John McCallister
| John McCallister | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Deputy Leader of NI21 | |
|
In office 6 June 2013 – 3 July 2014 |
|
| Leader | Basil McCrea |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Johnny McCarthy |
| Deputy Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | |
|
In office 27 October 2010 – 1 October 2012 |
|
| Leader |
Tom Elliot Mike Nesbitt |
| Preceded by | Danny Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
|
Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Down |
|
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In office 7 March 2007 – 7 May 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Dermot Nesbitt |
| Succeeded by | Harold McKee |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
20 February 1972 Newry, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party |
Independent Ulster Unionist (before 2013) NI21 (2013–14) |
| Spouse(s) | Jane McCallister |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession | Farmer |
John McCallister (born 20 February 1972) is a Northern Irish Unionist politician. In 2007, was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly as an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) member for South Down. On 14 February 2013, McCallister announced that he had resigned from the UUP due to its decision to engage in an electoral pact with the Democratic Unionist Party. He was a co-founder of the NI21 party with fellow ex-UUP member Basil McCrea but resigned the following year following disputes with McCrea. He re-contested his seat as an Independent at the 2016 election but lost his seat, receiving just 2.8% of the vote.
A native of Rathfriland, John McCallister has had a strong interest in agriculture and environmental issues in the community and voluntary sector and has been assigned to serve on the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety and the Committee for Regional Development. He has been a member of the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster (YFCU) since 1984 and, in 2003–05, served as YFCU president.
McCallister introduced the Bill which became the Caravans Act (Northern Ireland), 2011 to give legal protection to holiday-makers who stay in caravans and to people who live permanently in park homes. The Bill passed the Assembly in February 2011, and received Royal Assent on 16 March; the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly congratulated him on being the first person to guide a Private Member's Bill onto the statute book in Northern Ireland since 1931.
Following the election of Tom Elliott as UUP leader, McCallister was appointed the Party's deputy leader. The following year the UUP Whip Fred Cobain lost his seat in the Assembly and McCallister was chosen to replace him.
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