John Kenneth Blair (born 10 February 1966) is an Alliance Party politician serving as the Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2024. Blair has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for South Antrim since 2018. He is the first openly gay member of the Assembly.[2][3]
John Blair | |
|---|---|
 Blair in 2024 | |
| Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly | |
| Assumed office 3 February 2024 Serving with Carál Ní Chuilín and Steve Aiken | |
| Preceded by | Roy Beggs Jr (2022) |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Antrim | |
| Assumed office 27 June 2018 | |
| Preceded by | David Ford |
| Member of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council | |
| In office 22 May 2014 – 27 June 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Council created |
| Succeeded by | Julian McGrath |
| Constituency | Glengormley Urban |
| Member of Newtownabbey Borough Council | |
| In office 5 May 2011 – 22 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Council abolished |
| Constituency | Antrim Line |
| In office 21 May 1997 – 7 June 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Elizabeth Frazer |
| Succeeded by | Briege Meehan |
| Constituency | Antrim Line |
| In office 19 May 1993 – 21 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Billy Webb |
| Constituency | Macedon |
| In office 17 May 1989 – 19 May 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Allister |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Constituency | Doagh Road |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 February 1966 |
| Nationality | Northern Irish |
| Political party | Alliance |
| Other political affiliations | Newtownabbey Ratepayers' Association (1997–2005)[1] |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | http://www.johnblairmla.com/ |
Political career
editEarly career (1997-2005)
editJohn Blair was elected as a councillor to Newtownabbey Borough Council for the Newtonabbey Ratepayers' Association in the 1997 Local Elections, but lost his seat at the 2001 Local Elections after his vote decreased from 6.7% to 3.7%. He attempted to take a different seat the following 2005 elections, but was unsuccessful.[1]
Councillor (2011-2018)
editBlair was elected to Newtownabbey Borough Council in the 2011 local elections, representing Antrim Line DEA as an Alliance candidate. He topped the poll and was elected on the first count with 15.96% of the FPVs.[4] He was re-elected to the new Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in 2014, representing the Glengormley Urban DEA.[1][5]
Member of the Legislative Assembly (2018-)
editIn 2018, he was co-opted to fill former Alliance Party Leader David Ford's Assembly seat in South Antrim, following David Ford's resignation.[6] Blair has been appointed to the British–Irish Parliamentary Assembly and the Northern Ireland Policing Board.[7][8]
He ran as the Alliance Party candidate for South Antrim in the 2019 General Election, increasing Alliance's share of the vote by 11.7% - from 7.4% to 19.4% - and taking third place.[9]
Blair ran at the 2022 Assembly election, taking 7,315 FPVs (16%), and was re-elected on Stage 2.
He contested South Antrim at the 2024 general election, where he finished fourth with 4,574 votes, a 7.7% drop compared to 2019.[10][11]
Personal life
editBlair is the first openly gay MLA to sit in the Northern Ireland Assembly.[12][13] Blair has faced harassment due to his sexuality, including from a DUP councillor who sat on the same policing board alongside Blair.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Newtownabbey Council Elections 1993–2011". ark.ac.uk.
- ^ Ferguson, Amanda (27 June 2018). "Northern Ireland set to have its first openly gay MLA". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "John Kenneth BLAIR - Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". Companies House.
- ^ "Antrim Line Result Sheet" (PDF). The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
- ^ "Glengormley braced for loyalist trouble". Belfast Media Group. 7 December 2012.
- ^ Bell, Jonathan (27 June 2018). "Meet Northern Ireland's first openly gay MLA – David Ford Alliance replacement John Blair". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "The Northern Ireland Assembly". Government of the United Kingdom.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Members and Associates". British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "South Antrim parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
- ^ @allianceparty (22 March 2024). "Congratulations to @JohnBlairMLA on being selected as Alliance's South Antrim General Election candidate!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "2024 UK General Election Results for Antrim South". Bloomberg News. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
- ^ McCormack, Jayne (27 June 2018). "First openly gay MLA takes Stormont seat". BBC News. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "Foster's attendance at LGBT event welcomed as 'a small but significant step towards equality'". News Letter. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ "Policing board member sacked over gay jibes". The Irish Times. 3 June 2004. Retrieved 15 May 2022.