Colin Crawford (Northern Ireland politician)
Colin Crawford | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for Education | |
| In office 28 September 2024 – 29 July 2025 | |
| Leader | Mike Nesbitt |
| Preceded by | Robbie Butler |
| Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for the Economy | |
| In office 9 July 2024 – 28 September 2024 | |
| Leader | Doug Beattie |
| Preceded by | Robbie Butler |
| Succeeded by | Diana Armstrong |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for North Antrim | |
| In office 9 July 2024 – 29 July 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Robin Swann |
| Succeeded by | Jon Burrows |
| Member of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council | |
| In office 18 May 2023 – 9 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | James Henry |
| Succeeded by | Brian Thompson |
| Constituency | Ballymena |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ballymena, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Ulster Unionist |
Colin Crawford is a former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for North Antrim from July 2024 until July 2025.[1][2]
Background
[edit]At the 2023 Mid and East Antrim Borough Council election, Crawford ran as an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) candidate in the Ballymena District.[3][4]He was elected on the first count, having polled 969 first-preference votes.[5][6] Crawford's election marked the return of a UUP councillor in Ballymena, after the party lost their seat in 2019.[7]
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (2024–2025)
[edit]In July 2024, he was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a member for North Antrim, following the election of Robin Swann, as MP for South Antrim.[8][9] His selection caused an internal row within the party, prompting Doug Beattie to resign as leader after he had supported another candidate for the job.[10] Crawford was briefly the UUP's Economy Spokesperson before becoming Education Spokesperson following Mike Nesbitt's election as UUP leader.[11][12]
On 13 June 2025, less than a year since his co-option, Crawford announced that he would be leaving the Assembly at the end of the month. In a Facebook post, he cited his resignation as "the right decision for me and my family".[13][14] It was later reported that Crawford had resigned following a disagreement over the wording of a party press release condemning the 2025 Ballymena riots. The UUP asked Crawford to remain as an MLA for the summer to give them more time to find a replacement.[15] He was replaced by Jon Burrows on 29 July 2025.[16]
References
[edit]- ^ "Crawford to be UUP assemblyman". Ballymena Guardian. 10 July 2024.
- ^ McClafferty, Enda (2025-07-29). "Former senior PSNI officer Jon Burrows to become UUP MLA". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ^ "Mid and East Antrim local election: The 9 candidates in Ballymena". Who Can I Vote For?. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "LIVE RESULTS: Mid and East Antrim". Ireland Votes. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Ballymena: Mid and East Antrim result - Northern Ireland local elections". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Mid and East Antrim result - Northern Ireland Council Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Local Government Elections 2019". Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
- ^ "Cllr Colin Crawford to replace Robin Swann as North Antrim MLA". NI Elects. 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Peter Martin: DUP councillor nominated for Easton's assembly seat". BBC News. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Ulster Unionist MLA to step down after less than a year in job". BBC News. 2025-06-13. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ "North Antrim". UUP Live. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ "UUP Conference: Leader's speech". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ "Colin Crawford resigns as MLA for North Antrim, citing 'right decision for himself and family'". Love Ballymena. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ "North Antrim MLA Colin Crawford resigns for family reasons". BBC News. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 13 June 2025.
- ^ "Ulster Unionist MLA Colin Crawford quit after 'row over Ballymena riots'". BBC News. 2025-07-04. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
- ^ "Former senior police officer selected to fill UUP Assembly seat". The Independent. 2025-07-29. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
External links
[edit]  | This article about a Northern Ireland politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |