Name Emma Pengelly Role Politician | Nationality British Spouse(s) Richard Pengelly | |
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Residence Belfast, United Kingdom, County Antrim | ||
In the Arena | Emma Pengelly | TEDxStormontWomen
Emma Little-Pengelly (born 31 December 1979) is a Democratic Unionist Party politician in Northern Ireland. She was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Belfast South constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in 2017, having previously served as an MLA for the Belfast South constituency in the Northern Irish Assembly.
Contents
- In the Arena Emma Pengelly TEDxStormontWomen
- May must stand and fight back against the EU says DUPs Emma Pengelly
- Early life and career
- Political career
- Personal life
- References
'May must stand and fight back against the EU', says DUP's Emma Pengelly
Early life and career
Emma Little-Pengelly is the daughter of the loyalist Noel Little. He was absent from her life between the ages of nine and eleven following an arrest for arms trafficking.
Little-Pengelly was educated at Queen's University Belfast and Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She qualified as a barrister in 2003. She was also a lecturer at the University of Ulster from 2004 to 2006.
Political career
Pengelly succeeded Jimmy Spratt as MLA for Belfast South in the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2015 following his retirement due to ill health. On 28 October 2015, Pengelly was appointed as a junior minister in the Northern Ireland Executive Office.
She lost her seat in the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election as the total number of seats in Belfast South was reduced from 6 to 5, missing out the DUP's Christopher Stalford by 49 votes.
In the 2017 UK general election Pengelly became the MP for Belfast South, gaining the seat from the SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell. The former Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson was the chief strategist behind Pengelly's campaign.
Personal life
Pengelly is married to Richard Pengelly, who is the Permanent Secretary at the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.