Mitchel McLaughlin

{{Short description|Northern Ireland former politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Mitchel McLaughlin | honorific_suffix = | image = Mitchel McLaughlin 2014 (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = | office = 4th Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly | deputy = Robin Newton (2015–2016) John Dallat (2015–2016) Roy Beggs Jr (2015–2016) | term_start = 12 January 2015 | term_end = 12 May 2016 | predecessor = William Hay | successor = Robin Newton | office1 = Principal Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly | term_start1 = 15 April 2013 | term_end1 = 12 January 2015 | predecessor1 = Francie Molloy | successor1 = Robin Newton | office2 = Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Antrim | majority2 = | term_start2 = 7 March 2007 | term_end2 = 30 March 2016 | predecessor2 = Jim Wilson | successor2 = Declan Kearney | office3 = Member of the Legislative Assembly for Foyle | majority3 = | term_start3 = 25 June 1998 | term_end3 = 26 November 2003 | predecessor3 = Constituency established | successor3 = Martina Anderson | office4 = Member of Derry City Council | constituency4 = Northland | term_start4 = 19 May 1993 | term_end4 = 21 May 1997 | predecessor4 = Bernard McFadden | successor4 = Marion Hutcheon | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|10|29|df=yes}} | birth_place = Bogside, Derry, Northern Ireland | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = | party = Sinn Féin | other_party = | spouse = Mary-Lou McLaughlin | relations = | children = 3 | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = [http://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/14954 Mitchel McLaughlin MLA] | footnotes = }} '''John Mitchel McLaughlin''' (born 29 October 1945) is an Irish Sinn Féin former politician who served as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 2015 to 2016, becoming the first Nationalist speaker of the Assembly.

McLaughlin was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for South Antrim from 2007 to 2016. He was previously an MLA for Foyle from 1998 to 2003.

==Background== McLaughlin was born in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland and educated at Long Tower Boys School, Derry and Christian Brothers Technical College, Derry.<ref>[http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs/mmclaughlin.htm Northern Ireland Assembly biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051220134808/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs/mmclaughlin.htm |date=20 December 2005 }}, retrieved 24 December 2006</ref>

He was elected a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Foyle in the 1998 assembly election and re-elected in 2003. In March 2007, McLaughlin transferred to the South Antrim constituency where he topped the poll during the 2007 Assembly election.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6203203.stm McLaughlin stands in South Antrim], BBC News, 22 December 2006, retrieved 24 December 2006</ref> He was re-elected at the 2011 Assembly election.

After it was revealed that a consultancy contract on a new accounting system extended to 10 times the original budget, McLaughlin said, "I am very, very angry and I am very concerned that there appears to be almost a sense of immunity at the senior civil service level when these basic mistakes are made."<ref name="BBC News">{{cite web|title=Mitchel McLaughlin critical of civil service 'immunity'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16960129|publisher=BBC News|access-date=27 August 2012|date=9 February 2012|archive-date=20 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320003038/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16960129|url-status=live}}</ref>

The party chairman came in for criticism in 2005 when he said the kidnapping and killing of Jean McConville – one of the Disappeared – was not a criminal act.

He is married and has three sons.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120831112212/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/Your-MLAs/List-of-MLAs/McLaughlin-Mitchel/ NIA profile]

{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{succession box|title=Chairperson of Sinn Féin|years=1996–2005|before=Tom Hartley|after=Mary Lou McDonald}} {{succession box|title=General Secretary of Sinn Féin|years=2003–2007|before=Lucilita Bhreatnach|after=Rita O'Hare}} {{s-par|ni/for}} {{s-new|forum}} {{s-ttl | title = Member for Foyle | years = 1996–1998 }} {{s-non | reason = Forum dissolved }}

{{s-par|ni/ass}} {{s-new | Assembly }} {{s-ttl | title = MLA for Foyle | years = 1998–2007 }} {{s-aft | after = Martina Anderson }}

{{succession box | title = MLA for South Antrim | before = Jim Wilson | after = Declan Kearney | years = 2007–2016 }}

{{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=William Hay}} {{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly|years=2015–2016}} {{s-aft|after=Robin Newton}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, Mitchel}} Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:Sinn Féin MLAs Category:Members of the Northern Ireland Forum Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 1998–2003 Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2003–2007 Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2007–2011 Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016 Category:Politicians from Derry (city) Category:Speakers of the Northern Ireland Assembly Category:Sinn Féin parliamentary candidates