Jim Allister

Jim Allister was born on 2 April 1953{{Cite news |date=2024-06-06 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckrr7e095p9o |title=Who is TUV leader Jim Allister? |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} in Listooder, near Crossgar in County Down, where he lived until he was nine, when his family moved to Craigantlet, just outside Newtownards. His parents, Robert Allister and Mary Jane Allister ({{nee|McCrory}}),{{Who's Who |title=Allister, James Hugh |year=2022 |id=U44826 |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U44826}} were Protestants from County Monaghan; Robert (1911–1998) was from the townland of Leagh, just south of Monaghan.{{Cite news |date=2013-09-28 |title=Jim Allister: Maverick voice on winning run |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/jim-allister-maverick-voice-on-winning-run/29616639.html |access-date=2024-02-13 |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}{{Cite news |date=2016-11-25 |title=Jim Allister: The 'angry man' of politics on why brickbats don't bother him, how he (eventually) wooed his wife and what he does to get away from it all |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/features/jim-allister-the-angry-man-of-politics-on-why-brickbats-dont-bother-him-how-he-eventually-wooed-his-wife-and-what-he-does-to-get-away-from-it-all/35243179.html |access-date=2024-02-13 |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}}Ancestry.co.uk: Robert Allister (1911-1998). https://www.ancestry.co.uk/genealogy/records/robert-allister-24-19m5bkj?geo_a=r&o_iid=41013&o_lid=41013&o_sch=Web+PropertyTownlands.ie: Leagh Townland, Co. Monaghan. https://www.townlands.ie/monaghan/monaghan/monaghan/monaghan-rural/leagh/ They had moved northeast to County Down from County Monaghan in 1949 or 1950.

Allister was a pupil at Barnamaghery Primary School and later Dundonald Primary School when he moved house.{{cite news|last1=Claire|first1=McNeilly|date=11 December 2017|title=TUV's Jim Allister: I was aghast to see terrorists sitting in government ... being advised by other terrorists|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/tuvs-jim-allister-i-was-aghast-to-see-terrorists-sitting-in-government-being-advised-by-other-terrorists-36391265.html|newspaper=Belfast Telegraph|access-date=13 January 2018}} After attending Regent House Grammar School in Newtownards, Allister graduated from Queen's University Belfast with a Bachelor of Laws degree with honours in constitutional law. In 1974, he unsuccessfully stood for the post of president of Queen's University Belfast Students' Union.{{cite web|title=Jim Allister |url=http://www.in.com/jim-allister/biography-138707.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017213918/http://www.in.com/jim-allister/biography-138707.html|archive-date=17 October 2013|website=In}}

Allister quit the Official Unionist Party (OUP) to join the DUP at its founding in 1971."No brotherly love as rivals battle it out in East Antrim", Belfast Telegraph, 3 June 1983. In June 1972, as chairman of the Queen's University Democratic Unionist Party Association, Allister wrote a letter published in the Belfast Telegraph arguing that Ian Paisley was closely aligned with Enoch Powell's "integrationist" stance that Northern Ireland should be closer to the rest of the United Kingdom, and that other unionist leaders were in favour of devolution."Powell and Paisley Agree", Belfast Telegraph, 24 June 1972. In March 1973 Allister was elected to the post of publicity officer for the Queen's DUP Association."Association Officers", Belfast Telegraph, 19 March 1973. He was involved in the 1974 Ulster Workers' Council strike against the Sunningdale Agreement, which had been signed the previous December. A senior loyalist politician recalled walking into the Ulster Workers' Council HQ on Hawthornden Road in Belfast to find Allister and Peter Robinson "giggling" while phoning Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) headquarters claiming to be Catholics in distress in a loyalist area afflicted by the strike and asking the SDLP to send a car to rescue them."True Blue Peter: Profile Peter Robinson ", Sunday Tribune, 9 March 1986. He served as a European Parliament assistant to Ian Paisley from 1980 to 1982.

In 1982 he was elected as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont for North Antrim and served as the DUP assembly chief whip. In 1983 Allister stated that if the DUP were faced with a choice between no devolved government and a power-sharing government with the SDLP or other nationalist representatives, his party would opt for not having a devolved government.{{cite book|author1=Cornelius O'Leary|author2=Sydney Elliott|author3=R.A. Wilford|title=The Northern Ireland Assembly 1982-1986 A Constitutional Experiment|url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/assembly1982/docs/oleary88.htm|year=1988|publisher=C.Hurst & Company|isbn=1-85065-036-5 |page=180}} He was also the vice-chairman of Scrutiny Committee of Department of Finance and Personnel from October 1982 to June 1986. Outside the Stormont Assembly, he was a member of Newtownabbey Borough Council from 1985 to 1987. In 1983, he stood as a DUP candidate in the Westminster election for East Antrim. However, he narrowlySunday Life, 5 April 1992. lost to Roy Beggs following a bitter campaign in which he denounced Beggs as a "political gypsy" for leaving the DUP and joining the OUP; Beggs had resigned from the DUP after leading a Larne council delegation to Dún Laoghaire in the Republic of Ireland.

In July 1984, Allister gave a speech at the unveiling of a loyalist mural in a housing estate in the Ballykeel area of Ballymena, County Antrim. Speaking to a crowd of assembled loyalists in Orkney Drive, Allister said; "There are those in this estate who do not like the red, white and blue. To those people and to everyone else who would betray us, the Ulster Loyalists say: 'No surrender'." Later, a crowd gathered outside the home of a Catholic family who lived in Orkney Drive, a married couple with six children, and pelted the house with stones, smashing windows and damaging the family car. The father, Ivan Smith, was also reportedly punched and kicked. The Smith family, who had lived in the area for thirteen years, fled shortly afterwards and were later rehoused.{{Cite web|date=28 July 1984|title=Loyalists Rampage|work=The Irish People|url=https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/IP/id/31248/rec/25|access-date=11 June 2023}}"Intimidation follows speech", The Irish Times, July 12, 1984.

In August 1985, Allister attended the first major meeting of the United Ulster Loyalist Front (UULF) in Portadown. The UULF had originally formed as a committee earlier that year to oppose police plans to reroute traditional Orange Order parades away from nationalist areas of Portadown. The UULF was supported by the paramilitary organisation the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) with South Belfast Brigade chief and UDA deputy leader John McMichael being appointed to the coordinating committee. Unionists blamed the Irish government for loyalist parades being rerouted from predominantly Catholic areas and the UULF's stated purpose was to oppose further perceived interference from Dublin, although the group's secretary told the press ahead of the meeting that "[he] would not expect paramilitary action to be decided tonight"."New loyalist group silent over tactics", Belfast Telegraph, August 7, 1985.

Following the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in November 1985 by the Thatcher and FitzGerald governments, he was a high-profile"The Paisley heirs apparent", Irish Independent, June 10, 1986. opponent of the treaty. He was a member of the Joint Unionist Working Party, a body set up by his party and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) to oversee the unionist campaign against the agreement. During the one-day loyalist strike against the agreement in March 1986 it was reportedly difficult for journalists to move around the "loyalist stronghold" of Larne without the permission of Allister. He was also very vocal in his criticism of Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) chief constable John Hermon; the Irish Independent wrote in June 1986 that most of the statements sent by Allister with regards to the chief constable could not be printed "having regards to the law of defamation and libel". In May 1986 Allister led thirteen other DUP politicians in an occupation of the telephone exchange at Parliament Buildings at Stormont and blocked calls from going through to government departments. The siege ended after the RUC used a sledgehammer to breach the barricaded door."Sledgehammer end to protest by DUP", Irish Independent, May 16, 1986. Allister and then DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson held a press conference in September that year threatening to declare Northern Ireland independent from the United Kingdom if the Anglo-Irish Agreement wasn't withdrawn.{{Cite web|title=Inside Ulster|url=https://bbcrewind.co.uk/asset/5e4aa06de6440e00277a4069|website=BBC Rewinds}} In November 1986 the SDLP called for Allister and other unionist politicians to be prosecuted for incitement following a "violent" speech at a DUP demonstration in Carrickfergus, afterwards the crowd had attacked Catholic property resulting in the death of an elderly Catholic woman."North counts the cost of violence", Evening Herald, November 17, 1986.

That same month Allister organised a rally inaugurating the Ballymena battalion of a new loyalist paramilitary group, Ulster Resistance.{{Cite web|title=Inside Ulster|url=https://bbcrewind.co.uk/asset/5e4aa052e6440e00277a3ea0|website=BBC Rewinds}} Allister, DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson, and Ulster Clubs chairman Alan Wright led hundreds of loyalists, many wearing paramilitary uniforms and some wearing masks, parading in a show of strength that culminated at Ballymena Town Hall, where DUP leader Ian Paisley was waiting. Inside Paisley donned a red Ulster Resistance beret on stage, daring the RUC to arrest him while Allister pledged his "personal support" to Ulster Resistance."Loyalists On March", Belfast News Letter, November 21, 1986.

Allister claimed that the RUC had erected a "ring of steel" around the town in an attempt to prevent them from marching to the site of the meeting; he was cheered when he informed the gathered crowd that the colour party had instead entered the town through adjoining fields."Anti-pact colour party foiled check, says DUP man", Belfast Telegraph, November 21, 1986. The RUC denied any undue holdups and stated no arrests were made. When questioned by the press Allister declined to say how many were in attendance but claimed that Ulster Resistance rallies seemed to grow in size every night, declaring:

{{Blockquote|The only problem we have is that we are getting too many [Ulster Resistance] volunteers and we may have to slow down the recruiting process.}}

His departure from active politics in June 1987 followed a reported disagreement with Paisley over a voting pact with James Molyneaux's UUP.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-northern-ireland-31509293|title=Election profile: Jim Allister, TUV leader|date=13 April 2015|via=www.bbc.co.uk}} The situation resembled fellow unionist politician and barrister Robert McCartney's in the North Down constituency. McCartney was expelled from the UUP around the same time for not accepting the policy of the leadership.{{Cite web|url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/biography/McCartney_Robert_1998.html|title=CAIN: People: Biographies of People Prominent During 'the Troubles'|website=cain.ulster.ac.uk}}

Allister was called to the Bar of Northern Ireland as a barrister in 1976, specialising in criminal law. In 2001, he was called to the Inner Bar as Queen's Counsel.{{Belfast Gazette |date=4 January 2002 |issue=6310 |page=1}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2015-northern-ireland-31509293|title=Election profile: Jim Allister, TUV leader|work=BBC News |date=13 April 2015 |access-date=16 May 2024|archive-date=28 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728085752/https://www.bbc.com/news/election-2015-northern-ireland-31509293|url-status=live}}

In 2003, he represented Loyalist Volunteer Force member Clifford McKeown in court in a case regarding the 1996 murder of Catholic taxi driver Michael McGoldrick.{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/killer-may-have-jail-term-cut/28158242.html|title=Killer may have jail term cut|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk|date=9 April 2003 |access-date=5 April 2024|archive-date=5 April 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405055349/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/killer-may-have-jail-term-cut/28158242.html|url-status=live}} McKeown was found guilty of the murder by the court. Allister said that McKeown would be appealing against the conviction.

Allister returned to the DUP in 2004 and successfully ran as the party's candidate in Northern Ireland at the 2004 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom, topping the poll with 175,000 first-preference votes, 32 per cent of the total.{{Cite web |title=The 2004 European Election |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe04.htm |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=www.ark.ac.uk}}

It is reported that he participated in more parliamentary debates and asked more questions than his fellow Northern Irish MEPs Bairbre de Brún of Sinn Féin and Jim Nicholson of the Ulster Unionist Party. Allister was also active as a member of the European Parliament Fisheries Committee and was ranked by the pressure group TaxPayers' Alliance as the most "hard-working, transparent and pro-taxpayer" of the 75 United Kingdom MEPs during the 2004–2009 European Parliament.{{cite web |title=New Research: Best and Worst MEPs revealed|url=https://www.taxpayersalliance.com/new_research_best_and_worst_meps_revealed |website=taxpayersalliance.com |date=3 June 2009 |access-date=2022-09-08}}

On 27 March 2007, Allister resigned from the DUP because of the party's decision to enter into government with Sinn Féin. It was the second occasion on which he had resigned from the party.{{cite news|title=Unionist opposition 'will emerge'|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6962929.stm|website=BBC News|date=25 August 2007|access-date=14 May 2022|quote=It was the second time he had quit the DUP fold, having left active politics in the 1980s after disagreeing with his leader's tactics over the Anglo-Irish Agreement.}}

In late 2007, there was speculation that Allister might found a new unionist political party.{{cite web|title=Talks could lead to new unionist party|url=http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/Talks-could-lead-to-new.3208321.jp|work=News Letter|date=17 September 2007|access-date=17 June 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214215237/http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/talks_could_lead_to_new_unionist_party_1_1859135|archive-date=14 February 2012}} It was also claimed, on 10 October 2007, that he had been approached by the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP),{{cite web|last=Reynolds|first=Lee|date=9 October 2007|title=UKIP approach to Allister?|url=https://sluggerotoole.com/2007/10/09/ukip-approach-to-allister/|website=Slugger O'Toole|access-date=17 June 2010}} but he in fact proceeded to found the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) on 7 December 2007.{{cite web|title=New unionist group to be launched|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7131912.stm|website=BBC News|date=7 December 2007|access-date=17 June 2010}}

In the 2009 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom, this time standing as a TUV candidate, Allister polled 13.5 per cent of the first-preference votes cast but was not re-elected.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8077438.stm|title=European Election 2009 Results (BBC)|website=BBC News|date=8 June 2009|access-date=17 June 2010}}

Jim Allister stood as a TUV candidate in the 2010 Westminster parliamentary election in the North Antrim constituency. Having polled well in the previous year's European election, Allister stood a chance of winning the seat. This would have been a tremendous loss to the DUP, as it has historically been the party's safest seat and the seat of DUP founder and former party leader Ian Paisley. He came second in the poll with 7,114 votes to the DUP's Ian Paisley Jr who polled 19,672 votes.

Allister is a vocal critic of the A5 Western Transport Corridor, and claimed in 2010 a proposed bypass around Dungiven on the A6 would destroy some Protestant-owned farms and suggested this was planned "in order to avoid the more direct route which would disrupt the GAA facilities"."A5 and A6 road upgrade projects will go ahead", Belfast Newsletter, January 21, 2010.

Allister returned to the Northern Ireland Assembly at the 2011 election, being the last candidate elected in North Antrim.{{cite web|title = Jim Allister on Facebook|url = https://www.facebook.com/jim.allister.1/photos/elected-first-in-north-antrim-with1700-surplus-took-last-seat-in-2011-and-first-/1767058233526465/|website = Facebook|date = 6 May 2016|access-date = 28 December 2024|quote = Took last seat in 2011 and first seat in 2016. Thank you to my voters and workers.}}{{cite web|title = Northern Ireland Assembly Elections: 2011|url = https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/RP11-42/RP11-42.pdf|website = UK Parliament|access-date = 28 December 2024}}

In 2012, the year after his return to the Assembly, Allister established at Parliament Buildings in Belfast an annual event to mark the European Day of Remembrance of Victims of Terrorism{{cite news |title=Families of Troubles victims Thomas Niedermayer, Paddy Wilson and Paul Maxwell to speak at Victims' Day event in Stormont |url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/national/families-of-troubles-victims-thomas-niedermayer-paddy-wilson-and-paul-maxwell-to-speak-at-victims-day-event-in-stormont-4050257 |work=Belfast News Letter |date=3 March 2023}} – each year on the anniversary of the Madrid bombings of 11 March 2004, the European Union remembers the victims of terrorist attacks across the world.{{cite web | url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/%20en/statement_23_1571 | title=Commission statement on the European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism|website=The European Commission |date=10 March 2023}}

In August 2012, Allister called the Parades Commission "little Hitlers" when they placed restrictions on a loyalist parade.{{cite web|title=Parades body little Hitlers, says MLA Jim Allister|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/parades-body-little-hitlers-says-mla-jim-allister-16198014.html|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=15 August 2012|access-date=23 August 2012}}

In June 2013, a private member's bill{{cite web | url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/legislation/2017-2022-mandate/about-non-executive-bills/ | title=About Non-Executive Bills|website=Northern Ireland Assembly |date=1 January 2017 }} proposed by Allister - the Civil Service (Special Advisers) Bill{{cite web | url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/legislation/2011-2016-mandate/current-non-executive-bill-proposals/civil-service-special-advisers-bill/ | title=Civil Service (Special Advisers) Bill|website=Northern Ireland Assembly| date=2 July 2012 }} – was voted into law{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-22759895 | title=Special Adviser bill passed after marathon Stormont debate| website=BBC News| date=4 June 2014| access-date = 16 Mar 2023 }} by the Northern Ireland Assembly. The bill's aim was to tighten the rules governing appointment of special advisers (SPADS){{cite web | last = Stanley |first = Martin | url=https://civilservant.org.uk/spads-homepage.html | title=Special Advisers|website=Understanding the Civil Service| access-date = 16 Mar 2023}} by ministers of the Northern Ireland government. Amongst other things, the new law debarred anyone convicted of an offence carrying a jail sentence of five years or more from appointment as a SPAD.{{cite web | url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/official-report/reports-12-13/03-june-2013/#3/ | title=Civil Service (Special Advisers) Bill: Final Stage| website=Northern Ireland Assembly |date=3 June 2013 }} Allister said that he was inspired to introduce the bill by the example of Ann Travers who had protested against the appointment, in 2011, of former IRA member Mary McArdle to the position of special adviser by the then Sinn Féin minister for culture and arts.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13625007 | title=Mary McArdle - Mary Travers murder 'a tragic mistake'| website=BBC News| date=2 June 2011| access-date = 16 Mar 2023 }} McArdle had been convicted for her part in the 1972 murder of Mary Travers and the serious wounding of her father, Tom Travers, a Belfast magistrate.{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sbZAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2271%2C669669/| title=Man cleared of Ulster murder| work=Glasgow Herald | date=4 June 1986 | access-date = 16 Mar 2023 }} Some years later, Allister recalled: "I labelled it 'Ann's Law' because that's a proper tribute to the driving force behind it. That's probably my proudest moment as a politician … to have left on the statute book the first victory in years for innocent victims."

Allister holds conservative views on social policy, and is a supporter of the evangelical creationist lobby group, the Caleb Foundation.{{cite news|last=Clarke|first=Liam|date=1 September 2012|title=Creationist Bible group and its web of influence at Stormont|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/creationist-bible-group-and-its-web-of-influence-at-stormont-16205034.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130114014333/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/creationist-bible-group-and-its-web-of-influence-at-stormont-16205034.html|work=Belfast Telegraph|archive-date=14 January 2013}}

He ran again for Northern Ireland at the 2014 European Parliament election, receiving 75,806 first-preference votes (12.1%), a decrease of 1.6%.{{cite web|title = The 2014 European Election|url = https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fe14.htm|website = Ark elections|access-date = 28 December 2024}}{{cite web|title = European Election (NI) - Thursday 22 May 2014|url = https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/politics/election/re2014.htm|website = CAIN|access-date = 28 December 2024}}

At the 2016 Assembly election, Allister topped the poll in North Antrim, and was elected on the seventh count.{{cite news|title = Election 2016: Allister gratified as he comes home first in North Antrim|url = https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/election-2016-allister-gratified-as-he-comes-home-first-in-north-antrim-1242074|work = Belfast Newsletter|date = 7 May 2016|access-date = 29 December 2024}}{{cite news|title = Watch: Jim Allister first elected in north Antrim on seventh count|url = https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/watch-jim-allister-first-elected-in-north-antrim-on-seventh-count-1242089|work = Belfast Newsletter|date = 7 May 2016|access-date = 29 December 2024}}{{cite news|title = NI Assembly election: DUP remains largest as count ends|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-northern-ireland-36234717|work = BBC News|date = 7 May 2016|access-date = 29 December 2024}}

In November 2016, Allister opposed a motion pardoning gay men convicted for formerly illegal homosexual acts.{{cite news |title=Northern Assembly passes motion to pardon gay men for homosexual acts |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/northern-assembly-passes-motion-to-pardon-gay-men-for-homosexual-acts-1.2886537 |last=Moriarty |first=Gerry |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=29 November 2016}}

In February 2021, the Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill{{cite web|title=Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/legislation/2017-2022-mandate/non-executive-bill-proposals/functioning-of-government/|date=2 February 2021|publisher=niassembly.gov.uk|access-date=10 April 2023}} was passed by a vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Introduced as a private member's bill by Jim Allister, the bill's primary aim was to correct dysfunctional behaviour by ministers, special advisers and civil servants who ran the government of Northern Ireland. The Coghlin Report (March 2020){{cite news |title=Cash for ash scandal: Everybody is to blame, nobody is to blame |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/cash-for-ash-scandal-everybody-is-to-blame-nobody-is-to-blame-1.4202489 |date=13 March 2020|website= Irish times|access-date = 10 April 2023 }}; into the Renewable Heating Incentive scheme scandal{{cite web|last=Polley |first=Owen|title=They didn't stop the fire |url=https://thecritic.co.uk/they-didnt-stop-the-fire/ |work=The Critic magazine |date=17 March 2020}}; had proposed 44 recommendations for improvement in the functioning of the Northern Ireland government and its civil service.{{cite web |title=Less than half the recommendations from RHI Inquiry implemented |url=https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2022-03-22/less-than-half-the-recommendations-from-rhi-inquiry-implemented |date=22 March 2022}}; The NI Executive and Assembly had responded to this report by creating a new code of conduct to address these failures.{{cite web |title =Finance Minister Publishes Report on RHI Inquiry Recommendations |website=Northern Ireland Government Department of Finance |url=https://www.finance-ni.gov.uk/news/finance-minister-publishes-report-rhi-inquiry-recommendations |date=7 October 2021 |access-date=10 April 2023 |language=en-GB }} But Allister was of the opinion that this was insufficient and that law, rather than guidance, was necessary to remedy the problems identified in the report.{{cite web |title=Special advisors: Code of Conduct |website= AgendaNI magazine |url=https://www.agendani.com/special-advisors-code-of-conduct/ |date=1 March 2020}}; The bill he proposed was complex, detailed and led to much debate in the Northern Ireland Assembly but most of its content was eventually approved, with only one of the parties in the assembly objecting to all of its content.{{cite web |title=Allister's SPAD Bill moves to next stage |website= AgendaNI magazine |url=https://www.agendani.com/allisters-spad-bill-moves-to-next-stage/ |date=1 January 2021}}; As a result of the new law,{{cite web |title=Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (Northern Ireland) 2021 |website= Legislation.gov.uk|url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2021/3/contents/enacted |date=22 March 2021}};{{cite web|title=Northern Ireland crackdown on special advisers set to become law|url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/news/article/northern-ireland-crackdown-on-special-advisers-set-to-become-law|date=3 February 2021|website=Civil Service World|access-date=11 April 2023}}; written records of all governmental meetings were to be taken by civil servants, confidential government business was no longer to be discussed via private email accounts, sharing of confidential information which could be used for private financial gain was to be a criminal offence, ministers and special advisers were to sign a registry of interests which would show whether their personal financial interest overlapped with their elected responsibilities, and the appointment of so-called 'super-spads' by a political party rather than via the normal civil service appointment procedures was prohibited.{{cite news |title=For the sake of all victims, right this wrong now |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/comment/for-the-sake-of-all-victims-right-this-wrong-now/39633945.html |work=Belfast Telegraph News |date=17 October 2020}}; Finally, the first minister and deputy first minister were to produce a report, every two years, regarding the functional performance of the government, its departments and attached civil service personnel.

An August 2021, opinion poll by the polling company LucidTalk found a large rise in support for Allister's party the TUV to 14% of first preference vote intentions in the upcoming May 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly elections. At the same time, the poll found that 51 per cent of those who responded rated Allister's performance as "bad or awful", compared with "bad or awful" ratings for Paul Givan, Jeffrey Donaldson and Michelle O'Neill of 48, 47 and 45 per cent, respectively.{{cite news|title=Support for DUP drops to 13% with party now behind UUP, poll shows|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2021/0828/1243348-dup-support-drops-poll/|website=RTÉ News|date=28 August 2021|access-date=14 May 2022}} TUV failed to win any new seats in the election, despite increasing their

overall vote by 5.0%.{{cite web|title = Northern Ireland Assembly Election – #NIA22|url = https://ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/northern-ireland-assembly-election-nia22/|website = UK In A Changing Europe|date = 29 April 2022|access-date = 26 December 2024}}{{cite news|title=Tuv fails to gain a single new seat despite trebling votes|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/ireland-world/article/northern-ireland-elections-tuv-fails-gain-single-new-seat-despite-trebling-votes-0rdxmr2gw|website=The Times|date= 9 May 2022|access-date=5 July 2024}} Allister was re-elected in North Antrim on the fifth count, polling 8,282 first-preferences (16.4%).{{cite news|title = North Antrim election result|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2022/northern-ireland/constituencies/N06000012|work = BBC News|access-date = 26 December 2024}}{{cite news|title = North Antrim results - NI Assembly election 2022|url = https://elections.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ni-assembly-election-2022/north-antrim|work = Belfast Telegraph|access-date = 26 December 2024}} Expressing his disappointment during the count, he said: “We have 7.6 percent of the vote, a massive increase, but that is not reflected in the number of seats. It is very disappointing when you collect 4-5,000 votes or more in many other constituencies that it doesn’t translate into seats because of the vagaries of the system.”{{cite news|title = Allister disappointed in failure to win seats|url = https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/allister-disappointed-in-failure-to-win-seats-3685528|work = Belfast Newsletter|date = 9 May 2022|access-date = 26 December 2024}}

In March 2024, the TUV formed an electoral alliance with the right-wing populist party Reform UK, under which they would stand agreed candidates in Northern Ireland at the 2024 United Kingdom general election.{{cite news|title= TUV conference: Jim Allister announces partnership with Reform UK|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-politics-68547753|website= BBC News| date = 16 March 2024|access-date= 5 July 2024}} Allister later confirmed that he would be contesting the North Antrim constituency for the TUV–Reform alliance.{{cite news|title= TUV reveals election candidates and constituency that party will not contest to leave lone unionist|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tuv-reveals-election-candidates-and-constituency-that-party-will-not-contest-to-leave-lone-unionist/a952615637.html|website = Belfast Telegraph| date = 31 May 2024| access-date = 5 July 2024}} North Antrim had long been regarded as one of the safest DUP constituencies, having been held by Ian Paisley Jr since the 2010 United Kingdom general election and previously his father Ian Paisley since the 1970 United Kingdom general election. Allister defeated Ian Paisley Jr by 450 votes and gave the TUV its first victory in a Westminster election.{{cite web |title=DUP lose Westminster seat held by Paisleys since 1970 |last=Andrews |first=Chris |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cllyz4n669eo |work=BBC News |access-date=5 July 2024 |date=5 July 2024}}

Following his election, there was speculation as to whether Allister would sit as a Reform UK MP, alongside their five MPs in the commons. While announcing the former deputy mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Timothy Gaston, as his successor in the Assembly, Allister confirmed that he would not be formally taking the Reform whip, but would do so when supporting the party on 'agreed issues'.{{cite news|title = Allister won't rule out taking Reform UK party whip|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2j30xy8preo|work = BBC News|date = 9 July 2024|access-date = 25 December 2024}}{{cite news|title = TUV's Jim Allister confirms he will take Reform whip at Westminster on certain 'agreed issues'|url = https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/tuvs-jim-allister-confirms-he-will-take-reform-whip-at-westminster-on-certain-agreed-issues/a337346080.html|work = Belfast Telegraph|date = 16 July 2024|access-date = 25 December 2024}}{{cite news|title = Timothy Gaston to replace Jim Allister as TUV MLA at Stormont after leader becomes MP|url = https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2024-07-16/jim-allister-names-his-stormont-replacement-after-becoming-mp|work = ITV News|date = 16 July 2024|access-date = 28 December 2024}}{{cite web|title = Gaston takes up North Antrim MLA seat|url = https://tuv.org.uk/gaston-takes-up-north-antrim-mla-seat/|website = Traditional Unionist Voice|date = 16 July 2024|access-date = 28 December 2024}}

In September 2024, Allister came seventh out of twenty successful MPs in the Private Members' Bill Ballot, entitling him to put forward a bill in the Commons.{{cite news|title = Jim Allister 'delighted' after winning House of Commons lottery|url = https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/jim-allister-delighted-after-winning-29876812|work = Belfast Live|date = 5 September 2024|access-date = 25 December 2024}}{{cite web|title = Allister wins right to table Private Members Bill|url = https://tuv.org.uk/allister-wins-right-to-table-private-members-bill/|website = Traditional Unionist Voice|date = 5 September 2024|access-date = 25 December 2024}}

Allister married Ruth McCullagh in 1978. They have two sons and a daughter. He is a member of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster.{{Cite news |last=Manley |first=John |date=20 May 2019 |title=Schism between DUP and Free Presbyterian Church over gay councillor signals politics secular direction of travel |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2019/05/20/news/schism-between-dup-and-free-presbyterian-church-over-gay-councillor-signals-politics-secular-direction-of-travel-1623228/ |work=The Irish News |language=en |access-date=14 July 2024}}

{{reflist|30em}}

{{commons category}}

• {{UK MP links |parliament=5356 |publicwhip= |theywork=jim_allister}}
• [https://archive.today/20071022211122/http://www.europarl.eu.int/members/public/geoSearch/view.do?country=GB&partNumber=1&zone=Northern+Ireland&language=EN&id=28512 European Parliament profile]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928010457/http://www.jimallister.eu/uploads/Speaking_for_you_in_Europe_122.pdf Leading for Ulster: Speaking for You (a collection of speeches by Allister)]
• [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+CRE+20040721+ITEM-001+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN&query=INTERV&detail=3-025 Maiden Speech in European Parliament, 21 July 2004]

{{s-start}}

{{s-par|ni/ass82}}

{{s-new|Assembly}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Parliamentary Assembly
for North Antrim|years=1982–1986}}

{{s-non|reason=Assembly abolished}}

{{s-par|eu}}

{{s-bef|before=Ian Paisley}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the European Parliament
for Northern Ireland|before=Ian Paisley|years=2004–2009}}

{{s-aft|after=Diane Dodds}}

{{s-par|ni/ass}}

{{s-bef|before=Declan O'Loan}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Legislative Assembly
for North Antrim|years=2011–2024}}

{{s-aft|after=Timothy Gaston}}

{{s-par|uk}}

{{s-bef|before=Ian Paisley Jr}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of Parliament
for North Antrim|years=2024–present}}

{{s-inc}}

{{s-end}}

{{MPs in Northern Ireland}}

{{Northern Ireland party leaders}}

{{Leaders of political parties in the United Kingdom}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allister, Jim}}

Category:1953 births

Category:Living people

Category:British political party founders

Category:Alumni of Queen's University Belfast

Category:Democratic Unionist Party MEPs

Category:Lawyers from County Down

Category:Leaders of political parties in Northern Ireland

Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Antrim constituencies (since 1922)

Category:Members of Newtownabbey Borough Council

Category:MEPs for Northern Ireland 2004–2009

Category:Northern Ireland MPAs 1982–1986

Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016

Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–2017

Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2017–2022

Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2022–2027

Category:Northern Ireland King's Counsel

Category:People educated at Regent House Grammar School

Category:Politicians from County Down

Category:Presbyterians from Northern Ireland

Category:21st-century King's Counsel

Category:Traditional Unionist Voice MEPs

Category:Traditional Unionist Voice MLAs

Category:Traditional Unionist Voice MPs

Category:UK MPs 2024–present