Paul Berry (politician)

Paul Berry (born 3 June 1976) is a unionist politician in Northern Ireland who was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Newry and Armagh from 1998 to 2007. Elected as a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) candidate, Berry left the party in 2006 to sit as an Independent Unionist after a scandal about his alleged sex act with a male masseur in a Belfast hotel. [1]

Paul Berry
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Newry and Armagh
In office
25 June 1998 – 7 March 2007
Preceded byNew Creation
Succeeded byWilliam Irwin
Personal details
Born (1976-06-03) 3 June 1976
Craigavon, Northern Ireland
Political partyIndependent Unionist (2006 - present)
DUP (1992–2006)
SpouseLorna Berry

Early life

Berry was born in Craigavon, County Armagh, and brought up in Tandragee, where he was educated at local state schools and colleges, following which he was employed in the textile industry. He joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) at the age of 16, the same age at which he began gospel singing in churches in the North Armagh and Banbridge areas.

Political career

With his high profile as a singer, Berry was elected, aged 22, the youngest MLA in the first Northern Ireland Assembly as a DUP representative for the Newry and Armagh constituency in the 1998 election and was re-elected in the 2003 election.

He was elected to Armagh City and District Council in 2001, and re-elected in the 2005 elections.[2]

In the 2005 general election Berry was the DUP candidate for Newry and Armagh constituency. After a story about an alleged sexual encounter with a gay masseur broke in the Sunday World newspaper, Berry resigned from the DUP after having been suspended from the Party.[3] The story damaged Berry's reputation as an anti gay Christian fundamentalist. [4]

An active member of the Orange Order, Berry was on the traditionalist, fundamentalist wing of the DUP. In the 2007 assembly election he stood as an Independent candidate, opposed to the DUP policy of implementing the St Andrews Agreement but failed to be elected.[5]

Berry continues to perform as a gospel singer, and has released three compilations. He is married to Lorna and now works in Tandragee as a local estate agent.

In 2011 he was elected as an Independent Unionist candidate to Armagh City and District Council.

In 2019, Berry gained a seat as an independent unionist in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council

References
Wikiquote has quotations related to Paul Berry (politician).
  1. Bowcott, Owen (11 February 2006). "Unionist quits after masseur allegations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  2. "Armagh-City and District Council". Archived from the original on 10 November 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2007.
  3. "DUP suspends Paul Berry". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 4 July 2005. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  4. Bowcott, Owen (11 February 2006). "Unionist quits after masseur allegations". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  5. "Ex-DUP man fails in Stormont bid". News.bbc.co.uk. 8 March 2007. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.