Rosemary Barton (politician)

For the Canadian political journalist, see Rosemary Barton.
Rosemary Barton
Barton in 2021
Member of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 October 2024
Preceded byDiana Armstrong
ConstituencyErne North
In office
16 November 2022 – 18 May 2023
Preceded byBert Wilson
Succeeded byShirley Hawkes
ConstituencyMid Tyrone
In office
22 May 2014 – 5 May 2016
Preceded byCouncil created
Succeeded byDiana Armstrong
ConstituencyErne North
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
In office
5 May 2016 – 27 March 2022
Preceded byAlastair Patterson
Succeeded byTom Elliott
Member of Fermanagh District Council
In office
5 May 2011 – 22 May 2014
Preceded byTom Elliot
Succeeded byCouncil abolished
ConstituencyErne North
Personal details
Born
Margaret Elizabeth Rosemary Gregg

(1957-07-26) 26 July 1957 (age 67)
Clontivrin, Newtownbutler, Northern Ireland
NationalityBritish
Political partyUlster Unionist Party
SpouseMarcus Barton
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionTeacher

Margaret Elizabeth Rosemary Barton (née Gregg) (born 26 July 1957) is an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician and former schoolteacher who has been a Fermanagh and Omagh Councillor for the Erne North DEA since October 2024, having previously represented the area from 2014 to 2016. Barton was also a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 2016 to 2022. She lost her seat in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, and was succeeded by The Lord Elliot of Ballinamallard.

Career

A native of Fermanagh, Barton worked as a secondary schoolteacher in Kesh.[1] She was also a schoolteacher at Devenish College.[2] During that time, she taught the future Northern Ireland national football team player Kyle Lafferty.[3]

Political career

At the 2011 local elections, she was elected to Fermanagh District Council as an Ulster Unionist Party representative for the Erne North District.

She was elected to the successor Fermanagh and Omagh District Council at the 2014 local elections, again representing Erne North.[3] Barton was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly at the 2016 election as the third woman elected to represent Fermanagh and South Tyrone alongside the First Minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster and Michelle Gildernew.[2] Her election as an MLA meant that she was forced to vacate her seat on the District Council.[4] Barton joined cross-community calls for an independent inquiry headed by the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland into the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal.[5]

Barton retained her seat in the 2017 Assembly election, after Fermanagh and South Tyrone lost one seat, in common with all other constituencies, after the Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 which led to the Democratic Unionist Party's Lord Morrow missing out.[6] She would become the UUP's education spokesperson in the Assembly.[7] During the 2018 Gaelic football season, Barton suggested Fermanagh GAA fans who "continually talk about the GAA team" in workplaces made unionist colleagues "apprehensive" and "uncomfortable" and amounted to "latent intimidation".[8]

Barton lost her seat at the 2022 Assembly election, polling 2,912 first-preference votes (5.45%), and was eliminated on the third count. [9][10]

In November 2022, she was co-opted as a councillor for the Mid Tyrone District, succeeding UUP veteran, Bert Wilson.[11] At the 2023 local elections, she was defeated by the DUP's Shirley Hawkes.[12][13]

In October 2024, following the co-option of Erne North councillor Diana Armstrong to the Assembly, Barton replaced her on the council.[14][15]

Personal life

After having qualified as a teacher, Barton joined the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster in 1980 and met her future husband there. They married in 1984 in the Church of Ireland church in Clones, County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland.[3] Barton expressed surprise when she was informed by the Belfast Telegraph that Wikipedia had cited her age incorrectly in 2017.[3]

References

  1. ^ Rosemary Barton, Irish Life and Lore; accessed 17 July 2020
  2. ^ a b "UUP's Rosemary Barton takes the fourth seat in Fermanagh South Tyrone". Impartial Reporter. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d McNeilly, Claire (4 December 2017). "'I enjoyed teaching Kyle Lafferty. I thought he was really brave to speak out about his gambling woes, and hopefully he's managed to influence other people into taking a different path'". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Speculation starts over who will fill council vacancies". The Fermanagh Herald. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  5. ^ Harte, Lauren (14 January 2017). "MLAs HAVE THEIR SAY: Rosemary Barton". The Fermanagh Herald. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  6. ^ "NI Election: Fermanagh and South Tyrone - Arlene Foster stands alone as Morrow loses his long-held seat". Belfast Telegraph. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  7. ^ "UUP education spokesperson Rosemary Barton visits CSSC". Controlled Schools Support Council. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Staff made 'uncomfortable' over Fermanagh GAA progress: MLA hits out at 'latent intimidation'". Belfast Telegraph. 23 June 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Fermanagh and South Tyrone election result". BBC News. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Northern Ireland Assembly Election 2022". Agenda NI. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  11. ^ "New Councillor - Fermanagh and Omagh District Council". The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. 16 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Mid Tyrone: Fermanagh and Omagh". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  13. ^ "Former MLA co-opted back onto council after losing seat". MSN - Belfast Live. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Rosemary Barton selected as new councillor for Erne North". Impartial Reporter. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Former MLA Barton returns to FODC Council chamber". Fermanagh Herald. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
2016 – 2022 		Succeeded by