Paul Rankin (politician)
Paul Rankin | |
|---|---|
| Member of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council | |
| Assumed office 31 May 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Keith Parke |
| Constituency | Lagan River |
| In office 22 May 2014 – 21 February 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Council created |
| Succeeded by | Keith Parke |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley | |
| In office 14 March 2022 – 28 March 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Edwin Poots |
| Succeeded by | Emma Little-Pengelly |
| Member of Banbridge District Council | |
| In office 7 June 2001 – 22 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Gribben |
| Succeeded by | Council abolished |
| Constituency | Dromore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dromore, County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Democratic Unionist Party |
Paul Rankin is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician, serving as an Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Councillor for the Lagan River DEA since 2014[1] .
He was briefly a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley in March 2022, having replaced former party leader, Edwin Poots.
Political career
Rankin was first elected to Banbridge District Council in 2001, representing the Dromore District.
He retained his council seat at the 2005 and 2011 council elections.
Rankin was elected onto the successor Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council at the 2014 local elections, representing the Lagan River District; he was re-elected in 2019.
He was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley, on 14 March 2022, after Edwin Poots switched to South Belfast, following the sudden death of Christopher Stalford in February 2022.[2]
Rankin was only an MLA for two weeks after being co-opted, as the Assembly was dissolved at the end of March ahead of the May Assembly election,[2] for which he was not selected as a DUP candidate in Lagan Valley.[3][4]
Following the Assembly election, he was co-opted back onto the council, and was subsequently re-elected at the 2023 election.
References
- ^ "DUP selects councillor to replace Poots in Lagan Valley Assembly seat". ITV News. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ a b Hughes, Brendan (14 March 2022). "DUP councillor replaces Edwin Poots as MLA for Lagan Valley". BelfastLive.
- ^ Manley, John (19 March 2022). "Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Paul Givan to be ratified as DUP's Lagan Valley candidates". The Irish News. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ Suzanne Breen [@SuzyJourno] (17 March 2022). "The DUP is clearly worried about Lagan Valley. It's just announced its running only 2 candidates in May. Jeffrey Donaldson & Paul Givan have been selected at a meeting of the local constituency association. Party evidently feels it's too risky to run a 3rd" (Tweet). Retrieved 21 April 2022 – via Twitter.