FORMER FIRST minister and DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley has been appointed to the House of Lords.
Dr Paisley, who stepped down as MP for North Antrim at the last election after 40 years, is to become a life peer.
The announcement was made yesterday in the dissolution honours list by Downing Street, a series of recommendations by former prime minister Gordon Brown for honours to be made by Queen Elizabeth. Dr Paisley joins his wife Eileen in the Lords.
She was made a baroness in 2006. Their son, Ian junior, was elected to his father’s seat in the Westminster election on May 6th and made his maiden speech on Thursday.
Welcoming the announcement, DUP leader Peter Robinson said the honour was well-deserved and came in recognition of Dr Paisley’s record in the House of Commons.
“His leadership of the DUP and principled position throughout his career is worthy of this honour,” Mr Robinson said.
“An entire generation of unionists were inspired to enter frontline politics by Ian Paisley. He is a giant of politics in Northern Ireland and throughout the United Kingdom. I know that he will continue to fight for unionist principles and the people of Ulster in the Upper Chamber.”
DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds has also been appointed a member of the Privy Council. He joins Mr Robinson and Jeffrey Donaldson at the Privy Council.
The list also announces membership of the Lords is to be awarded to former Conservative leader Michael Howard, former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott, former Northern secretary John Reid, former Northern Ireland Office minister Des Brown, former Scottish first minister Jack McConnell and former leader of the Trade Union Council John Monks.