Unionist awarded seats in House of Lords

The wife of DUP leader, the Rev Ian Paisley has today been named as one of the first three peers ever to be appointed from the Democratic Unionist Party to the House of Lords.

Eileen Paisley, along with DUP member Maurice Morrow and current Lord Mayor of Belfast Wallace Browne will all take their seats on the benches of the House later today.

Former Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was also nominated as a working life peer, along with 22 others by Prime Minister Tony Blair and other party leaders today.

Since the 2003 Assembly elections, when the DUP became the largest political party in Northern Ireland, they have consistently put pressure on the British government for the appointment of seats in the House of Lords, arguing that the Ulster Unionists had too many.

The government were obliged to agree to DUP's request for peerages after the party took nine seats in the General Elections while the Ulster Unionists achieved just one.

Before David Trimble's appointment, the UUP had eight peers sitting in the House of Lords, including Lords Rogan, Molyneaux, Kilclooney, Maginnis, Laird, Ballyedmond, Cooke and Viscount Brookeborough, while the DUP had none.

Eileen Paisley will now been known as Baroness Paisley of St George's, after the district, which elected her to Belfast City Council in 1967.

Baroness Paisley is a former member of Belfast City Council and is currently a vice president of the DUP.

She is probably best known for her support of her husband throughout his political career and in his role as the Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church.

DUP chairman Maurice Morrow has been an Assembly member for Fermanagh and South Tyrone since 1998 and served as the Social Development Minister for over a year during the last period of the Stormont Executive.

He has also been a member of Dungannon District Council since 1973.

Wallace Browne became the Lord Mayor of Belfast in May 2005, and has become the first person in the DUP to hold the post for four years.

He has been a member of the DUP for over 25-years and has been a councillor since 2000.

DUP Deputy Leader Peter Robinson has welcomed the announcement that his colleagues are to become Life Peers in the House of Lords. Speaking earlier, Mr Robinson said: “On behalf of the party I warmly welcome the announcement that Eileen, Maurice and Wallace are to become Life Peers. They have worked tirelessly over many years for the good of the people of Northern Ireland.

"They thoroughly deserve the recognition that such an honour will bestow upon them and I know that their elevation will be used by each of them to work in the House of Lords for the benefit of the community."

Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Sir Reg Empey also sent his congratulations to his predecessor today, as David Trimble was awarded a seat in the House of Lords.

In a statement Sir Reg said: “This is a fitting tribute to David for his efforts in securing peace in Northern Ireland.

His distinguished parliamentary career, his contribution to politics and his ability to raise awareness worldwide for Ulster Unionism fully deserves to be recognised in this way.

"David joins our other peers in the House of Lords. Together they represent a formidable team in standing up for Northern Ireland and properly scrutinising legislation from the Commons."

Sir Reg added that that he wished Mr Trimble well in his new role and congratulated him on this latest accolade to his political career.

(EF)