{{Short description|British politician (born 1948)}} {{for|the English singer|Derek Hussey (musician)}} {{BLP sources|date=February 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Derek Hussey | honorific_suffix = | image = | office = Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party on Derry City and Strabane District Council | leader = Mike Nesbitt <br> Robin Swann | term_start = 22 May 2014 | term_end = 2 May 2019 | successor = Darren Guy | predecessor = ''Office created'' | office1 = Member of Derry City and Strabane District Council | constituency1 = Derg | term_start1 = 20 November 2020 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = Andy McKane | successor1 = | term_start2 = 22 May 2014 | term_end2 = 13 August 2019 | predecessor2 = ''New council'' | successor2 = Andy McKane | constituency2 = Derg | office3 = Member of <br/> Strabane District Council | constituency3 = Derg | term_start3 = 17 May 1989 | term_end3 = 22 May 2014 | predecessor3 = David Baird | successor3 = ''Council abolished'' | constituency_AM4 = West Tyrone | assembly4 = Northern Ireland | majority4 = | term_start4 = 25 June 1998 | term_end4 = 7 March 2007 | predecessor4 = ''New Creation'' | successor4 = Allan Bresland | office5 = Member of the Northern Ireland Forum <br/> for West Tyrone | term_start5 = 30 May 1996 | term_end5 = 25 April 1998 | predecessor5 = ''Forum created'' | successor5 = ''Forum dissolved'' | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|9|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = Padstow, Cornwall, England | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = | party = Ulster Unionist Party (since 1997) | other_party = Independent Unionist (1989-1997) | spouse = Karen Hussey | relations = | children = Robert, Craig and Rachel | alma_mater = Omagh Academy | occupation = school teacher | profession = teaching | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = http://www.uup.org/ }} '''Derek Robert Hussey''' (born 12 September 1948) is an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician, serving as a Derry and Strabane Councillor for the Derg DEA since 2020, having previously served between 2014 and 2019. Hussey was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for West Tyrone from 1998 to 2007.
==Background== Hussey was educated at Omagh Model School, Omagh Academy and Stranmillis College, Belfast. He was previously a teacher at Castlederg High School.
He was elected to Strabane District Council in 1989 for the Derg District.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.strabanedc.com/council/councillors/ |title=Welcome to Strabane District Council Online – Councillors |publisher=Strabanedc.com |date= |accessdate=2012-02-10 |archive-date=20 February 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150220024803/http://www.strabanedc.com/council/councillors/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/vote2003/northern_ireland/html/718.stm |title=VOTE 2003 |publisher=BBC News |date=2003-11-28 |access-date=2012-02-10}}</ref> He was a member of a country and western music band and was known to wear cowboy boots in the 1998–2003 Assembly.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stratagem-ni.com/westtyronemlas.php |accessdate=January 27, 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928094422/http://www.stratagem-ni.com/westtyronemlas.php |archivedate=September 28, 2007 |title=Northern Ireland Assembly West Tyrone MLAs 2007 }}</ref> He was an outgoing candidate in the 2007 Assembly elections, but lost his seat. His brother, Ross Hussey, re-took the UUP seat in 2011.
He also has a special interest in regional development, Ulster-Scots and the Orange Order. Hussey continued his role in local politics, and was re-elected as the only UUP Councillor on Strabane District Council in 2011. Hussey was later elected onto the newly-formed Derry and Strabane District Council in the 2014 local elections, still representing Derg, and was re-elected at the 2019 and 2023 elections.
== Convictions == Derek Hussey has been convicted of driving with excess alcohol on three occasions, most recently in March 2016.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12923404 "Drink drive ex-MLA Derek Hussey banned from driving"] ''BBC News''</ref>
This follows previous convictions in 2004,<ref>{{Citation |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10710593.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505042730/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10710593.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-05-05|title=Drink drive shame of top MLA Ulster Unionist crashed car into a field – Belfast Telegraph |website=|access-date=2016-04-06}}</ref> when Mr Hussey was a Member of the Legislative Assembly for West Tyrone and 2011,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12923404|title=Drink drive ex-MLA Derek Hussey banned from driving|work=BBC News|date=31 March 2011|access-date=2016-04-06}}</ref> when he was a councillor for the Derg DEA on Strabane District Council.
Following the most recent conviction in March 2016, Alderman Hussey was suspended by the Ulster Unionist Party<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/northern-ireland-news/uup-suspends-former-mla-derek-hussey-for-drink-driving-1-7271809|title=UUP suspends former MLA Derek Hussey for drink-driving|website=www.newsletter.co.uk|access-date=2016-04-06}}</ref> On completion of community service the suspension was lifted and he still sits as an Ulster Unionist member of Derry City and Strabane District Council.
== Security Forces == The Hussey family have a strong connection with the security forces with Hussey himself serving as a part-time Special Constable with the Ulster Special Constabulary (USC), his late father Sydney Robert Hussey had served in the Royal Navy during World War II and the USC and Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) until his death. His mother served in the Women's Royal Naval Service and the UDR, his brother Harold William was a sergeant in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), his sister was in the UDR and Royal Irish Regiment and his politician brother Ross also served as a part-time member of the RUC.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070309232455/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/hussey_d.htm NI Assembly biography] * [http://www.UUP.co.uk UUP website]
{{s-start}} {{s-par|ni/for}} {{s-new | Forum}} {{s-ttl | title = Member for West Tyrone | years = 1996–1998 }} {{s-non | reason = Forum dissolved }}
{{s-par|ni/ass}} {{s-new | Assembly }} {{s-ttl | title = MLA for Tyrone, West | years = 1998–2007 }} {{s-aft | after = Allan Bresland }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hussey, Derek}} Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:Members of Strabane District Council Category:Members of the Northern Ireland Forum Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 1998–2003 Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2003–2007 Category:People educated at Omagh Academy Category:People from Padstow Category:Ulster Special Constabulary officers Category:Ulster Unionist Party MLAs Category:Alumni of Stranmillis University College