in the next Assembly election. In the 2010 General Election Allister finished second in North Antrim, with 7,114 votes to the DUP's Ian Paisley Junior who polled 19,672 votes. His TUV party polled some 26,300 votes throughout Northern Ireland, a drop of almost two-thirds in their level of support at the European election in 2009. In the 2011 Stormont Election, he was elected MLA of North Antrim claiming the 6th seat.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(born 2 April 1953) is a Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
Unionist politician and senior barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
. He is the leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice
Traditional Unionist Voice
Traditional Unionist Voice is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland founded on 7 December 2007, as an anti-St Andrews Agreement splinter group from the Democratic Unionist Party . Its first and current leader is Jim Allister who, until 2009, sat as an independent Member of the European...
(TUV) political party, serving as MLA
MLA
- Organizations :* Modern Language Association, United States of America** The MLA Style Manual, its works cited page guidelines* Massachusetts Library Association* Medical Library Association, United States...
in the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
, where he represents Antrim North
North Antrim (Assembly constituency)
North Antrim is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973...
.
He was formerly a member of the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP), for which he successfully stood for election in 2004 to the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
(succeeding Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
). He continued as a member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
following his resignation from the DUP, and his subsequent establishment of the TUV, but failed to retain his seat at the 2009 European parliamentary elections. In the European Parliament, although an avowed Euro-sceptic, he was also a strong supporter of the Common Agricultural Policy
Common Agricultural Policy
The Common Agricultural Policy is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. It represents 48% of the EU's budget, €49.8 billion in 2006 ....
.
Background
Allister was born at CrossgarCrossgar
Crossgar is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is about 15 miles south of Belfast – between Saintfield and Downpatrick. Crossgar had a population of 1,539 people in the 2001 Census.- History :...
in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
. After attending Regent House Grammar School
Regent House Grammar School
Regent House Grammar School is a co-ed voluntary grammar school situated in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. It comprises two parts: the preparatory department, known as "the Prep" and the main school itself...
in Newtownards
Newtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
, Allister graduated with a Bachelor of Law with Honours in Constitutional Law from Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
. He was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland as a barrister in 1976, where he specialised in criminal law, and later called to the Senior Bar as a QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
; he "took silk" in 2001.
First political career (1982-1987)
Allister joined the DUP at its founding in 1971. He served as a European Parliament assistant to Ian PaisleyIan Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
from 1980 to 1982. In 1982 he was elected as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly, 1982
The Northern Ireland Assembly established in 1982 represented an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to restore the devolution to Northern Ireland which had been suspended 10 years previously. The Assembly was abolished in 1986.-Origins:...
at Stormont
Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)
The Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive...
for North Antrim and served as the DUP Assembly Chief Whip. He was also as the Vice-Chairman of Scrutiny Committee of Department of Finance and Personnel from October 1982 to June 1986. Outside the Stormont Assembly, he was a member of Newtownabbey Borough Council
Newtownabbey Borough Council
Newtownabbey Borough Council is a Local Council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Newtownabbey has a population of over 80,000 and is on the north shore of Belfast Lough just immediately north of Belfast. The Borough was founded in 1958 as a result of an Act of Parliament passed in 1957 and...
from 1985-87. In 1983, he had stood as a DUP candidate in the Westminster election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
for East Antrim
East Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)
East Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It has voted for Unionist candidates since its re-creation in 1983.-Boundaries:...
. Although he was the favourite to win he narrowly lost to Roy Beggs
Roy Beggs
John Robert Beggs, commonly known as Roy Beggs, is a Northern Ireland politician.Beggs was educated at Ballyclare High School, followed by Stranmillis College, to study teacher training...
by 367 votes.
Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in November 1985 by the Thatcher/FitzGerald governments, he was one of the most vocal and active opponents of the treaty. He was also a prominent member of the Joint Unionist Working Party, a body set up by his party and the Ulster Unionist Party to oversee the unionist campaign against the Agreement. His colleagues Peter Robinson
Peter Robinson (politician)
Peter David Robinson is the current First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party...
and Sammy Wilson were also members. During the Unionist "Day of Action" on Monday, 3 March 1986, against the Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
, which saw most of Northern Ireland electricity power supplies cut off and its main industry closed down, Allister led numerous Ulster loyalist street protests.
His departure from active politics in June 1987 followed a reported disagreement with Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
over a voting pact with James Molyneaux
James Molyneaux
James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC is a Northern Irish Unionist politician and was leader of the Ulster Unionist Party from 1979 to 1995. He was a leading member and sometime Vice-President of the Conservative Monday Club...
's Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
. The situation resembled fellow unionist politician and barrister Robert McCartney
Robert McCartney (politician)
Robert Law McCartney QC is a Northern Ireland barrister and former leader of the UK Unionist Party.He was initially a member of the Ulster Unionist Party but was expelled in June 1987 when he refused to withdraw from the general election of that year...
in the North Down constituency. McCartney was later expelled from the UUP around the same time for not accepting the policy of the leadership. Allister and McCartney share the same assessment of the current political process in Northern Ireland, claiming it will ultimately lead to the creation of the political and economic unification of Ireland. The former North Down MP was invited by Allister to speak to the TUV's 2009 annual party conference in Belfast, which McCartney accepted.
Second political career (2004 - present)
After a successful period as a lawyer, Allister returned to run for the party's nomination for MEP in 2004 after secret approaches by several DUP officials and supporters alike. Allister was elected to the European Parliament for the DUP in the 2004 electionEuropean Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
. In March 2005 Allister was the victim of cybersquatting
Cybersquatting
Cybersquatting , according to the United States federal law known as the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else...
, when a domain advertised on the outside of his office was registered by the Ulster Young Unionist Council which preceded him.
The domain read "Too slow Jim, vote Ulster Unionist
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
"
On 27 March 2007, he resigned from the DUP because of the party's decision to enter into government with Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
. It was the second occasion on which he had resigned from the party In the press conference announcing his resignation, he stated that he could never accept Sinn Féin in the government of Northern Ireland while the Provisional IRA Army Council remained in existence.
In late 2007, speculation began over Allister's political intentions, with it being suggested that a new Unionist political party was imminent. While it was suggested on 10 October 2007 that he had been approached by the United Kingdom Independence Party
United Kingdom Independence Party
The United Kingdom Independence Party is a eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Whilst its primary goal is the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, the party has expanded beyond its single-issue image to develop a more comprehensive party platform.UKIP...
, he proceeded to found the Traditional Unionist Voice
Traditional Unionist Voice
Traditional Unionist Voice is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland founded on 7 December 2007, as an anti-St Andrews Agreement splinter group from the Democratic Unionist Party . Its first and current leader is Jim Allister who, until 2009, sat as an independent Member of the European...
on 7 December 2007. In the 2009 European elections
European Parliament election, 2009
Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...
, he gained 66,000 first preference votes and 13.5% of the first preference vote, standing as a TUV candidate, but lost his European parliament seat on the second count. His candidacy was blamed in some quarters for the poor performance of the DUP candidate, Diane Dodds
Diane Dodds
Diane Dodds is a Democratic Unionist Party politician from Northern Ireland, and a Member of the European Parliament for the Northern Ireland constituency.-Career:...
.
He intimated that he might stand as a candidate for the Westminster Parliamentary election in North Antrim
North Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)
North Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. Its current member is Ian Paisley Jr.-Boundaries:North Antrim has always been a county constituency comprising the northern part of County Antrim in the north-east of Northern Ireland...
. According to the European election result in North Antrim, Allister stood a good chance of winning the seat, which would have been a tremendous loss to the DUP - historically the DUP's safest seat in the land and the seat of DUP founder and former party leader Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
. In November 2009, Alex Kane, the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
's press officer, speculated in his weekly News Letter column that Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) could win at least 14 seats in the next Assembly election. In the 2010 General Election Allister finished second in North Antrim, with 7,114 votes to the DUP's Ian Paisley Junior who polled 19,672 votes. His TUV party polled some 26,300 votes throughout Northern Ireland, a drop of almost two-thirds in their level of support at the European election in 2009. In the 2011 Stormont Election, he was elected MLA of North Antrim claiming the 6th seat.