May Steele

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = May Steele

|honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MBE|JP}}

|office = President of the Ulster Unionist Party

|term_start = 2016

|term_end = 8 January 2020

|leader = Mike Nesbitt
Robin Swann
Steve Aiken

|predecessor =

|successor = Daphne Trimble

|office1 = Member of the Northern Ireland Forum

|constituency1 = East Antrim

|term_start1 = 30 May 1996

|term_end1 = 25 April 1998

|predecessor1 = Forum created

|successor1 = Forum dissolved

|birth_date = 1936 or 1937

|birth_place = Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

|death_date = 8 January 2020

|party = Ulster Unionist Party

}}

May Steele ({{Birth based on age at death|83|2020|01|08}}{{snd}}8 January 2020) was a Northern Irish Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who was Party President from 2016 to 2020, and a Member of the Northern Ireland Forum for East Antrim from 1996 to 1998.

Background

Living in Larne, Steele joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in the 1950s, and became active in County Antrim. She was close to Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party leader William Craig, but remained a member of the UUP.Andrew Brown, "[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/nov/27/northernireland.andrewbrown Backing Trimble against the grain]", The Guardian, 27 November 1999

In 1990 Steele was appointed as a Justice of the Peace (JP) for County Antrim.

At the 1993 Northern Ireland local elections and 1997, Steele stood unsuccessfully for the UUP on Larne Borough Council."[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/lglarne.htm Larne Borough Council Elections 1993-2011]", Northern Ireland Elections She also stood in the Northern Ireland Forum election in East Antrim and was elected, although she lost her seat at the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election."[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/aea.htm East Antrim]", Northern Ireland Elections Despite this loss, and a reputation as a hardliner, she remained a prominent supporter of party leader David Trimble, and called for support of the Good Friday Agreement.

Steele devoted much of her time to the Ulster Women's Unionist Council, becoming Chairman of the organisation.Rebecca Black, "[http://www.motherwelltimes.co.uk/news/local-headlines/uwuc-celebrates-a-centenary-of-service-1-1178703 UWUC celebrates a centenary of service]", Motherwell Times, 24 January 2011 In the 2000 Birthday Honours, she received the MBE for political and public service."[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/queens-birthday-honours-28326273.html Queen's Birthday Honours]", Belfast Telegraph, 13 June 1998

At the 2016 UUP annual conference, the party leader Mike Nesbit made Steele honorary president of the party.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

Steele died on 8 January, 2020, at the age of 83.{{cite news |last=Young |first=Connla |date=2020-01-08 |title=Tributes paid to UUP honorary president May Steele |url=https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/01/08/news/tributes-paid-to-uup-honorary-president-may-steele-1808352/ |work=The Irish News |location= |access-date=2021-07-21}}