Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue

The Forum for Political Dialogue met between 1996 and 1998 in Belfast as part of the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)

This is one of the 14 delegations in the convention, accounting for 25 of 164 people who took part.

Members (25):

Name Visualize Details Delegations
May Beattie Visualize May Margaret Beattie. Born 1950. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for East Antrim. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Robert Bolton Visualize Robert Bolton. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for East Londonderry. Member of Coleraine Borough Council, 1981-89, 1993-2001. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Cecil Calvert Visualize Cecil Calvert. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for Lagan Valley. Member of Lisburn City Council, 1985-2011. Joined TUV in 2007. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Gregory Campbell Visualize Gregory Lloyd Campbell; CBE 2024. Born 15 February 1953. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks, and a member of the support team. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue as a top-up candidate. Later MLA for East Londonderry, 1998-2016. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Mervyn Carrick Visualize William Mervyn Carrick. Born 13 February 1946. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for Upper Bann. Later, MLA for the Upper Bank, 1998-2003. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Sam Clyde Visualize Sam Clyde. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for South Antrim. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Nigel Dodds Visualize Baron Nigel Alexander Dodds; OBE, PC. Born 20 August 1958. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks, and a member of the support team. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for North Belfast. General Secretary of the DUP, 1993-2008. Deputy Leader of the DUP, 2008-21. Leader of the DUP in the House of Commons, 2010-19. MP for Belfast North, 2001-19. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Oliver Gibson Visualize Oliver Gibson. Born 28 June 1934; died 27 April 2018. Founding member of the DUP. Delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks, and a member of the support team. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for West Tyrone. MLA for West Tyrone, 1998-2003. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
Trevor Kirkland Visualize Trevor Kirkland. Born 1958. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for South Antrim. Member of Newtownabbey Borough Council, 1981-85. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
St Clair McAlister Visualize St Clair McAlister. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for North Down. Member of Arts Borough Council, 1993-97. Later appointed DUP's Director of Communications. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
William McCrea Visualize Reverend Robert Thomas William McCrea, Baron McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown. Born 6 August 1948. DUP delegate to the 1991-1992 and the 1996-1998 multi-party talks, and a member of the negotiating team. MP for Mid Ulster, 1983-97. MP for South Antrim, 2000-01, 2005-15. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Jack McKee Visualize Jack McKee. Born 4 September 1943; died 4 October 2015. Founding member of the DUP. Delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for East Antrim. Served on Larne Borough Council, 1973-85, and Larne Town, 1985-2014. Defected to the newly-formed TUV in 2007. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Maurice Morrow Visualize Baron Maurice George Morrow. Born 27 September 1948. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Chairman of the DUP, 2000-present. MLA, 1998-2017. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998)
Ian Paisley Jr Visualize Ian Richard Kyle Paisley Jr. Born 12 December 1966. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for North Antrim. MLA for North Antrim, 1998-2010. MP for North Antrim, 2010-present. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Ian Paisley Visualize Reverend Doctor Baron Ian Richard Kyle Paisley. Born 6 April 1926; died 12 September 2014. Leader of the DUP, 1971-2008. DUP delegate to the 1991-1992 and the 1996-1998 multi-party talks, and a member of the negotiating team. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for North Antrim. First Minister of Northern Ireland, 2007-08. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Joan Parkes Visualize Joan Parkes. Member of Belfast City Council, 1985-97. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for South Belfast. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Edwin Poots Visualize Edwin Poots. 27 April 1965. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for Lagan Valley. MLA for Lagan Valley, 1998-2022. MLA for Belfast South, 2022-present. Leader of the DUP, May-June 2021. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
DUP Representative Visualize Statements, decisions and papers attributed to the DUP delegation. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Iris Robinson Visualize Iris Robinson. Born 6 September 1949. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for Strangford. Served as councillor for Castlereagh Borough Council, 1989-2010. MLA for Strangford, 1998-2010. MP for Strangford, 2001-2010. Wife of Peter Robinson, First Minister of Northern Ireland, 2008-2016. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Peter Robinson Visualize Peter David Robinson. Born 29 December 1948. Founding member of the DUP. General Secretary of the DUP, 1975-1979. MP for Belfast East, 1979-2010. DUP Deputy Leader, 1980-2008. DUP delegate to the 1991-1992 and the 1996-1998 multi-party talks, and a member of the negotiating team. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for East Belfast. DUP Leader, 2008-2015. First Minister of Northern Ireland, 2008-2016. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992)
Jim Shannon Visualize Richard James (Jim) Shannon. Born 25 March 1955. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for Strangford. MLA for Strangford, 1998-2010. MP for Strangford, 2010-present. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Eric Smyth Visualize Eric Smyth. Member of Belfast City Council, 1981-2005. Lord Mayor of Belfast, 1995-96. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. He was also a delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue as a top-up candidate. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
William Snoddy Visualize William (Billy) Snoddy. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for North Belfast. Member of Newtownabbey Borough Council, 1989-97. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Desmond Stewart Visualize Robert Desmond "Dessie" Stewart. Born 1949. Served on Coleraine Borough Council, 1989-2006. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for East Londonderry. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)
Sammy Wilson Visualize Samuel Wilson. Born 4 April 1952. DUP delegate to the 1996-1998 multi-party talks. Delegate to the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue for East Belfast. DUP Press Officer, 1982-96. DUP Councillor on Belfast City Council, 1981-2010. Served as Lord Mayor of Belfast 1986-87, 2000-01. Served as an MLA for Belfast East, 1998-2003, and for East Antrim, 2003-2015. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland Brooke/Mayhew Talks 1991-1992) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (Northern Ireland All-Party Talks June 1996 - April 1998) , Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) (This negotiation)