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Dermot Nesbitt | |
---|---|
Minister of the Environment | |
In office 20 February 2002 –15 October 2002 | |
Preceded by | Sam Foster |
Succeeded by | Arlene Foster |
Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Down | |
In office 25 June 1998 –7 March 2007 | |
Preceded by | Constituency created |
Succeeded by | John McCallister |
Personal details | |
Born | Belfast,Northern Ireland | 14 August 1947
Nationality | British |
Political party | Ulster Unionist Party |
Spouse | Oriel Nesbitt (m.1970-present) |
Children | 2 |
Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast |
Profession | Economist,academic |
Dermot Nesbitt (born 14 August 1947) is a former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician from Northern Ireland who was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for South Down from 1998 to 2007.
Nesbitt was educated at Down High School and later studied economics at Queen's University Belfast and joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). He was the election agent for Brian Faulkner from 1973–77,most of this period spent as a member of the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland. Nesbitt worked as a lecturer at Queen's and by 1981 he had rejoined the UUP,being elected to Down District Council. He held this seat until 1989.[ citation needed ]
Nesbitt was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum for South Down in 1996,and held this seat on the Northern Ireland Assembly at the 1998 and 2003 elections.[ citation needed ]
Nesbitt was a junior minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 until 2002,when he took up the post of Minister of the Environment. He retired in 2007,and party colleague John McCallister retained a UUP seat in the South Down constituency. At the 1997,2001 and 2005 general elections,Nesbitt stood unsuccessfully for the Westminster seat of South Down.
He continued to work as a lecturer in finance at QUB [ citation needed ] until his early 70s.
In mid-morning on 7 December 1983,while chatting to UUP party and Queen's colleague Edgar Graham at the University Square side of the main campus library,Nesbitt witnessed Graham (aged 29) being shot dead by an IRA gunman. [1]
Nesbitt lives in Crossgar where his family have lived for several generations. He has been involved in many community and church activities in the area.
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"Mr. Edgar Graham: At approximately 10.50 am on 7 December 1983, at University Square, Belfast, Mr. Graham was shot dead. The murder was claimed by the Irish Republican Army. RUC investigations resulted in one person being convicted of making property available and withholding information and sentenced to 2 years imprisonment suspended for 3 years. Another person, convicted of withholding information, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years. A number of other persons were arrested and interviewed in relation to this murder but released without charge."