Jimmy Spratt

Spratt was a former Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer who joined in 1972 and served for 30 years in Derry and Belfast.{{cite news |title=Ex-RUC man to head justice committee |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ex-ruc-man-to-head-justice-committee-1.819397 |access-date=11 December 2024 |work=The Irish Times |date=3 March 2008 |language=en}} He worked for the Close Protection Unit including as Primary Protection Officer and was attached to a former Secretary of State, NIO Ministers, the RUC Chief Constable and other VIPs.

He was heavily involved in the Police Federation for Northern Ireland and acted as Chairman.{{cite news |title=Jimmy Spratt: Tributes paid to late ex-DUP MLA |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-56281484 |access-date=11 December 2024 |work=BBC |date=4 March 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Hughes |first1=Brendan |title=Tributes as former DUP MLA dies aged 69 |url=https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/tributes-former-dup-mla-jimmy-19964106 |access-date=11 December 2024 |work=Belfast Live |date=4 March 2021 |language=en}} He served on Government Committees at regional and national level representing the British Police Service and has served on the Home Office Working Group for Health and Safety and Police Negotiating Board for pay and conditions across the UK.

Spratt was an MLA for South Belfast in the Northern Ireland Assembly from 2007 to 2015. He was also a Councillor on Castlereagh Borough Council from 2005 to 2014, and served as the leader of the DUP group.

Political positions held:

• Councillor 2005—2014
• MLA 2007—2015
• Vice-Chairman of the Committee for Employment and Learning 2007—2008
• Member of the Committee of the Office of First and Deputy First Minister 2007—2015
• Chairman of the Assembly and Executive Review Committee 2008—2015?
• Member of the Northern Ireland Policing Board{{cite web|url=http://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/index/theboard/member.htm?id=8856|title=Deborah Watters (Vice Chair) – Members and Committees – Northern Ireland Policing Board|work=nipolicingboard.org.uk|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090307115040/http://www.nipolicingboard.org.uk/index/theboard/member.htm?id=8856|archivedate=7 March 2009}} 2008—2011
• Chairman of the Regional Development committee 2011—2015?

He stood as a DUP candidate for the Belfast South constituency in the 2005 general election, losing his seat to Alasdair McDonnell of the SDLP by 1,235 votes. Gaining the name Splitter Spratt.{{cite web|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/how-it-all-went-wrong-28217910.html|title=How it all went wrong – BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|work=BelfastTelegraph|publisher=BelfastTelegraph|accessdate=20 July 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://sluggerotoole.com/2005/04/22/south_belfast_t/|title=South Belfast to fall?|work=BelfastTelegraph|publisher=Slugger O'Toole|accessdate=July 20, 2016}} In the 2010 general election he again lost, and McDonnell increased his majority from 3.9% to 17.3%.

When the chief executive of Translink was criticised for not appearing before Stormont's regional development committee, Spratt said that he did not think it was "a hardship for someone on £200,000" to appear before it and "explain what's going on".{{cite web|title=BBC News – Translink chief criticised over absence from Stormont committee|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC News}}

Spratt made uncomplimentary and impolitic comments regarding cyclists {{cite web|url=http://nigreenways.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/belfast-cyclists-stormont-concerns|title=Belfast commuter cyclists' concerns get short shrift at Stormont – Northern Ireland Greenways|work=Northern Ireland Greenways|accessdate=2017-06-05}} and called those who objected to the proposals for the Maze 'nutters', which he denied until Hansard was published{{cite web|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Assembly-Business/Official-Report/Committee-Minutes-of-Evidence/Session-2012-2013/June-2013/Programme-for-Government-Progress-Report-from-the-First-Minister-and-deputy-First-Minister |title=Programme for Government: Progress Report from the First Minister and deputy First Minister |website=Niassembly.gov.uk |date= |accessdate=2017-06-05}} and he was obliged to apologise.{{cite news|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/the-maze-dups-jimmy-spratt-also-ends-up-full-of-regret-for-calling-plans-opponents-nutters-29378828.html|title=The Maze: DUP's Jimmy Spratt also ends up full of regret for calling plan's opponents 'nutters'|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|accessdate=2017-06-05}}

Spratt was married for over 30 years, with four sons and was an active member of his local Presbyterian church. He died on 4 March 2021, at the age of 69.{{Cite web|url=https://safelyhome.com/death-notice/spratt-james-andrew-jimmy/|title=James Andrew (Jimmy) Spratt|website=Safely Home|date=4 March 2021|accessdate=5 March 2021}}

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{{succession box

| title = MLA for Belfast South

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Spratt, Jimmy}}

Category:1951 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:Democratic Unionist Party MLAs

Category:Democratic Unionist Party councillors

Category:Members of Castlereagh Borough Council

Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2007–2011

Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016

Category:Presbyterians from Northern Ireland

Category:Royal Ulster Constabulary officers

Category:Police officers from County Down

Category:People from Saintfield

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