# Simon Hamilton

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Simon_Hamilton.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Hamilton
> Source revision: 1348393874
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|British politician (born 1977)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix =
| name             = Simon Hamilton
| honorific_suffix = 
| image            = Simon Hamilton mla 2015.jpg
| image_size       = 150px
| alt              = 
| office           = [Economy Minister of Northern Ireland](/source/Department_for_the_Economy)
| first_minister   = [Arlene Foster](/source/Arlene_Foster)
| term_start       = 25 May 2016
| term_end         = 26 January 2017
| predecessor      = [Jonathan Bell](/source/Jonathan_Bell_(politician))
| successor        = [Diane Dodds](/source/Diane_Dodds) (2020)
| office2          = [Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety](/source/Department_of_Health%2C_Social_Services_and_Public_Safety)
| term_start2      = 11 May 2015
| term_end2        = 6 May 2016
| predecessor2     = [Jim Wells](/source/Jim_Wells_(politician))
| successor2       = [Michelle O'Neill](/source/Michelle_O'Neill)
| office3          = [Minister of Finance and Personnel](/source/Department_of_Finance_and_Personnel)
| term_start3      = 29 July 2013
| term_end3        = 11 May 2015
| predecessor3     = [Sammy Wilson](/source/Sammy_Wilson_(politician))
| successor3       = [Arlene Foster](/source/Arlene_Foster)
| caption          = 
| office4          = [Member of the Legislative Assembly](/source/Member_of_the_Legislative_Assembly_(Northern_Ireland))<br>for [Strangford](/source/Strangford_(Assembly_constituency))
| assembly4        = Northern Ireland
| majority4        = 
| term_start4      = 7 March 2007
| term_end4        = 2 September 2019
| predecessor4     = [George Ennis](/source/George_Ennis)
| successor4       = [Harry Harvey](/source/Harry_Harvey_(politician))<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eoni.org.uk/News/New-MLA-Strangford-Constituency |title=New MLA - Strangford Constituency |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=28 August 2019 |website=The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland |access-date=4 November 2019 }}</ref>
| office5          = Member of <br/> [Ards Borough Council](/source/Ards_Borough_Council)
| constituency5    = [Newtownards](/source/Newtownards_(District_Electoral_Area))
| term_start5      = 5 May 2005
| term_end5        = 5 May 2011
| predecessor5     = Hamilton Lawther
| successor5       = Naomi Armstrong
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1977|3|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place      = [Newtownards](/source/Newtownards), [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland)
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| resting_place    = 
| birth_name       = 
| party            = [Democratic Unionist Party](/source/Democratic_Unionist_Party) (until 2019)
| other_party      = 
| spouse           = Nicki
| relations        = 
| children         = Lewis <br> Kyle
| alma_mater       = [Queen's University Belfast](/source/Queen's_University_Belfast)
| occupation       = 
| profession       = 
| cabinet          = 
| website          = [http://www.simonhamilton.org Official website] 
}}

'''Simon Hamilton''' (born 17 March 1977) is a Northern Irish businessman, consultant and former [Democratic Unionist Party](/source/Democratic_Unionist_Party) (DUP) politician.  Hamilton served as the Economy Minister in the [Northern Ireland Executive](/source/Northern_Ireland_Executive) from 2016, until its collapse in January 2017.<ref name=NIA>{{cite web|title=Mr Simon Hamilton|url=http://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=2416&per=200&c=2|website=Northern Ireland Assembly|accessdate=17 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Simon Hamilton resigns four times in past three weeks|work = BBC News|date = 2 October 2015|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34426811|accessdate = 2015-10-24}}</ref>
He was a [Member of the Legislative Assembly](/source/Member_of_the_Legislative_Assembly_(Northern_Ireland)) (MLA) for [Strangford](/source/Strangford_(Assembly_constituency)) from [2007](/source/2007_Northern_Ireland_Assembly_election) to 2019.

==Education==
Hamilton was educated at Regent House School and [Queen's University, Belfast](/source/Queen's_University%2C_Belfast) holding degrees in history/politics and law.<ref name=itimes>{{cite news|title=Hamilton appointed as Northern Ireland's Minister for Finance|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/ireland/hamilton-appointed-as-northern-ireland-s-minister-for-finance-1.1478942|accessdate=14 September 2013|newspaper=Irish Times|date=30 July 2013}}</ref> He served as Chairman of the Queen's Unionist Association and as a member of Queen's University Senate.

==Career==
Hamilton began his career as an [auditor](/source/auditor) with an accountancy firm in [Belfast](/source/Belfast)<ref name=itimes/> and was employed as a DUP Policy Officer in their Party Headquarters from 2003 until his election to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007.<ref name=bbc13/> He was elected to [Ards Borough Council](/source/Ards_(borough)) in 2005 but did not stand at the 2011 Election. Hamilton was secretary of Strangford DUP Association and vice-chairman of Newtownards DUP Branch.

He was appointed minister of finance and personnel and replaced [Sammy Wilson](/source/Sammy_Wilson_(politician)) on 29 June 2013 in a reshuffle.<ref name=bbc13>{{cite news|title=Simon Hamilton appointed new finance minister|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23491145|accessdate=14 September 2013|publisher=BBC News |date=29 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = DUP reshuffle: Foster, Bell and Hamilton in new jobs|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-32683194|publisher= BBC News|accessdate =24 October 2015}}</ref>

He was later appointed as the Health Minister of Northern Ireland in a further DUP reshuffle on 11 May 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title=DUP reshuffle: Foster, Bell and Hamilton in new jobs|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-32683194|publisher=BBC News |date=11 May 2015}}</ref> He resigned from this post several times during September and October 2015 in the context of a political crisis at Stormont.<ref name=NIA/><ref>{{cite news|title=Simon Hamilton resigns four times in past three weeks|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34426811|publisher=BBC News |accessdate=17 January 2016|date=2 October 2015}}</ref>

In June 2019, Hamilton announced he was standing down from front line politics to become [CEO](/source/CEO) of Belfast [Chamber of Commerce](/source/Chamber_of_Commerce). He also resigned from the DUP to take this role.<ref>{{cite news|title=DUP's Simon Hamilton quits politics to become Belfast Chamber boss|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/dups-simon-hamilton-quits-politics-to-become-belfast-chamber-boss-38262769.html|accessdate=2 September 2019|date=28 June 2019}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|group=note}}
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|ni/ass}}
{{s-bef | before = [George Ennis](/source/George_Ennis) }}
{{s-ttl
  | title  = [MLA](/source/Member_of_the_Legislative_Assembly_(Northern_Ireland)) for [Strangford](/source/Strangford_(Assembly_constituency))
  | years = 2007–2019
}}
{{s-aft |after =[Harry Harvey](/source/Harry_Harvey_(politician))}}

{{s-off}}
{{succession box
  | title  = [Minister of Finance and Personnel](/source/Department_of_Finance_and_Personnel)
  | before = [Sammy Wilson](/source/Sammy_Wilson_(politician))
  | after = [Arlene Foster](/source/Arlene_Foster)
  | years = 2013–2015
}}

{{s-bef | before = [Jim Wells](/source/Jim_Wells_(politician)) }}
{{s-ttl
  | title  = [Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety](/source/Department_of_Health%2C_Social_Services_and_Public_Safety)
  | years = 2015 – 2016
}}
{{s-aft
 | after = [Michelle O'Neill](/source/Michelle_O'Neill)
 | as = Minister of Health
}}

{{s-bef | before = [Jonathan Bell](/source/Jonathan_Bell_(politician)) }}
{{s-ttl
  | title  = [Minister for the Economy](/source/Department_for_the_Economy)
  | years = 2016 – 2017
}}
{{s-vac
 | reason = Office suspended
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Democratic Unionist Party}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Simon}}
Category:1977 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Newtownards
Category:Alumni of Queen's University Belfast
Category:Democratic Unionist Party MLAs
Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2007–2011
Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016
Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–2017
Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2017–2022
Category:Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive (since 1999)
Category:Members of Ards Borough Council
Category:Ministers of finance and personnel of Northern Ireland

{{Northern-Ireland-MLA-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Simon Hamilton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Hamilton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Hamilton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.