Chris Hazzard

Chris Hazzard
MP
Hazzard in 2023
Member of Parliament
for South Down
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 June 2017
Preceded byMargaret Ritchie
Majority9,280 (20.5%)
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for South Down
In office
13 April 2012 – 9 June 2017
Preceded byWillie Clarke
Succeeded byEmma Rogan
Minister for Infrastructure
In office
25 May 2016 – 26 January 2017
Preceded byMichelle McIlveen
Succeeded byNichola Mallon
Personal details
Born
Christopher John Hazzard

(1984-08-20) 20 August 1984 (age 40)
Drumaness, Northern Ireland
Political partySinn Féin
Alma materQueen's University Belfast

Christopher John Hazzard (born 20 August 1984)[1] is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Down since the 2017 United Kingdom general election, when he defeated incumbent Margaret Ritchie of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. Due to Sinn Féin's policy of abstentionism with regard to the Westminster Parliament, Hazzard has not taken his seat.

Early life

Christopher John Hazzard[2] was born in Drumaness, County Down, in 1984.[3][4] The eldest of four siblings, he attended Our Lady and St Patrick's College, Knock, before going to Queen's University Belfast.[3]

Political career

Hazzard previously worked as a press officer for Sinn Féin.

He was selected by his party as a member (MLA) of the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent the South Down constituency in April 2012. He replaced his party colleague Willie Clarke, who had retired to concentrate on his local council work.[5] Hazzard was the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland from May 2016 until the Executive's collapse in January 2017. He was also a member of the Education Committee from 2012 to 2016 and the Public Accounts Committee from 2013 to 2014.[3]

At the snap general election held on 8 June 2017, he was elected as the MP for South Down, defeating the incumbent SDLP MP, Margaret Ritchie. It is the first time that his party have represented the seat.[3][6]

Personal life

Hazzard is a Gaelic Athletic Association member and PhD candidate at Queen's University Belfast.[7] He was, at the time of his selection, the youngest MLA.

He is married to Lisa, and the couple have a daughter, Eva, who was born in August 2015.[3][8]

References

  1. ^ Brunskill, Ian (19 March 2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. HarperCollins Publishers Limited. p. 176. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1. OCLC 1129682574.
  2. ^ "No. 8218". The Belfast Gazette. 23 December 2019. p. 1002.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Hazzard, Chris, (born 20 Aug. 1984), MP (SF) South Down, since 2017". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2017. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u265088. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Contact information for Chris Hazzard - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament". members.parliament.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  5. ^ Hazzard to represent South Down, Newry Times, 17 April 2012.
  6. ^ McGonagle, Suzanne (9 June 2017). "Constituency Profile: Chris Hazzard wins South Down". The Irish News. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  7. ^ Profile Archived 27 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, sinnfeinsouthdown.com; accessed 26 December 2015.
  8. ^ "A Battle of Ballynahinch school project sparked my interest in politics". www.thedownrecorder.co.uk. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Hazzard.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by Member of the Legislative Assembly
for South Down
2012–2017 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded byas Minister for Regional Development Minister for Infrastructure of Northern Ireland
2016–2017 		Vacant
Government suspended
Title next held by
Nichola Mallon
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for South Down
2017–present 		Incumbent