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John Robert Beggs (born 20 February 1936), commonly known as Roy Beggs, is an
Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...
(UUP) politician. Beggs was educated at
Ballyclare High School Ballyclare High School is a co-educational, non-denominational grammar school in Ballyclare, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. There are approximately 1,200 pupils at the school, taught by around 80 teachers. History The school was opened in th ...
, followed by Stranmillis College, to study teacher training. After his training Beggs became a teacher at
Larne Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...
High School and had risen to be deputy principal before leaving the profession upon his election to the Westminster Parliament. He first entered politics in 1973 as a councillor for
Larne Borough Council Larne Borough Council was a Local Council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. It merged with Ballymena Borough Council and Carrickfergus Borough Council in May 2015 under the reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland to become Mid ...
. for the
Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a unionist, loyalist, and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years. Currently led by J ...
. He was suspended from the party in 1981 after taking part in a council visit to
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin) is the authority responsible for local government in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that s ...
local authority in the South.RTÉ News Interactive :. Northern Constituency Profiles
 he moved to the
Ulster Unionist Party The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...
and was re-elected in 1981 as a 'loyalist'. He joined the UUP in 1982 and has retained his council seat to date, serving several terms as Mayor of Larne from 1978 until 1983.Almanac_of_British_Politics
,_6th_Edition,_pg_17.html" ;"title="Almanac of British Politics">
Almanac_of_British_Politics">Almanac_of_British_Politics
,_6th_Edition,_pg_17/ref>_In_1982_he_was_elected_to_the_ Almanac_of_British_Politics">Almanac_of_British_Politics
,_6th_Edition,_pg_17/ref>_In_1982_he_was_elected_to_the_Northern_Ireland_Assembly,_1982">Northern_Ireland_Assembly_ _sco-ulster,_Norlin_Airlan_Assemblie _,__legislature________=_7th_Northern_Ireland_Assembly,_Seventh_Assembly _,__coa_pic____________=_File:NI_Assembly.svg _,__coa_res____________=_250px _,__house_type_________=_Unicameralism,_Unicameral _,__hou_...
_representing_North_Antrim_(Assembly_constituency)#1982_Assembly_Election.html" ;"title="Northern_Ireland_Assembly,_1982.html" "title="Almanac of British Politics
, 6th Edition, pg 17">Almanac of British Politics"> Northern_Ireland_Assembly_ _sco-ulster,_Norlin_Airlan_Assemblie _,__legislature________=_7th_Northern_Ireland_Assembly,_Seventh_Assembly _,__coa_pic____________=_File:NI_Assembly.svg _,__coa_res____________=_250px _,__house_type_________=_Unicameralism,_Unicameral _,__hou_...
_representing_North_Antrim_(Assembly_constituency)#1982_Assembly_Election">North_Antrim. In_1983_he_was_selected_for_the_new_East_Antrim_(UK_Parliament_constituency).html" ;"title="Almanac of British Politics
, 6th Edition, pg 17/ref> In 1982 he was elected to the Northern_Ireland_Assembly_ _sco-ulster,_Norlin_Airlan_Assemblie _,__legislature________=_7th_Northern_Ireland_Assembly,_Seventh_Assembly _,__coa_pic____________=_File:NI_Assembly.svg _,__coa_res____________=_250px _,__house_type_________=_Unicameralism,_Unicameral _,__hou_...
_representing_North_Antrim_(Assembly_constituency)#1982_Assembly_Election">North_Antrim. In_1983_he_was_selected_for_the_new_East_Antrim_(UK_Parliament_constituency)">East_Antrim_in_the_1983_United_Kingdom_general_election.html" ;"title="Northern Ireland Assembly, 1982">Northern Ireland Assembly sco-ulster, Norlin Airlan Assemblie , legislature = 7th Northern Ireland Assembly, Seventh Assembly , coa_pic = File:NI_Assembly.svg , coa_res = 250px , house_type = Unicameralism, Unicameral , hou ...
 representing North Antrim (Assembly constituency)#1982 Assembly Election">North Antrim. In 1983 he was selected for the new East Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)">East Antrim in the 1983 United Kingdom general election">1983 general election. With most expecting the DUP to win the seat,Robert Waller, Almanac of British Politics, 3rd ed he became the new Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), MP in the surprise result. He held the position until the 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 general election when he was defeated by Sammy Wilson of the DUP. He was UUP Education Spokesman from 1986 up to and including his last few years in Parliament when he also served as Deputy Leader and Chief Whip of the Ulster Unionist Parliamentary Party. Beggs was known as one of the more hard-line members of the UUP, being vociferous in his
Euroscepticism Euroscepticism, also spelled as Euroskepticism or EU-scepticism, is a political position involving criticism of the European Union (EU) and European integration. It ranges from those who oppose some EU institutions and policies, and seek reform ...
and his suspicions about the
Belfast Agreement The Good Friday Agreement (GFA), or Belfast Agreement ( ga, Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta or ; Ulster-Scots: or ), is a pair of agreements signed on 10 April 1998 that ended most of the violence of The Troubles, a political conflict in No ...
- initially involving himself in ''Union First'' (a group within the Ulster Unionist Party opposed to the Agreement), although in his final two years in Parliament he appeared publicly supportive of the Agreement and of leader
David Trimble William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, (15 October 1944 – 25 July 2022) was a British politician who was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002, and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1995 to 2005. He was ...
. A renowned opponent of "progressive" teaching methods and a supporter of maintaining Northern Ireland's
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
s, he attacked proposals to abolish academic selection in post-primary education in Northern Ireland. Beggs was also a strong supporter of the
Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...
during their stand-off over
Drumcree Church Drumcree Parish Church, officially The Church of the Ascension, is the Church of Ireland parish church of Drumcree in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It sits on a hill in the townland of Drumcree, outside Portadown. It is a site of histori ...
and in 1995 took part in a blockade of the port of
Larne Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...
as part of a show of solidarity. Beggs was charged with Public Order offences for his involvement and was fined £1,350. In March 2001, he apologised in the House of Commons for failing to register a local business interest. He lives in Larne and operates a farm and owns a landfill site. He is also the Chairman of the North Eastern Education and Library Board, as well as continuing his council work. He has four children. His son,
Roy Beggs Jr Roy Beggs Jr (born 3 July 1962) is an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician, who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Antrim from 1998 until March 2022. Beggs is the son of the politician Roy Beggs, who was the UUP M ...
was a member of the
Northern Ireland Assembly sco-ulster, Norlin Airlan Assemblie , legislature = 7th Northern Ireland Assembly, Seventh Assembly , coa_pic = File:NI_Assembly.svg , coa_res = 250px , house_type = Unicameralism, Unicameral , hou ...
from 1998 until losing his seat in the
2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election The 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election was held on 5 May 2022. It elected 90 members to the Northern Ireland Assembly. It was the seventh assembly election since the establishment of the assembly in 1998. The election was held three months ...
.


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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beggs, Roy 1936 births Living people Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for County Antrim constituencies (since 1922) Northern Ireland MPAs 1982–1986 Ulster Unionist Party members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Members of Larne Borough Council Democratic Unionist Party councillors UK MPs 1983–1987 UK MPs 1987–1992 UK MPs 1992–1997 UK MPs 1997–2001 UK MPs 2001–2005 People from Ballyclare People educated at Ballyclare High School Mayors of places in Northern Ireland Alumni of Stranmillis University College