Diana Armstrong (born February 1961) is a Northern Irish Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone since September 2024.[1]
Diana Armstrong | |
|---|---|
 Armstrong in 2024 | |
| Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for the Economy | |
| Assumed office 28 September 2024 | |
| Leader | Mike Nesbitt |
| Preceded by | Colin Crawford |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone | |
| Assumed office 27 September 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Tom Elliott |
| Member of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council | |
| In office 8 June 2016 – 27 September 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Rosemary Barton |
| Succeeded by | Rosemary Barton |
| Constituency | Erne North |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 1961 (age 63) County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Ulster Unionist |
| Parent(s) | Harry West (father) Maureen West (mother) |
Background
editArmstrong is the daughter of former UUP leader Harry West.[2]
She was co-opted onto Fermanagh and Omagh District Council in June 2016, following Rosemary Barton's election to the Northern Ireland Assembly, where she represented the Erne North District.[3] Armstrong went on to top the poll in the 2019 local elections, and was again re-elected in 2023.[4]
Armstrong was the UUP candidate for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the 2024 general election, the most marginal seat in the United Kingdom with a Sinn Féin majority of just 56 votes over the UUP.[5] She finished in second place with 20,273 votes (39.7%) to Sinn Féin candidate Pat Cullen's 24,844 votes (48.6%).[6]
On 27 September 2024, Armstrong was co-opted to replace Tom Elliott as Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, after he was given a peerage in July as part of the dissolution honours list. She is the only female MLA of the nine MLAs the UUP has at Stormont.[7]
Armstrong spoke of the importance of farming at the UUP's 2024 party conference, stating that "We recognise that farming is the backbone of our economy and will always work for farm families and rural dwellers to strive for better opportunities, accessibility and support..."[8] She was announced by UUP leader Mike Nesbitt as the party's new Economy spokesperson.[9]
References
edit- ^ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland - EONI". www.eoni.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ "Diana Armstrong, daughter of former UUP leader Harry West, to stand for party in general election in Fermanagh and South Tyrone". The Irish News. 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ Harte, Lauren (2016-06-08). "SDLP and UUP take hold of top positions on council". The Fermanagh Herald. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ Henderson, Roisin (2019-05-03). "UUP top the poll in Erne North again". The Fermanagh Herald. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ "Diana Armstrong, daughter of former UUP leader Harry West, to stand for party in general election in Fermanagh and South Tyrone". The Irish News. 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-2024-jubilation-among-republicans-as-ex-nursing-chief-pat-cullen-wins-fermanagh-and-south-tyrone-for-sinn-fein-4691782
- ^ "Diana Armstrong: UUP politician is New Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA". BBC News. 2024-09-27. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
- ^ https://x.com/uuponline/status/1840017158643839038?t=4nCrsNybDrnjdmNvbHjD7A&s=19
- ^ "UUP Conference: Leader's speech". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-09-28.