Iris Robinson
| Iris Robinson | |
|---|---|
|
Member of Parliament for Strangford |
|
|
In office 7 June 2001 – 13 January 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | John Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Jim Shannon |
|
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford |
|
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In office 25 June 1998 – 12 January 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan Bell |
| Democratic Unionist Party Spokesperson for Health | |
|
In office 2001 – 9 January 2010 |
|
| Leader |
Ian Paisley Peter Robinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Iris Collins 6 September 1949 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party |
Independent (from 9 January 2010) Democratic Unionist Party (until 9 January 2010) |
| Spouse(s) | Peter Robinson (1970-present) |
| Children | Jonathan Gareth Rebekah |
| Residence | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Alma mater | Cregagh Technical College |
| Profession | Secretary |
Iris Robinson (née Collins; born 6 September 1949) is a former Northern Ireland Unionist politician. She is married to Peter Robinson, who was First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2008 to 2016.
Robinson was first elected councillor for Castlereagh Borough Council in 1989, and served as Mayor in 1992 and 1995. She was a member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue from 1995 to 1997. In 1998 she was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Democratic Unionist Party as member for Strangford, acting as Deputy Whip and health spokesperson. She was elected as DUP Member of Parliament for Strangford at the 2001 general election, replacing the Ulster Unionist Party's John Taylor. She was re-elected at the 2005 general election.
Robinson describes herself as a born-again Christian, and has publicly stated that "the government has the responsibility to uphold God's laws". In light of this, she was criticised for her views on homosexuality in 2008.
In December 2009, Robinson announced that she would leave politics and withdraw from public life following prolonged periods of mental illness. In January 2010, it emerged that Robinson had an extramarital affair with a 19-year-old in 2008, and she and her husband were faced with allegations of financial impropriety related to the affair. It was announced on 9 January 2010 that her membership of the DUP had been terminated, and that she would stand down from elected office. On 12 January 2010 she resigned from the Northern Ireland Assembly, and on 13 January 2010, she resigned from the House of Commons and Castlereagh (borough).
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