Robin Swann
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Robin Swann | |
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![]() Robin Swann MLA | |
Minister of Health | |
Assumed office 11 January 2020 | |
First Minister | Arlene Foster Paul Givan |
Preceded by | Michelle O'Neill |
Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | |
In office 8 April 2017 – 9 November 2019 | |
Preceded by | Mike Nesbitt |
Succeeded by | Steve Aiken |
Ulster Unionist Chief Whip | |
In office 6 April 2012 – 8 April 2017 | |
Leader | Mike Nesbitt |
Preceded by | John McCallister |
Succeeded by | Steve Aiken |
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Antrim North | |
Assumed office 2011 | |
Preceded by | Robert Coulter |
Personal details | |
Born | Kells, County Antrim, Northern Ireland | 24 September 1971
Nationality | British |
Political party | Ulster Unionist Party |
Spouse(s) | Jennifer Swann |
Children | 2 |
Residence | Kells, County Antrim |
Alma mater | Open University |
Website | Robin Swann official website |
Robin Swann (born 24 September 1971) is an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician from Northern Ireland serving as Minister of Health since 2020. His tenure as health minister has coincided with the global COVID-19 pandemic. He was the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party from 2017 to 2019.[1]
Swann was first elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011 representing North Antrim, and was re-elected in the 2016 and 2017 Assembly elections.
From 6 April 2012, he served as Ulster Unionist Chief Whip, a position he retained until he was elected unopposed as UUP Leader in April 2017. He resigned as UUP leader in November 2019. Swann stood as the UUP candidate in North Antrim in the December 2019 general election, which saw an 11.4% increase in their vote taking the party to second place in the constituency of North Antrim.
Education[]
Robin was educated at Kells & Connor Primary School and Ballymena Academy (class of 1990), before completing a BSc degree with the Open University, plus a Certificate of Professional Management and Certificate of Mathematics.[citation needed]
Political activity[]
Elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly on 7 May 2011, he successfully defended it in the 2016 Assembly election and at the snap election in March 2017, where he was the first unionist elected in North Antrim.[2]
During the short 2016 mandate he was Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee[citation needed] which commenced the Inquiry into the RHI scandal.
He also served as Chairman of the Committee for Employment and Learning on 27 February 2013, a position he held until the Committee was dissolved on 30 April 2016. He is an active member of Kells & Connor Community Association and has served as a Board member of the Volunteer Development Agency in Northern Ireland.[citation needed]
Swann has served as President and County Antrim Chairman of the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster. He has chaired the YFCU's National Executive and Rural Affairs Committees and has been Chairman of the Rural Youth Europe organisation.[3]
Current positions[]
- Northern Ireland Minister of Health since January 2020
- Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (2017–2019)
- Ulster Unionist Member of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly
- Chairman of North Antrim Association of the Ulster Unionist Party
- Chairman of All Party Group on Congenital Heart Disease (30 April 2013 – present)
Family and personal life[]
He and his wife Jennifer have a daughter and a son. Their son was born with a congenital heart defect, and while in Birmingham where a corrective procedure was performed, Swann recorded the events in a personal blog.[4]
References[]
- ^ "Ulster Unionist Party confirm Robin Swann as new leader" BBC News, 8 April 2017, accessed 11 April 2017
- ^ "North Antrim". www.ark.ac.uk.
- ^ "European chairman Delme Harries". Farmers Guardian. 30 September 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011.
- ^ "The Journey Begins: The phone call". 22 September 2013.
External links[]
- Northern Ireland Assembly profile
- They work for you - Assembly appearances
- Ulster Unionist Party profile
Succession boxes[]
- 1971 births
- Living people
- Ulster Unionist Party MLAs
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–2017
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2017–2022