Emma Little-Pengelly
Emma Little-Pengelly MP | |
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Member of Parliament for Belfast South | |
Assumed office 8 June 2017 | |
Preceded by | Alasdair McDonnell |
Majority | 1,996 (4.6%) |
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast South | |
In office 28 September 2015 – 26 January 2017 | |
Preceded by | Jimmy Spratt |
Succeeded by | Seat abolished |
Junior Minister at the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister | |
In office 28 October 2015 – 25 May 2016 Serving with Jennifer McCann | |
Preceded by | Michelle McIlveen |
Succeeded by | Alastair Ross |
Personal details | |
Born |
Emma Little 31 December 1979 Markethill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
Nationality | British |
Political party | Democratic Unionist Party |
Spouse(s) |
Richard Pengelly (m. 2014) |
Children | 3 |
Residence | Belfast, County Antrim |
Alma mater |
Queen's University Belfast Harvard University |
Profession | Politician [1] |
Emma Little-Pengelly (born 31 December 1979[2]) is a Democratic Unionist Party politician in Northern Ireland.[3] She was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Belfast South constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in 2017,[4] having previously served as an MLA for the Belfast South constituency in the Northern Irish Assembly.
Early life and career
Emma Little-Pengelly is the daughter of the loyalist volunteer Noel Little.[5] He was absent from her childhood between the ages of nine and eleven following his arrest for arms trafficking.[6][7]
Little-Pengelly was educated at Markethill High School, Portadown College,[5] Queen's University Belfast. She qualified as a barrister in 2003. She was also a lecturer at the University of Ulster from 2004 to 2006.
Political career
Little-Pengelly succeeded Jimmy Spratt as MLA for Belfast South in the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2015 following his retirement due to ill health.[8] On 28 October 2015, Little-Pengelly was appointed as a junior minister in the Northern Ireland Executive Office.[1]
She lost her seat in the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election as the total number of seats in Belfast South was reduced from 6 to 5, trailing her running mate Christopher Stalford by 15 votes at the time of her elimination.[9]
In the 2017 UK general election Little-Pengelly became the MP for Belfast South, gaining the seat from the SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell.[10] The former Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson was the chief strategist behind Little-Pengelly's campaign.[11]
Personal life
Little-Pengelly is married to Richard Pengelly, who is the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.[12] They have three stepchildren from Pengelly's first marriage.[5]
References
- 1 2 "NI barrister becomes junior minister one month after co-option". Irish Legal News. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- ↑ "MLA Details: Mrs Emma Little Pengelly". Northern Ireland Assembly. 4 March 2017.
- ↑ Staff writer (28 September 2015). "DUP appoint Emma Pengelly to succeed Jimmy Spratt as South Belfast MLA". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ↑ "Emma Little Pengelly MP". parliament.uk. Parliament UK.
- 1 2 3 Little-Pengelly, Emma. ukwhoswho.com. Who's Who. 2018 (February 2018 online ed.). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- ↑ Cobain, Ian (27 June 2017). "Troubled past: the paramilitary connection that still haunts the DUP". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
- ↑ Little, Ivan (1 October 2015). "Ivan Little: Day I quizzed Emma Pengelly's gunrunner dad at loyalist blockade". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
- ↑ "Emma Pengelly is new DUP MLA for south Belfast". BBC News. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
- ↑ Bell, Jonny (6 March 2017). "NI Election: Little Pengelly blames DUP leaflet confusion for losing seat". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ↑ Grattan, Gary (9 June 2017). "Video: DUP's Emma Pengelly vows to 'represent all the people of South Belfast' after taking Alasdair McDonnell's seat". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ↑ Grattan, Gary (9 June 2017). "Video: Former DUP leader Peter Robinson on Emma Little Pengelly's South Belfast win". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ↑ Manley, John (23 September 2014). "Concerns over DUP adviser role as company director". The Irish News. Retrieved 2 October 2015.
External links
- Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 2010–present
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
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Preceded by Jimmy Spratt |
MLA for Belfast South 2015–2017 |
Seat abolished |
Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
Preceded by Alasdair McDonnell |
Member of Parliament for Belfast South 2017–present |
Incumbent |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Michelle McIlveen |
Junior Minister 2015–2016 |
Succeeded by Alastair Ross |