Derek Hussey

Who is Derek Hussey?

Derek Robert Hussey is a Ulster Unionist politician from Northern Ireland

Hussey was educated at Omagh Model School, Omagh Academy and Stranmillis College, Belfast. He previously was a teacher at Castlederg High School.

In 1989 he was elected as councillor on Strabane District Council. In 2007 he was elected Chairman of the council. In the 1996 election to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum, Hussey was elected as representative for West Tyrone.

In 1998 he was elected as MLA to the Northern Ireland Assembly and re-elected in 2003. He was an outgoing candidate in the 2007 Assembly elections, but lost his seat. His brother, Ross Hussey, re-took the seat in 2011.

He is the Ulster Unionist spokesperson on Victims Issues.

He also has a special interest in regional development, Ulster-Scots and the Orange Order.

He was a member of a country and western music band and was known to wear cowboy boots in the 1998-2003 Assembly.

He has twice been convicted of drink driving most recently in 2011.

Derek Hussey continued his role in local politics having been re-elected as the only Ulster Unionist Councillor in Strabane District Council on 5 May 2011.