Trevor Clarke MLA (born 28 July 1967) is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland representing 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 ...

(DUP).

Political career

Clarke was first elected in 2007 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 ...

as a

(DUP) member for South Antrim. Clarke lost his seat at the 2017 Assembly election, but was later co-opted by the DUP after Paul Girvan was elected in the

2017 general election This national electoral calendar for 2017 lists the national/federal elections held in 2017 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 November ...

to represent South Antrim in the House of Commons.

Controversies

Speaking in the Assembly in November 2016, he confessed to not knowing that heterosexual individuals could contract HIV, which was criticised by

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

. In 2020, Clarke apologised for liking a social media post suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic was "God's punishment" for the legalization of same-sex marriage and abortion. In 2021, Clarke defended meeting with loyalist paramilitaries, stating that "examples like that" showed "leadership".

Personal life

Clarke is active in 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 ...

. His wife Linda is a DUP councillor.

References

Links

Profile
dup.org.uk; accessed 15 May 2016. Living people Democratic Unionist Party MLAs Northern Ireland MLAs 2007–2011 Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016 Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–2017 Councillors in Northern Ireland Presbyterians from Northern Ireland 1967 births Place of birth missing (living people) Northern Ireland MLAs 2017–2022 Northern Ireland MLAs 2022–2027 {{NorthernIreland-politician-stub