Peter Weir (politician)

Peter Weir is a politician in Northern Ireland.

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A past Chairman of the Young Unionists (the UUP Youth Wing), Weir is a barrister and graduate of Queen's University, Belfast. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum in 1996 for the constituency of North Down. In 1998 he refused to support the Belfast Agreement of 1998. A leading critic of party leader David Trimble's policies, Weir was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 1998 election.

Related Topics:
UUP - Queen's University, Belfast - Northern Ireland Peace Forum - 1996 - North Down - 1998 - Belfast Agreement - David Trimble - Northern Ireland Assembly - 1998 election

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Weir was selected as his party's candidate to fight the 2001 general election in North Down, but a month before the election tensions between him and the party reached the stage where he was deselected and replaced by Sylvia Hermon. Weir was later expelled from the Ulster Unionist Party for refusing to support the re-election of David Trimble as First Minister. Following a period as an Independent Unionist, Weir joined the Democratic Unionist Party in 2002. Since then, he was re-elected from North Down as a DUP member and increased the party's vote in the constituency by three times its 1998 tally.

Related Topics:
2001 general election - Sylvia Hermon - David Trimble - First Minister - Democratic Unionist Party - 2002 - 1998

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In the 2005 Westminster election Weir finally stood for North Down, this time for the DUP, but lost to Hermon.

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