Michael McGimpsey
| Michael McGimpsey | |
|---|---|
Michael McGimpsey at a 2011 rally for the murdered police officer Ronan Kerr
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| Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety | |
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In office 8 May 2007 – 16 May 2011 |
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| First Minister | Peter Robinson |
| Preceded by |
Office suspended Last incumbent: Bairbre de Brún |
| Succeeded by | Edwin Poots |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast, South |
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In office 25 June 1998 – 7 May 2016 |
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| Preceded by | New Creation |
| Succeeded by | Christopher Stalford |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
1 June 1948 Donaghadee, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Spouse(s) | Maureen McGimpsey |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Newtownards |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Dublin |
| Profession | Businessman |
Michael McGimpsey (born 1 July 1948) is one of Northern Ireland's best known political figures having served in two Stormont Executives and representing the people of South Belfast at Belfast City Council and the Northern Ireland Executive for twenty three years.
McGimpsey was born in Donaghadee, County Down and was educated in Regent House Grammar School and Trinity College, Dublin. He is a businessman aside from politics involved in property development, hotels and the hospitality sector. In the mid-1980s he came to prominence alongside his brother Christopher when they challenged the Anglo-Irish Agreement by bringing a suit against the Irish government in the High Court of the Republic of Ireland, arguing that the Agreement was invalid because it contradicted Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution of Ireland (this argument was unusual coming from Unionists because of the traditional Unionist opposition to these two articles.) The case failed in the High Court, and again on appeal to the Supreme Court.
McGimpsey's UUP office is located on Sandy Row in south Belfast.
In 1993 he was first elected to Belfast City Council. For the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum election McGimpsey was third on the UUP list. As a result, he was not involved in the negotiations for the Belfast Agreement. In 1998 McGimpsey was the first member to be elected for South Belfast on the 5th count. to the Northern Ireland Assembly. He was appointed to serve as Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure in the Northern Ireland Executive from 1999 until the collapse of the Executive in 2002. One of his achievements was the digitising of the Ulster Covenant by the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland.
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