JEFFREY DONALDSON MP MLA (DUP)

Jeffrey Donaldson was born in December 1962.  He is married with two daughters and lives in Moira. In 1985 Jeffrey, then 22, was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly with the distinction of being the youngest person ever to win a seat at Stormont. From 1988-2000 he was the Honorary Secretary of the Ulster Unionist Council. In 1997 he won the Lagan Valley Westminster seat, and retained it in 2001.  Donaldson joined the DUP in January 2004 after the UUP failed to move against Trimble in light of the poor results in the 2003 Assembly elections.  He retained his seat in 2005 for the DUP, and became MLA for the same constituency in 2003.  Donaldson is Party Spokesperson on Employment and Learning.

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EDWIN POOTS MLA (DUP)

Edwin Poots was born in 1965 and was educated at Greenmount Agricultural College. He is married with four children. He is a farmer and serves on Lisburn City Council.   He was a member of the Environment Committee and Chaired the Committee of the Centre in the 1998-2003 Assembly. He is the DUP Party Spokesperson on Agriculture and Rural Development.

SEAMUS CLOSE MLA (All)

Seamus Close was born in Lisburn in 1947.  He was educated at St Malachy's College and the College of Business Studies. He is married with three sons and one daughter. He is a company director for the tea and coffee merchants SD Bell & Co Ltd.  Elected to Lisburn Borough Council in 1973, he became Lisburn's first non-Unionist Lord Mayor in 1993.   He resigned as Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party in June 2001 citing differences with the leadership.  He was a member of the Finance and Personnel, and Public Accounts Committees in the 1998-2003 Assembly.  Close is Party Spokesperson on Finance and Personnel. In November 2006, Close announced that he was retiring from politics after the 2007 Assembly elections.

PATRICIA LEWSLEY MLA (SDLP)

Patricia Lewsley was born in 1957 and was educated as a mature student at the University of Ulster, having previously worked as a school cook. She is divorced with five children. She was Deputy Chair of the Environment Committee, and served on the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee, the Finance and Personnel Committee, and Committee of the Centre in the 1998-2003 Assembly.  She is SDLP Chairperson and Party Spokesperson on Human Rights and Equality issues and the Review of Public Administration (RPA). In December 2006, Lewsley was appointed as the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People. In accepting the position, Patricia Lewsley will be required to cease all political activity, which will mean resigning her positions as an MLA and councillor on Lisburn City Council and also her membership of the SDLP.

On 10 January 2007, Douglas Bain, Chief Electoral Officer announced the SDLP's Marietta Farrell from Rostrevor would take the seat left vacant by Patricia Lewsley MLA (Lagan Valley). 

BILLY BELL MLA (UUP)

Billy Bell was born in 1935 and was educated at Fane Street Primary School and then Grosvenor High School (now Grosvenor Grammar). He is married with one son and three daughters. He was director of Billy Bell Pubic Relations until 1998, when he dissolved it on entry to the 1998-2003 Assembly. He has served on Lisburn Borough Council since 1985. He was a member of Belfast City Council from 1977 to 1985 and Lord Mayor from 1979 to 1980. He served on the Finance and Personnel Committee in the 1998-2003 Assembly and was Assembly Group Treasurer and UUP Spokesperson on Public Accounts.  Bell is currently the party spokesperson on disability.

NORAH BEARE MLA (DUP)

Norah Beare was born in May 1946. A member of Banbridge Council, she serves on the Environmental Services, Leisure and Development, Public Services Liaison Committees and Healthcare Sub-Committee.  She worked as PA to UUP MP (now DUP) Jeffrey Donaldson.  Her interests include children, animal welfare and women's issues. She joined the DUP from the UUP in January 2004.  Norah is Party Spokesperson for Health and Social Services.