John Stewart (Northern Ireland politician)
{{short description|Northern Irish politician (born 1983)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| name = John Stewart
| honorific-suffix = MLA
| image = John Stewart MLA, 2024.jpg
| imagesize = 160px
| alt =
| caption = Stewart in 2024
| office = Deputy Chairperson of the Infrastructure Committee
| term_start = 6 February 2024
| office5 = Member of
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
| constituency5 = Carrick Castle
| term_start5 = 22 May 2014
| term_end5 = 2 March 2017
| predecessor5 = Council established
| successor5 = Robin Stewart
| office6 = Member of
Carrickfergus Borough Council
| constituency6 = Knockagh
| term_start6 = 5 May 2011
| term_end6 = 22 May 2014
| predecessor6 = Roy Beggs Jr
| successor6 = Council abolished
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|4|9|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland
| death_date =
| death_place =
| restingplace =
| birthname =
| nationality = British
| party = Ulster Unionist Party
| otherparty =
| spouse = Deborah Stewart
| relations =
| children = 2
| residence =
| alma_mater = University of Cardiff
| occupation = Politician
| profession = Sales director
| cabinet =
| committees =
| portfolio =
| religion =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| website =
| footnotes =
| office1 = Ulster Unionist Chief Whip
| termstart1 = 25 May 2021
| leader1 = Doug Beattie
| office2 = Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for the Executive Office
| leader2 = Doug Beattie
| termstart2 = 25 May 2021
| predecessor1 = Robbie Butler
| term_start3 = 25 May 2021
| leader3 = Doug Beattie
| office3 = Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for Infrastructure
| constituency_AM4 = East Antrim
| assembly4 = Northern Ireland
| majority4 =
| term_start4 = 2 March 2017
| term_end4 =
| predecessor4 = Alastair Ross
| successor4 =
}}
John Stewart (born 9 April 1983) is an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician and businessman who has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Antrim since 2017.{{cite tweet|user=BBCNewsNI|number=837753508451528704|date=3 March 2017|title=John Stewart (UUP) elected in East Antrim #ae17}}{{cite news|title=Ups and downs across Northern Ireland constituencies|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/ups-and-downs-across-northern-ireland-constituencies-35500010.html|accessdate=3 March 2017|work=Belfast Telegraph|date=3 March 2017}} Stewart is Deputy Chairperson of the Assembly's Infrastructure Committee.
Early life and education
Stewart was born on 9 April 1983.{{cite web|title=Mr John Stewart|url=http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=13310&per=6157&sel=5&ind=&prv=0|website=Assembly Information Management System|publisher=Northern Ireland Assembly|accessdate=12 June 2017}} He was educated at Carrickfergus Grammar School, a controlled grammar school in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.{{cite news |author=Victoria Leonard |date=9 October 2015 |title=Fears for pupil safety at Carrick Grammar School |url=http://www.carrickfergustimes.co.uk/news/double-celebrations-for-deputy-mayor-1-6086725 |accessdate=12 June 2017 |work=Carrickfergus Times}} He studied history at Cardiff University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.{{cite web|title=John Stewart|url=https://uup.org/mlas/20/view/john-stewart|website=Ulster Unionist Party|accessdate=12 June 2017|archive-date=2 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102060135/https://uup.org/mlas/20/view/john-stewart|url-status=dead}}
Career
Before his election to the assembly, Stewart worked as the sales director of his family's business, Robinson's Shoemakers, which is based in Carrickfergus, County Antrim.
Stewart serves in the Army Reserve (formally known as the Territorial Army). He is a soldier of the North Irish Horse.
=Political career=
File:John Stewart constituency office Larne.jpg
Stewart joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in 2008.{{cite news|last1=Cousins|first1=Graeme|title=New MLA who is more frustrated than most at our political limbo|url=http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/new-mla-who-is-more-frustrated-than-most-at-our-political-limbo-1-7896553|accessdate=12 June 2017|work=Belfast News Letter|date=3 April 2017}} He was elected to Carrickfergus Borough Council in the 2011 local elections as a councillor for the Knockagh Monument electoral area.{{Cite news |title=Carrickfergus Borough Council Elections 1993-2011 |work=Ark Northern Ireland Elections |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/lgcarrick.htm}} In 2014, he was elected to the newly created Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for Carrick Castle. He served as Deputy Mayor of Carrickfergus 2013–14.
On 2 March 2017, Stewart was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for East Antrim in stage 9 of the count.{{cite web|title=East Antrim|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/northern-ireland-constituencies/N06000005|website=Northern Ireland Election 2017|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=12 June 2017|date=4 March 2017}} In the 2022 Assembly election, he polled 6195 votes and was re-elected after the third count.
Stewart is the Ulster Unionist Party's Infrastructure spokesperson. In August 2023, he called for action to tackle MoT waiting lists and outlined that the UUP would reuse the Temporary Exemption Certificates, used at the height of the pandemic, "to allow backlogs to be cleared and fines to be appealed."{{Cite web |title=John Stewart MLA Calls for Action on MoT Waiting Lists |url=https://www.uup.org/john_stewart_mla_calls_for_action_on_mot_waiting_lists |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=UUP Live |language=en}}
On 24 August 2023, Stewart called for the Kilroot coal-powered power station to be kept open during the coming winter, this followed news that the gas turbines to replace coal would not be commissioned on time.{{Cite web |title=John Stewart MLA Calls for Kilroot Coal-Powered Power Station to be Kept Open During the Coming Winter |url=https://www.uup.org/john_stewart_mla_calls_for_kilroot_coal_powered_power_station_to_be_kept_open_during_the_coming_winter |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=UUP Live |language=en}}
He ran as the UUP's candidate in East Antrim at the 2024 general election. In total, Stewart polled 9,476 votes (23.9%), a 7.3% increase.{{cite tweet |number=1796162885829148807 |user=uuponline |title=CANDIDATE ANNOUNCEMENT, 2024 General Election, John Stewart, East Antrim |url=https://x.com/uuponline/status/1796162885829148807}}{{cite news|title = East Antrim - General election results 2024|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/N05000005|work = BBC News|access-date = 28 October 2024}}
Personal life
Stewart is married to Deborah. He has two sons, Cohen and Harrison. He also has 2 office dogs Jaxon and Henry.{{cite news|title=Double celebrations for Deputy Mayor|url=http://www.carrickfergustimes.co.uk/news/double-celebrations-for-deputy-mayor-1-6086725|accessdate=12 June 2017|work=Carrickfergus Times|date=30 May 2014}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=13310&per=6157&sel=2&ind=26&prv=0 Northern Ireland Assembly profile]
- [https://www.uup.org/john_stewart Ulster Unionist Party profile]
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{{s-par|ni/ass}}
{{s-bef| before= Alastair Ross}}
{{s-ttl| title= MLA for East Antrim | years = 2017–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, John}}
Category:Ulster Unionist Party MLAs
Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2017–2022
Category:Politicians from County Antrim
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Alumni of Cardiff University
Category:British Yeomanry soldiers
Category:People from Carrickfergus
Category:Members of Carrickfergus Borough Council
Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2022–2027
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