Trimble, David

(1944– )

   Formerly a barrister, Trimble was the legal adviser to the Ulster Workers’ Council during the strike which broke the Sunningdale Agreement. He was associated with hard-line unionism as a member of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party until its collapse. He then joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in 1978 which he led from 1995 until just after his general election defeat in May 2005; he had been a Member of Parliament at Westminster since 1990.

   As leader of the UUP, Trimble showed flexibility and appeared to modify some previous attitudes. He was instrumental in persuading his party to accept the Good Friday Agreement and for his efforts shared the Nobel Peace prize in 1998. However, within his party, his stance was frequently questioned and his tenure as First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly was interrupted by its four suspensions. His party has lost much of its former influence, the principal beneficiaries of its decline being the Democratic Unionists.