Ian Parsley

{{Infobox person

| name = Ian Parsley

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1977|05|03}}

| birth_place = Yorkshire, England

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = Merchant Taylors' School

| alma_mater = Newcastle University

| occupation =

| party = Alliance

| otherparty = Ulster Conservatives and Unionists
(2009-2010)

| spouse = {{marriage|Paula Bradshaw|2011}}

| children = 2

| relatives =

| website = https://ianjamesparsley.wordpress.com/

}}

Ian James Parsley (born 3 May 1977) is a businessman and former, part-time politician from Northern Ireland. He was the Alliance Party candidate at the 2009 European elections,{{cite web |last=Devenport |first=Mark |date=12 May 2009 |title=Profile: Ian Parsley |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8040390.stm |website=BBC News |access-date=29 March 2012}} and served as Deputy Mayor of North Down.

He attracted considerable criticism and caused much controversy by endorsing the Conservatives and Unionists{{cite web |title=Parsley leaves the Alliance Party |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8250505.stm |website=BBC News |date=11 September 2009 |access-date=29 March 2012}} link-up in 2009, but subsequently rejoined the Alliance Party in 2011. He is an outspoken opponent of Brexit.

Background

Although of Northern Irish heritage on his mother's side, Parsley was born in Yorkshire and educated at Merchant Taylors' School and Newcastle University, graduating in Modern Languages.{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}}

Parsley currently works in public relations and research. He was a Director of Northern Ireland Screen.{{cite web |title=Board Members |url=http://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/sections/52/board.aspx |website=Northern Ireland Screen |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518154615/http://www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk/sections/52/board.aspx |archive-date=18 May 2011 |access-date=29 March 2012}} He was also Chair of the European Movement in Northern Ireland.

Other activities

Parsley was a writer in and about Ulster Scots{{cite web |title=Ian James Parsley's Ulster-Scots website |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/ulsterscots/library/ian-james-parsleys-ulster-scots-website |website=BBC NI |date=20 March 2002 |access-date=29 March 2012 |archive-date=19 April 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419203216/http://www.bbc.co.uk/ulsterscots/library/ian-james-parsleys-ulster-scots-website |url-status=dead}} and, despite having run against her at the 2010 UK general election, he has campaigned alongside Sylvia Hermon on support for people with dementia and their carers.{{cite news |title=Parsley quits politics |url=http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/latest/parsley-quits-politics-1-2542362 |work=News Letter |publisher=JPI Media |date=29 March 2011 |archive-date=1 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201181634/http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/latest/parsley-quits-politics-1-2542362 |url-status=dead |access-date=21 January 2014}}

Personal life

Parsley has been married to Alliance MLA for Belfast South Paula Bradshaw since 2011. He is an avid Arsenal FC fan and an expert on Western European languages, a subject about which he often writes.{{Cite web|title=Ancient Romans couldn't read… and what that means for language |url=https://ianjamesparsley.wordpress.com/2015/01/30/ancient-romans-couldnt-read-and-what-that-means-for-language/ |date=30 January 2015}}

Ian Parsley

Background

Other activities

Personal life

References

Further reading