Gary Middleton

For the Australian motorcycle racer, see Garry Middleton.

Gary Middleton MLA (born 20 June 1990) is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland representing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Foyle since 2015. Middleton is the DUP Spokesperson for the North West.^[1]

Gary Middleton MLA
Junior Minister at the Executive Office
In office 17 June 2021 – 5 May 2022 Serving with Declan Kearney
Preceded by	Gordon Lyons
Succeeded by	Aisling Reilly (2024)
In office 2 February 2021 – 8 March 2021 Acting Serving with Declan Kearney
Preceded by	Gordon Lyons
Succeeded by	Gordon Lyons
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Foyle
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 April 2015
Preceded by	Maurice Devenney
Member of Derry City and Strabane District Council
In office 22 May 2014 – 13 April 2015
Preceded by	Council established
Succeeded by	Graham Warke
Constituency	Faughan
Deputy Mayor of Derry City Council
In office June 2013 – March 2015
Member of Derry City Council
In office 5 May 2011 – 22 May 2014
Preceded by	Willie Hay
Succeeded by	Council abolished
Constituency	Rural
Personal details
Born	(1990-06-20) 20 June 1990 (age 35) Newbuildings, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Political party	Democratic Unionist Party
Spouse	Alderman Julie Middleton (m.2015)
Alma mater	University of Ulster
Occupation	Politician

He served as Acting Junior Minister for the Executive Office from February to March 2021 while Gordon Lyons was Acting Agriculture Minister while Edwin Poots stood aside due to ill health. In June 2021, Middleton replaced Lyons permanently as Junior Minister.

Early life

Born in Newbuildings, County Londonderry, Middleton studied Computer Science at the University of Ulster, and also obtained a diploma in Civic Leadership and Community Planning from the same institution. Prior to becoming an MLA, he was a youth worker and also worked as an assistant to Foyle MLA William Hay and later Maurice Devenney, who was himself co-opted to replace William Hay in October 2014 upon the latter's retirement after being elevated to the House of Lords.^[2]

Electoral history

Middleton was first elected to Derry City Council in 2011 at the age of 20, replacing William Hay by co-option. He also served as Deputy Mayor from June 2013 – March 2015.^[3]

In 2014 he was elected to the new Derry and Strabane 'super council' and was appointed group leader of the DUP councillors. In April 2015, he was co-opted to replace fellow DUP member Maurice Devenney in the Northern Ireland Assembly, becoming the assembly's youngest member at 24.^[4]

Shortly after joining the assembly, it was announced that Middleton would be the DUP's candidate for the Foyle constituency in the United Kingdom general election, eventually finishing a distant third with 12.4% of the vote.^[4]

General Election 2015: Foyle

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	SDLP	Mark Durkan	17,725	47.9	+3.2
	Sinn Féin	Gearóid Ó hEára	11,679	31.6	−0.4
	DUP	Gary Middleton	4,573	12.4	+0.5
	UUP	Julia Kee	1,226	3.3	+0.1
	Alliance	David Hawthorne	835	2.3	+1.7
	UKIP	Kyle Thompson	832	2.2	N/A
	NI Conservatives	Hamish Badenoch	132	0.4	N/A
Majority			6,046	16.3
Turnout			37,002	52.8	−4.7
	SDLP hold		Swing