Patrick Roche

Who is Patrick Roche?

Patrick Roche is a former Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.

After working in banking, Roche studied Economics and Politics at Trinity College, Dublin, followed by Political Philosophy at the University of Durham. He then became a lecturer in Economics at the University of Ulster, and in 1978 also took up a post at the Irish Baptist College. He wrote a number of books on politics and economics in Northern Ireland.

Roche joined the UK Unionist Party and headed their list in South Belfast for the Northern Ireland Forum election in 1996, but was not elected.

At the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1998, Roche was elected in Lagan Valley. With three of the other four UKUP members in the Assembly, he left in January 1999, disagreeing with leader Robert McCartney's policy of resigning from the Assembly should Sinn Féin become part of the power sharing executive. They formed the Northern Ireland Unionist Party, and Roche became deputy leader.

During his time in the Assembly, Roche proposed a motion on sectarianism. During the debate, he accused Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly of being a convicted murderer. He refused to withdraw the accusation even though Kelly corrected him, and he was ordered to leave the chamber.