Nigel Alexander Dodds, OBE (born August 20, 1958) is a barrister and Northern Ireland unionist politician. He is a Member of the British Parliament for North Belfast, and a member of the Democratic Unionist Party. He has been Lord Mayor of Belfast twice, and from 1993 has been General Secretary of the DUP. Dodds became North Belfast's MP in the 2001 UK general elections. He is also a member of the currently-suspended Northern Ireland Assembly, and had been Minister for Social Development in the power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive. Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in decreasing order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ... Royal motto: Quis separabit (Latin: Who will separate?) Northern Irelands location within the UK Official languages English, Irish, Ulster Scots Capital and largest city Belfast First Minister Office suspended Area  - Total Ranked 4th 13,843 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 4th 1,685,267 122/km² NUTS 1... In the context of Irish politics, Unionists are people in Northern Ireland, who wish to see the continuation of the Act of Union 1800, as amended by the Government of Ireland Act 1920, under which Northern Ireland, created in that latter Act, remains part of the United Kingdom of Great... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... North Belfast is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... The Democratic Unionist Party is a hardline unionist party in Northern Ireland led by Ian Paisley. ... Councillor Patrick (Pat) John Stannard, Lord Mayor of Oxford (2004). ... Belfast (Béal Feirste in Irish) is a city in the United Kingdom, and the second-largest city on the island of Ireland. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ... The Northern Ireland Executive as established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 is the (currently suspended) executive body for Northern Ireland, answerable to the Northern Ireland Assembly. ...

Nigel Dodds was born in Londonderry, and was educated at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh (whose other famous alumni include Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett) and St John's College, Cambridge. Upon graduation, he returned to Northern Ireland and after further training was called to the bar. Derry or Londonderry (in Irish , Doire Cholm Chille or Doire), often called the Maiden City, is a city in Northern Ireland. ... Portora Royal School is a boys school located in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. ... Enniskillen (Inis Ceithleann in Irish) is the county town of Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. ... County Fermanagh (Contae Fhear Manach or Fear Manach in Irish), is the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland. ... Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal OFlahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 – November 30, 1900) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. ... Samuel Barclay Beckett (April 13, 1906 – December 22, 1989) was an Irish playwright, novelist and poet. ... Full name The College of Saint John the Evangelist of the University of Cambridge Motto - Named after The Hospital of Saint John the Evangelist, Cambridge, named after John the Evangelist Previous names - Established 1511 Sister College Balliol College Master Prof. ...

His family were heavily involved in the Orange Order and unionist politics; his father, Joe, is a long standing DUP member of Fermanagh District Council. Dodds himself entered municipal politics in 1985, when he was elected to Belfast City Council for the religiously and socially mixed Castle electoral area in the north of the city. The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organisation largely based in the province of Ulster, Ireland and in western Scotland but which has a worldwide membership. ... County Fermanagh (Fear Manach in Irish) is often referred to as Northern Irelands Lake District. ... This article is about the year. ... Belfast City Council is the largest local council serving the largest city in Northern Ireland which has a population of 277,391. ...

Dodds, with the advantage of his education, soon rose to prominence in the party. He was elected for two one-year terms as Lord Mayor of Belfast (an honorary position) in June 1988 and June 1992. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 and topped the poll in North Belfast in both sets of elections to the reconstituted Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998 and 2003. Dodds was awarded the OBE in 1997, an award which some viewed as an attempt to win DUP support for the Good Friday Agreement. Councillor Patrick (Pat) John Stannard, Lord Mayor of Oxford (2004). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in decreasing order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was signed in Belfast on April 10, 1998 by the British and Irish Governments and endorsed by most Northern Ireland political parties. ...

The troubled and fragmented constituency of North Belfast, with its kaleidoscope of rich and poor, Catholic and Protestant areas, had historically been strong territory for the DUP, with Johnny McQuade representing the constituency in the British House of Commons from 1979-1983. However, the DUP had stood down in favour of the Ulster Unionist Party in Westminster elections in the late 1980s and 1990s, in order to avoid splitting the unionist vote. However, in 2001, Dodds challenged sitting Ulster Unionist Party MP Cecil Walker, despite the dangers of losing the mixed constituency to a nationalist. However, after a series of faltering TV performances in which Walker appeared to show signs of senility, Dodds won just over 40% of the vote, and a comfortable 6,387 majority over Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly, with Walker being pushed into a humiliating fourth place. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... A constituency is any cohesive corporate unit or body bound by shared structures, goals or loyalty. ... British House of Commons Canadian House of Commons In some bicameral parliaments of a Westminster System, the House of Commons has historically been the name of the elected lower house. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ... The 1980s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1980 and 1989, however in a pop cultural sense The Eighties sometimes includes at least some aspects of 1979 and 1990, or more or less the era between the end of the Disco era of the 1970s and... The 1990s refers to the years 1990 to 1999; the last decade of the 20th Century, but in an economical sense The Nineties is often considered to span from the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 to the 9/11 attacks in 2001. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ... Alfred Cecil Walker was a Ulster Unionist member of parliament for North Belfast. ... The Irish Nationalist movement began in the 18th century when Theobald Wolfe Tone attempted two uprisings in the 1790s. ... It has been suggested that Sinn Féin (Kevin Street) be merged into this article or section. ...

Dodds was Minister of Social Development in the Northern Ireland Executive from 21 November 1999 but resigned on 27 July 2000, then served again from 24 October 2001, when the devolved institutions were restored, until resigning on 11 October 2002, shortly before the executive and the Assembly were collapsed by the Ulster Unionist Party. The Northern Ireland Executive as established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 is the (currently suspended) executive body for Northern Ireland, answerable to the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in Leap years). ... 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly is a six flowered linen or flax plant, chosen for the plants historical economic importance to the region. ... The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland, and was the party of government in Northern Ireland between 1921 and 1972. ...

Dodds was perceived as a quietly effective Minister, carrying out important reforms on the control of public sector housing, but was dogged by allegations that formulae allocating funding to deprived areas were favouring Protestant areas. Not only was Dodds Minister for Social Development, but an unprecedented four of his five Assembly colleagues from North Belfast sat on the relevant Assembly committee, as the DUP considered it an important brief. Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ...

Dodds also courted controversy during the Holy Cross dispute which took place in the Ardoyne area of his constituency. In June 2001, after a dispute between local loyalist and republican activists over the flying of loyalist paramilitary flags in an interface area, unionists began to blockade the nearby Holy Cross Primary School, a Catholic Primary School which was left behind a peace line in a Protestant area at the beginning of the troubles. After the school holidays, protests resumed in September and continued into early 2002. While there were undoubtedly causes for grievance on both sides of the Ardoyne peace line, the sight of grown men and women shouting abuse and throwing faeces-filled condoms at girls as young as four was a public relations disaster for the predominantly Protestant community of Upper Ardoyne as well as unionism in general. Dodds, however, felt that he had to support his section of the community. Many feel that Dodds did not play a courageous enough role in challenging his own community over what was, for them, a simple case of young girls being allowed to attend school in peace. Dodds's supporters claim that he was instrumental in eventually allowing the dispute to be resolved peacefully. The Holy Cross dispute occurred in 2001 and 2002 in the Ardoyne area of Belfast, Northern Ireland, and involved residents of a unionist area picketing children at a local Catholic primary school and their parents during the daily walk to and from school. ... Ardoyne is a district in North Belfast, made famous by the disproportionate number of incidents in the Northern Ireland troubles. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... In general, a loyalist is an individual who is loyal to the powers that be. ... Irish Republicanism is the nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a united independent republic. ... A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion. ... Primary or elementary education is the first years of formal, structured education that occurs during childhood. ... The Peace Lines are a series of separation barriers ranging in length from a few hundred yards to over 3 miles, separating Protestant and Catholic neighbourhoods in Belfast, Derry (Londonderry) and elsewhere in Northern Ireland. ... The Troubles is a term used to describe two periods of violence in Ireland during the twentieth century. ... 2002 (MMII) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rabbit feces are usually 0. ...

Dodds's strong evangelical views also raised disquiet within the Catholic community during the Holy Cross dispute. Dodds and local Catholic priest Aidan Troy were key figures in the talks surrounding in the dispute, both clearly wanting to see the dispute resolved, and each retaining influence with hard line elements. Dodds refused to use the title 'Father', referring to 'Mr. Troy' instead, even behind closed doors. This struck most non-evangelicals as a rather bizarre and calculated insult, although it was probably principle rather than personal animosity. The word evangelicalism usually refers to a tendency in diverse branches of Protestantism, typified by an emphasis on evangelism, a personal experience of conversion, biblically-oriented faith, and a belief in the relevance of Christian faith to cultural issues. ...

In December 1996, Dodds was visiting his sick son in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast when a group of IRA gunmen ambushed him in the corridors. No-one was hurt, and the nature of the attack disgusted many, even in republican circles. Despite his role in the Holy Cross dispute, Dodds is not yet a hate figure among nationalists in the way that colleagues Ian Paisley and Peter Robinson are. This seems to stem from his relaxed and relatively less histrionic style of speaking, particularly on television. The Royal Victoria Hospital at 687 Pine Avenue West in Montreal, Quebec, Canada was established in 1893, through the financial contributions of two Scottish immigrants, Donald Smith and George Stephen. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA; more commonly referred to as the IRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the army or the Ra) is an Irish Republican paramilitary organisation. ... The Reverend and Right Honourable Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, MP, MLA (born 6 April 1926), also known as Dr. Ian Paisley, is a prominent politician and church leader from Northern Ireland, and is head of the Democratic Unionist Party. ... Several notable people are called Peter Robinson: For the member of the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada who oversaw emigration schemes, see Peter Robinson (1785-1838) For the Northern Ireland politician Peter David Robinson, see Peter Robinson (politician) For the English-born Canadian-based detective novelist, see Peter Robinson (novelist...

Although DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson remains favourite to succeed the ailing Ian Paisley as leader of the DUP, Dodds is increasingly mentioned in despatches as a serious contender for the post. His intellectual capacity and standard of education are unparalleled within the DUP, and he also manages to bridge the urban, secular, working-class and rural, evangelical wings of the Party. The Reverend and Right Honourable Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, MP, MLA (born 6 April 1926), also known as Dr. Ian Paisley, is a prominent politician and church leader from Northern Ireland, and is head of the Democratic Unionist Party. ...

Nigel Dodds is married with one son and one daughter, and lives in a rural area outside Banbridge in County Down. Arms of Banbridge Banbridge (Droichead na Banna in Irish) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. ... County Down, (An Dún in Irish) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, covering an area of 2,448 km² (945 square miles). ...

External links

• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Nigel Dodds MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Nigel Dodds MP