- Peter Weir (politician)
Infobox Politician
name=Peter Weir MLA
width=144px
term_start=1998
term_end=
predecessor=
successor=
birth_date=1968
birth_place=Northern Ireland
constituency=North Down
party=Democratic Unionist Party
office=MLA
spouse=
website=http://www.dup.org.uk/PeterWeir.aspPeter Weir MLA is a
Northern Ireland unionist politician.A past chairman of the
Young Unionists (the UUP Youth Wing), Weir is abarrister by profession. He attended Bangor Grammar School and graduated from theQueen's University of Belfast in Law and Accountancy. He was called to the Northern Ireland Bar in 1992 and is a former editor of the Ulster Review. Weir has been a member of the Queen's University Senate since 1996 and is also leading member of the University Convocation. He was elected to theNorthern Ireland Peace Forum in1996 for the constituency of North Down. Weir refused to support theBelfast Agreement of1998 . A leading critic of party leaderDavid Trimble 's policies, Weir was elected to theNorthern Ireland Assembly in the 1998 election.Weir was selected as his party's candidate to fight the 2001 general election in North Down, but a month before the election tensions between him and the party reached the stage where he was deselected and replaced by
Sylvia Hermon . Weir was later expelled from the Ulster Unionist Party for refusing to support the re-election ofDavid Trimble asFirst Minister of Northern Ireland . Following a period as an Independent Unionist, Weir joined theDemocratic Unionist Party in2002 . Since then, he was re-elected from North Down as a DUP member and increased the party's vote in the constituency by three times its1998 tally.In the 2005 Westminster election Weir finally stood for North Down, this time for the DUP, but lost to
Sylvia Hermon of theUlster Unionist Party He is a member of the
North Down Borough Council and belongs to theOrange Order and theRoyal Black Preceptory .He serves on the
Northern Ireland Policing Board .
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