Nigel Alexander Dodds

http://www.mydup.com/who-we-are/nigel-dodds

Profile

After working as a barrister Nigel worked at the Secretariat of the European Parliament between 1984 and 1985 as an assistant to Dr Paisley in his role as an MEP for Northern Ireland.

Nigel was first elected to Belfast City Council in 1985 representing the Castle DEA in North Belfast. He served on Belfast City Council between 1985 and 2010. During this time was elected Lord Mayor on in both 1988/89 and 1992/93. When elected as Lord Mayor in 1998 Nigel was the youngest person ever to have held the post. Nigel was awarded the OBE for services to Local Government in 1997.

Nigel served as DUP Party Secretary from 1992 before being elected Deputy Leader of the Party in 2008. In 2010 he was appointed to the Privy Council.

Nigel was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 representing North Belfast, and later to the Northern Ireland Assembly where he topped the poll for the constituency in 1998, 2003 and 2007. Within the Assembly Nigel served as Minister for the Department of Social Development from November 1999 until July 2000 and again from October 2001 until October 2002. He was Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment between 2007 and 2007 before becoming Minister for Finance and Personnel between 2008 and 2009.

Nigel was first elected to Parliament representing North Belfast in 2001 and subsequently in 2005 and 2010.