Member for Belfast East since 1979. Committees: Member, Select Committee, Northern Ireland Affairs 1993; Member, Maritime Group; Member, British-American Parliamentary Group; Member, British-Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Political career: Member, Northern Ireland Assembly since 1998; Member, Northern Ireland Forum 1996-98; Member, Northern Ireland Assembly 1982-86 (and Chair, Environmental Committee); Mayor, Castlereagh Borough Council 1985; Deputy Leader, Democratic Unionist Party 1979; Deputy Mayor, Castlereagh Borough Council 1978; elected to Castlereagh Borough Council 1977; General Secretary, Ulster Democratic Unionist Party 1975-79; Secretary, Ulster Democratic Unionist Party Central Executive Committee 1974-77. Special political interests: Housing and urban renewal. Profession/Trade: Director, estate agency and publishing company. Education: Annadale Grammar School; Castlereagh College of Further Education. Languages spoken: French. Author of: The Union Under Fire (1995); Sinn Fein - A Case for Proscription (1993); Hands off the UDR (1990); Their Cry was no Surrender (1986); Ulster in Peril (1984); Carson - Man of Action (1984); It's Londonderry (1984); A War to be Won (1983); Self-Inflicted (1981); Ulster the Facts (1981); Savagery and Suffering (1975); Capital Punishment for Capital Crime (1974).
b. 29 December 1948. Married with three children.

2005				2001
DUP HOLD	Votes	%	+/- %	Votes	%
DUP	15,152	49.2	6.6	15,667	42.5
UUP	9,275	30.1	6.9	8,550	23.2
Alliance Party NI	3,746	12.2	-3.7	5,832	15.8
Sinn Fein	1,029	3.3	0	1,237	3.4
SDLP	844	2.7	0.4	880	2.4
Conservative	434	1.4	-0.8	800	2.2
Workers Party	179	0.6	0.3	123	0.3
Vote Dream	172	0.6	-	-	-
PUP	-	-	-	3,669	10
Ind	-	-	-	71	0.2
Majority	5,877	19.1		7,117	19.3
Turnout	30,831	58.0	-5.0	36,829	63