Jonathan Buckley (born 19 July 1991) is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician who has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann since 2017. He currently serves as the DUP's Spokesman for Economy, Business, and Energy and Trade Union Engagement.[2]
Jonathan Buckley | |
|---|---|
 Buckley in 2024 | |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann | |
| Assumed office 3 March 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Sydney Anderson |
| Member of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council | |
| In office 22 May 2014 – 3 March 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Council created |
| Succeeded by | Louise Templeton |
| Constituency | Portadown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 July 1991 County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | DUP |
| Spouse |
Jill Porter (m. 2022) |
| Occupation | Politician |
Early life
editBuckley grew up outside Portadown, where he still lives today.[3]
Jonathan was educated at Queens University Belfast studying Modern History and Politics.
Political career
editBefore entering the Northern Ireland Assembly, Buckley served as a Local Councillor for Portadown DEA within the Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council. During his time in local government, he was a member of various committees, including Economic Development, Governance, and Policy and Planning.
Buckley has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann since 2017. He succeeded retiring veteran legislator Sydney Anderson. During the campaign, he publicly exhorted voters in the constituency to vote and to transfer to other Unionist candidates. He was declared the winner on 3 March 2017.[4][5][6] This made Buckley the youngest elected representative for the DUP.[3]
Buckley's political journey has been marked by his extensive involvement in legislative committees. He notably chaired the Committee for Infrastructure at the Northern Ireland Assembly, where he played a crucial role in advising, assisting, and scrutinizing the work of the Department for Infrastructure. He has also been a member of the committees for Health and Communities, contributing to the oversight of key government departments.
Beyond his legislative work, Buckley is actively engaged in promoting business and parliamentary collaboration. He serves as a Board Member and Trustee at the Northern Ireland Assembly Business Trust, fostering connections between local businesses and parliamentarians. Additionally, he is an Executive Committee Member at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Northern Ireland Branch, where he supports parliamentary democracy across the Commonwealth.
In October 2021, Buckley voted against 'safe zones' outside abortion clinics, saying the move which supporters claim is designed to protect women from physical and verbal harassment was "regressive".[7]
In May 2022, Buckley admitted that he was "surprised" to learn that he had been nominated by Anne Donaghy's office for an MBE for "political and public service".[8]
In addition to his political roles, Buckley has been actively engaged in various leadership and educational programs. He participated in the British Council Future Leaders Connect Programme at Cambridge University, becoming part of a global network of emerging policy leaders. He was also selected by the United States Government for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), representing the United Kingdom in the Department of State Exchange Programme Global Economic Cooperation.
In 2023, Buckley stood for the Deputy Leadership of the DUP, losing by one vote to Gavin Robinson, the MP for East Belfast.[9]
On 24 May 2024, Buckley was selected as the Democratic Unionist Party candidate for Lagan Valley in the 2024 United Kingdom general election, following the departure of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.[10]On standing for election, Buckley said:“I am running in Lagan Valley because I am putting country first. “I am running in Lagan Valley to ensure pro-union voters can unite behind a candidate and ensure Lagan Valley has strong representation at Westminster.”[11] He finished second to Alliance's Sorcha Eastwood, who won the seat with a 2,659 (6.0%) majority compared to Buckley's 15,659 votes (31.9%).[12][13]
Personal life
editOutside of politics, Buckley is passionate about pigeon racing, country sports, and football.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Martin, Valerie (2 July 2022). "MLA Jonathan Buckley and his bride Jill Porter marry in Lisburn". Northern Ireland World. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ "Jonathan Buckley MLA". DUP. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ a b c McNeilly, Claire (7 May 2018). "DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley: 'My great-grandfather won a bravery medal after he picked up an IRA bomb and carried it outside so that the Army could defuse it'". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
- ^ "Jonathan Buckley to run for DUP in tight Upper Bann election race". News Letter. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
- ^ "Upper Bann - predicted winner: Jonathan Buckley (DUP)". Bet Breaking News. Archived from the original on 4 March 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ "Buckley urges Upper Bann to vote for strong Unionist representation". Northern Ireland World. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
- ^ McCormack, Jayne (12 October 2021). "Buckley Opposes Safe Zones". BBC News. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ Hughes, Brendan (3 May 2022). "DUP man 'surprised' to learn of Queen's honour nomination from council boss". BelfastLive. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ Hughes, Brendan (7 June 2023). "DUP's Robinson and Buckley tipped for deputy leader role". Belfast Live. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ^ "Jonathan Buckley to stand in Lagan Valley for DUP". BBC News. BBC. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "DUP announces Jonathan Buckley as candidate in Lagan Valley". The Independent. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "UK Parliament election results: Election for the constituency of Lagan Valley on 4 July 2024". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
- ^ "Lagan Valley - General election results 2024 - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
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