David McNarry

Who is David McNarry?

David McNarry, MLA is a UK Independence Party politician from Northern Ireland. He stood for the Ulster Unionist Party in North Down in the 1982 Assembly elections but failed to be elected. Around the same time a Northern Ireland Office memo released in 2012 described him as "a dangerous nuisance". He was first elected as an MLA for the UUP in 2003 and re-elected in 2007 and 2011, before being expelled from the party in 2012. He is a former UUP chief whip. McNarry is the current Assistant Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland.

McNarry was selected in 2001 to contest the Strangford Westminster seat after the incumbent, John Taylor, announced he would be retiring. Iris Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party was the eventual winner of the seat.

McNarry is a former councillor and Deputy Mayor of Ards. Prior to his election he was an adviser to First Minister of Northern Ireland David Trimble. He stood for the party leadership in 2005 along with Alan McFarland and Sir Reg Empey but polled poorly. Following the contest, he was appointed education spokesman. He is a former chairman of the Ulster Young Unionist Council.