Dawn Purvis
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Dawn Purvis | |
|---|---|
 Purvis in 2007 | |
| Leader of the Progressive Unionist Party | |
| In office 23 January 2007 – 2 June 2010 | |
| Deputy | Andy Park |
| Preceded by | David Ervine |
| Succeeded by | John Kyle (acting) Brian Ervine |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast East | |
| In office 7 March 2007 – May 2011 | |
| Preceded by | David Ervine |
| Succeeded by | Judith Cochrane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 October 1966 [1] Donegall Pass, Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Independent (2010 - present) |
| Other political affiliations | PUP (1994 - 2010) |
| Website | Official website |
Dawn Purvis (born 22 October 1966) is a Northern Irish policy director and former unionist politician, who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast East from 2007 to 2011. She was previously the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) from 2007 to 2010.
Biography
[edit]Born in the Donegall Pass area of Belfast, Purvis joined the PUP in 1994.[2] She stood for the party in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum election in Belfast South[3] and then in the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election in Belfast South, here taking 271 votes.[4] She served as director of the Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast.
In November 2014, Bernadette Smyth, founder of the Precious Life organisation, was found guilty of the harassment of Purvis,[5] but the verdict was later quashed.[6]
Political career
[edit]
By 1999, Purvis was the PUP's Spokesperson on Women's Affairs.[7] She took a degree in Women's Studies, Social Policy and Social Anthropology and began working full-time for the party.[8]
Purvis stood in Belfast South in the 2001 UK general election, finishing in sixth place with a total of 1112 votes (2.9%).[9]
In 2006, Purvis was appointed to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Her appointment was later criticised by the Democratic Unionist Party, because of the PUP's links with the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).[2]
In January 2007, Purvis succeeded the late David Ervine as leader of the PUP and MLA for Belfast East. Commenting on her new role she said:
I am deeply honoured to have been made the leader of the PUP. However this is also tinged with sadness given the huge loss of David. It is a huge challenge to step into this role, especially after the good work he did. But this gives us an opportunity to rebuild and continue to serve working class loyalists and unionist communities.[10]
In her maiden speech in the Assembly she said "As long as there is poverty, and as long as there is inequality in education, health and gender, it will be my duty to articulate the needs of the working and workless classes in East Belfast."[citation needed]
Purvis was re-elected in the constituency at the 2007 Assembly election on the tenth and final round of counting. She polled 3045 votes (10.3%)[11]
Resignation from PUP
[edit]In June 2010, Purvis resigned as leader, and as a member, of the PUP because of its relationship with the UVF and the murder of Bobby Moffet which was attributed to that group by the Independent Monitoring Commission.[12][13][14]
Electoral defeat
[edit]In the 2011 Assembly election Purvis defended her seat as an independent candidate with PUP leader Brian Ervine running against her. In the end neither candidate was elected and instead the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland gained a second East Belfast seat. Purvis polled 1702 votes (5.2%)[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "The Northern Ireland Assembly". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ^ a b "A new Dawn for the PUP", Belfast Telegraph
- ^ PUP bids to win Chinese vote", Belfast Telegraph
- ^ "CAIN Web Service: Assembly Election (NI) Thursday 25 June 1998". Cain.ulst.ac.uk. 25 June 1998. Archived from the original on 28 May 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ^ Anti-abortion protester Bernadette Smyth guilty of harassing Dawn Purvis (November 2014) [1] Archived 2 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Bernadette Smyth wins harassment appeal". UTV. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
- ^ Eamonn McCann, "Choice the PUP must make ... and soon", Belfast Telegraph
- ^ "Education", Belfast Telegraph
- ^ The Guardian. "Ms Dawn Purvis". London. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
- ^ 4NI.co.uk News (23 January 2007). "Dawn Purvis chosen as PUP leader". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ RTÉ (9 March 2007). "Northern Ireland Elections 2007 – Belfast East". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
- ^ "Purvis quits PUP over murder of loyalist Moffett". BBC News. 3 June 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ^ "PremiumSale.com Premium Domains". Independentmonitoringcommission.org. Archived from the original on 3 October 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ^ McDonald, Henry (3 June 2010). "The Guardian – Ulster loyalist Dawn Purvis resigns from party over UVF killing". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Assembly elections: East Belfast results Archived 11 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine", Belfast Telegraph, 7 May 2011