Jo-Anne Dobson

Dobson began her education at Abercorn Primary School and continued her studies at Banbridge Academy. She is involved in charitable roles and in local environmental and farming scenes.[http://www.stratagem-ni.com/politician_specific.aspx?dataid=621461 Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130630095948/http://www.stratagem-ni.com/politician_specific.aspx?dataid=621461 |date=30 June 2013 }}, stratagem-ni.com; accessed 24 May 2016.

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Dobson was elected to Craigavon Borough Council in a by-election in 2010 - winning 64% of the vote.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8459304.stm |title=UUP takes Craigavon council seat from TUV |publisher=BBC News |date=2010-01-14 |accessdate=2016-05-14}} Upon her election to Stormont she stepped down from council in 2012, being replaced by Colin McCusker, General Secretary of the Ulster Unionist Party.

On 14 October 2014, Dobson was selected by the Upper Bann Ulster Unionist Association to be the party's candidate for the Upper Bann constituency in the 2015 general election. She won 13,166 votes, thus increasing the Ulster Unionist Party's percentage vote by 1.2% on the previous general election and coming second in what was a closely fought campaign.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-northern-ireland-32373828|title=The battleground of Upper Bann|last=Gordon|first=Gareth|date=2015-04-20|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-06-07|language=en-GB}}

Dobson was re-elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2016,{{Cite web|url=http://www.eoni.org.uk/getmedia/72e34617-1717-4241-9f58-7464bee209b1/NI-Assembly-Election-2016-Declaration-of-Result-UB.pdf|title=Declaration of Result, Northern Ireland Assembly Election 5 May 2016|date=2016-05-05 }} taking on new roles as the Chairperson of the Assembly Audit Committee {{Cite web|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/|title=The Northern Ireland Assembly|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-06-07}} and the Northern Ireland Assembly branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).

In 2012, Dobson responded to a Christian organisation that claimed to be able to cure gay people and said she "would pray that marriage would not be redefined".{{Cite web|url=http://sluggerotoole.com/2012/10/05/local-newspaper-reports-that-mid-ulster-christian-helpline-can-cure-homosexuals/|title = Local newspaper reports that Mid-Ulster Christian Helpline can "cure" homosexuals}} In 2015, Dobson voted against a motion to legalise same sex marriage in Northern Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/plenary/details.aspx?&aff=2412&per=292&sel=1&ind=3&prv=0&doc=230998&pn=0&tab=0&sid=ms&cid=&cn=|title=Motion|work=niassembly.gov.uk}}

Also in 2015, Dobson voted in support of a motion to amend the equality bill to allow business owners an exemption on the grounds of their religious beliefs.{{cite web|url=http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/plenary/details.aspx?&aff=2412&per=292&sel=1&ind=3&prv=0&doc=228415&pn=0&tab=0&sid=ms&cid=&cn=|title=Motion Amendment|work=niassembly.gov.uk}} This motion was in response to the Northern Ireland 'gay cake' row {{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30165511|title='Gay cake' row: MLA in equality law 'conscience clause'|work=BBC News|access-date=9 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427050756/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-30165511|archive-date=27 April 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} where Asher's Bakery refused to make a cake for a customer with a homosexual slogan. The 'conscience clause' as it is known has generated both support and some criticism within the media and from the equality commission.{{cite news|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/conscience-bill-will-cause-bias-31081067.html|title=Conscience Bill 'will cause bias'|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|accessdate=26 August 2015}}

At five weeks old (May 1993) Dobson's son Mark was diagnosed with renal reflux which meant one of his kidneys had been lost and the other was reduced in function. In 2009 he underwent surgery to receive a donated kidney at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/life/health/mark-dobson-i-remember-our-frantic-drive-through-the-snow-for-surgery-36575496.html|title=Mark Dobson: I remember our frantic drive through the snow for surgery|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|access-date=2018-06-07|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}} Dobson had been undergoing tests in late 2008 and early 2009 to become a live donor to her son when the call was received to inform them that a matched kidney had become available for Mark.

In December 2012 Dobson tabled a Private Member's Bill{{Cite web|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/assembly-business/legislation/2011-2016-mandate/primary-legislation-current-bills/human-transplantation-bill/|title=Human Transplantation Bill|website=www.niassembly.gov.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-06-07}} at the Northern Ireland Assembly to change the existing organ donation laws in Northern Ireland. In February 2013 she was elected as chairperson of the newly created Northern Ireland Assembly All-Party Group on Organ Donation.{{cite web|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Your-MLAs/All-Party-Groups/All-Party-Group-on-Organ-Donation |title=All Party Group on Organ Donation |website=Niassembly.gov.uk |accessdate=2016-05-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504061912/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/your-mlas/all-party-groups/all-party-group-on-organ-donation |archivedate=2016-05-04 }} During the International TED conference, held at the Northern Ireland Assembly,{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.tedxstormont.com |title=EU Debate NI – Just another WordPress site |website=Tedxstormont.com |date=2016-05-04 |accessdate=2016-05-14}} she dedicated her speech to the memory of Josie Kerr, who, alongside her husband Walter, founded the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund, describing her as "an ordinary lady, who led an extraordinary life".{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=Organ donations: new life, new hope: Jo-Anne Dobson MLA at TEDxStormont|date=2013-04-04|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWT9XnKoSl4|accessdate=2018-06-07}}

In 2017 Dobson's son Mark's transplanted kidney began to shut down. Dobson donated a kidney to her son in 2018.{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/surgeon-who-helped-joanne-dobson-give-gift-of-life-to-son-mark-with-kidney-transplant-36730613.html|title=Surgeon who helped Jo-Anne Dobson give gift of life to son Mark with kidney transplant|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|access-date=2018-06-07|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}

In February 2018 Dobson took up the newly created role as Northern Ireland Ambassador for the UK's leading kidney patient support charity Kidney Care UK,{{Cite news|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/joanne-dobson-takes-on-new-role-with-kidney-care-charity-36571041.html|title=Jo-Anne Dobson takes on new role with Kidney Care charity|work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk|access-date=2018-06-07|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}} running a leg of the Belfast City Marathon seven weeks after surgery to raise money to support kidney patients and their families.

Dobson is the eldest daughter of Joanie and Eric Elliott. She has a younger sister. She married John Dobson, a farmer, when she was 20. The family farm is on the outskirts of Waringstown, County Down. The couple have two sons.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/uuper_bann_uup_holds_onto_two_seats_1_2661579 UUPER BANN: UUP holds onto two seats]
• [https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mla/joanne_dobson TheyWorkForYou.com - Jo-Anne Dobson MLA]
• [http://www.banbridgeleader.co.uk/news/dobson-takes-up-organ-donation-role-1-4851991 Dobson takes up organ donation role]

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{{s-bef | before = George Savage }}

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Category:1966 births

Category:Living people

Category:Female members of the Northern Ireland Assembly

Category:Ulster Unionist Party MLAs

Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016

Category:People educated at Banbridge Academy

Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–2017

Category:Members of Craigavon Borough Council

Category:Women councillors in Northern Ireland