Ian Paisley Junior was first elected as DUP MP for North Antrim in 2010, being reelected in 2019 with a majority of 12,721.
The constituency of North Antrim spreads down from the northern coast of Northern Ireland and includes the district of Ballymeana. It is a largely rural constituency which includes Rathlin Island and the world famous Giant’s Causeway near Portrush. A staunchly unionist area, this constituency was represented at Westminster by the Rev Ian Paisley for forty years between 1970 and 2010. It has since been comfortably retained for the Democratic Unionist Party by Paisley’s son. Unlike Northern Ireland as a whole, some 62% of the electorate here backed Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum.
Ian Paisley Jnr was born in 1966 in Belfast. He is the twin son of the Rev Ian Paisley, the founder and first leader of the DUP. He is the youngest of five children.
Paisley was educated at Greenwood & Strandtown Primary schools, Shaftesbury House College and Methodist College Belfast as well as Queen’s University Belfast. He received a certificate in leadership from Maryland State University, Washington and attended an executive programme course at JFK School of Government, Harvard.
Prior to being elected to Parliament, Ian Paisley worked for his Father as a Parliamentary aid.
He was appointed to the Northern Ireland Police Board in November 2001. Ian Paisley Jr has was elected as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the constituency of North Antrim between 1998 and 2010.
Paisley was suspended from Parliament in 2018 for 30 days for failing two declare two holidays that were paid for by the Sri Lankan government.
Ian Paisley Jr is married and has four children. He employs his wife as a part time Administrative Assistant.
Ian Paisley is Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on the Bus and Coach Industry; Flags and Heraldry; General Aviation; Golf; Mentoring; Motorsport; Space; Albania; Belgium; the British Overseas Territories; Canada; Australia and New Zealand; Caribbean; Central America; Chagos; Hong Kong; the Isle of Man; Japan; Kosovo; Luxembourg; Montenegro; Norfolk Island; North Macedonia; Pacific Islands; San Marino; Switzerland; and Taiwan.
Paisley backed Edwin Poots in the 2021 DUP leadership election. He was a supporter of Brexit in the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Email: info@ianpaisleymp.co.uk
Twitter: @ianpaisleymp
