Billy Armstrong

Infobox Politician | name=Billy Armstrong MLA


width=144px
term_start=1998
term_end=
predecessor=
successor=
birth_date=birth date and age|1943|6|29
birth_place=Northern Ireland
constituency=Mid Ulster
party=Ulster Unionist Party
office=MLA
spouse=
website=http://www.billyarmstrong.co.uk/

Billy Armstrong MLA (b. 21 June 1943, Coagh, County Tyrone,) is a Ulster Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.

He was elected an Assembly Member for Mid Ulster in 1998 and 2003. He was a member of the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, the Committee for Enterprise, Trade & Industry and the Committee of the Environment. In 2005, he became the first Ulster Unionist candidate since 1983 to contest Mid Ulster in the Westminster General Election. Armstrong served as a part-time Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve Constable for fourteen years from 1975 until 1989.

He is a member of Brigh Presbyterian Church. He is also a member of the Loyal Orange Order, holding the position of Honorary Secretary of Chambré's Volunteers L.O.L. 171, and a member of the Royal Black Institution were he currently holds the position of Lay Chaplin of Tamlaghtmore Red Cross Temperance R.B.P. 518. He has also held the positions of Worshipful Master, Treasurer and Secretary of this preceptory.

Having first been elected in 1998, Armstrong is now one of the longest serving members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. He currently serves as Deputy Whip of the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly Group.

In 1998 Assembly election Armstrong polled 9% of the popular vote; in 2003 9.7%; and in 2007 10.8%. Over the same period the UUP vote has decreased from 13.93% in 1998 to 10.8% in 2007 and lost 2,157 votes. [ [http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/amu.htm Mid Ulster ] ]

In September 2007 Armstrong talked of need of Unionist Unity, suggesting a possible merger of his party with the DUP, citing that he believed that "there was no need for two pro-Agreement unionist parties at Stormont." [ [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-169944733.html Armstrong in call for unionist unity. | Article from Mid Ulster Mail (Portadown, Northern Ireland) | HighBeam Research ] ] . This was criticized by Ulster Unionist supporter and Newsletter columnist Alex Kane [ [http://www.newsletter.co.uk/opinion/Complexities-of-achieving-Unionist-unity.3243012.jp Complexities of achieving Unionist unity - Belfast Today ] ] .

Following the revelation that Conservative MP Derek Conway paid his son from his expenses to do no work, public interest in elected representatives' expenses mounted. It was revealed that Billy Armstrong had paid rent to his wife for his constituency office up to 2007 [ [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/article3426819.ece MLA claimed rent expenses for office built on his farm - Politics - News - Belfast Telegraph ] ] . Armstrong's office consisted of a prefab, erected at his farm in the rural area near Stewartstown, County Tyrone.

References

External links

* [http://www.stratagem-ni.com/midulstermlas.php Stratagem profile]
* [http://www.uup.org/ UUP website]