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Ruth Patterson (politician)

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For the Presbyterian minister, see Ruth Patterson.

Ruth Patterson
Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast
In office
2011–2012
Preceded byWilliam Humphrey
Succeeded byTierna Cunningham
In office
1 June 2006 – 2007
Preceded byPat Convery
Succeeded byBernie Kelly
High Sheriff of Belfast
In office
18 January 2004 – 2005
Preceded byMargaret Clarke
Succeeded byDavid Browne
Member of
Belfast City Council
In office
22 May 2014 – 2 May 2019
Preceded byNew district
Succeeded byÁine Groogan
ConstituencyBotanic
In office
7 June 2001 – 22 May 2014
Preceded byHarry Smith
Succeeded byChristopher Stalford
ConstituencyBalmoral
Personal details
BornOctober 1955 (age 69)[1]
Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Political partyTUV (since 2021)
DUP (1998 - 2015)
Other political
affiliations		Independent Unionist (2015-2019)

Ruth Patterson (born October 1955) is a former Northern Irish unionist politician who was deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast between 2006 and 2007, then 2011 to 2012. Additionally, she served as High Sheriff of Belfast from 2004 to 2005. Patterson was a Belfast City councillor from 2001 to 2019, initially for the Balmoral DEA, later Botanic.[2]

Background

Originally from Dungannon, Patterson moved to Belfast in 1974 to train as a nurse in the Royal Victoria Hospital. She later joined the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) during The Troubles, serving for three years.[3][4][5]

Political career

Patterson joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in 1998, following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Commenting on the signatories of the Agreement in 1999, she said:“May god forgive them , for I won’t … and neither will the children of Ulster.”[6] [7]

Patterson was the campaign manager for successful DUP candidates, Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds, at the 2001 general election.[8] She was also elected to Belfast City Council, at the concurrent local elections, for the Balmoral District.[9]

On 28 September 2002, during a street party in Cluan Place, East Belfast, she and Peter Robinson blocked a road that residents had requested to be closed, but had been turned down by the police.[10]

At the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election, she was the unsuccessful running mate to Mark Robinson in South Belfast, polling 2,538 first-preference votes (8.1%).[11]

In January 2004, Patterson was made High Sheriff of Belfast, becoming the eighth woman to hold office.[12][13]

She became deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast in June 2006, serving under the SDLP's Patrick McCarthy.[14][15]

Patterson stood again in South Belfast at the 2011 Assembly election, being the last candidate eliminated, with 3,800 first-preference votes (11.8%).[16] She was re-elected to the council that same day.[17]

On 27 May 2011, Patterson was made deputy Lord Mayor again, as well as an alderman. She notably refused to shake the hand of the Sinn Fein Lord Mayor, Niall Ó Donnghaile, nor respond to his congratulations. O' Donnghaile said: "I wanted to wish her congratulations, it is unfortunate she refused to accept them." The DUP, however, backed Patterson, with the party's group leader, Robin Newton, saying: "Ruth Patterson has been a Councillor for more than ten years. She knows how Council meetings should be conducted and what the protocol is for such occasions. "She will be a fine ambassador for our city and brings a wealth of experience and dynamism to the role which others can only aspire to."[18][19] Patterson later claimed she had a "hearing impediment", so was unable to understand Ó Donnghaile's congratulations.[20]

On 2 August 2013, Patterson was arrested and subsequently released and charged with 'grossly offensive communication', after commenting on a Facebook post. The post in question was in response to a planned Republican parade in Castlederg to commemorate the deaths of two IRA men who were killed by their own bomb, to which some users imagined an attack on the parade. Patterson responded by saying: "We would have done a great service to Northern Ireland and the world."[21][22][23] She later apologised for the remarks, blaming it on a "lapse of judgement".[24] Patterson attended Belfast Magistrates Court on 22 August 2013, in which she pleaded not guilty to the charge.[25][26] The charge was eventually dropped on 20 December 2013, with Patterson saying: "I'm absolutely delighted. Justice has been done."[27][28]

In March 2014, during a council meeting, Patterson tabled a motion for the council to recognise the work of retiring Linfield FC manager, David Jeffrey, notably wearing a Linfield scarf while delivering her motion. She was interrupted by Sinn Féin's group leader, Jim McVeigh, who questioned the deputy Lord Mayor chairing the meeting, Christopher Stalford, as to whether Patterson was allowed to wear the scarf. Stalford responded to McVeigh, telling him to stop acting like a "petulant child", and accused him of turning the meeting into a "circus".[29][30][31][32]

She was re-elected at the 2014 local elections, this time for the new Botanic District.[33]

In November 2015, DUP leader Peter Robinson announced that Patterson had been expelled from the party. It was speculated that Patterson's expulsion had been due to her publicly criticising the party's decision to re-enter the Northern Ireland Executive.[34] The DUP had made the decision to resign from the executive in September 2015, after alleged IRA involvement in the murder of ex-member, Kevin McGuigan. [35][36][37] Additionally, she was vocal about her opposition to Emma Pengelly's selection to replace Jimmy Spratt as South Belfast MLA.[38] Pengelly was subsequently made a Junior Minister in the executive, with Patterson telling the Belfast Telegraph: "Emma is young, academic and nice-looking, but that doesn't give her the right to a seat she hasn't earned. I'm a great believer in earning your stripes. Politics shouldn't be about membership of a golden circle. You have to be a foot soldier first, to have knocked doors and worked for constituents. Emma hasn't done that."[39] Patterson said that she would not appeal her expulsion, saying: "I wanted to do the job and had hoped to get the seat. You have to earn your stripes in a political party." She also denied reports that she would be joining the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), instead expressing a preference to remain on the council as an independent unionist. [40]

References

  1. ^ "Ruth PATTERSON personal appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Belfast City Council minutes" (PDF). Belfast City Council. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  3. ^ "DUP woman on Facebook post charge". Belfast Telegraph. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  4. ^ "NEWS: Former Alderman Ruth Patterson labels SDLP's Attwood a "tell-tale-tit" and refuses to apologise for her accurate remarks". Unionist Voice. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  5. ^ "I really loved serving Queen and country...it's in my DNA". 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Cheers and jeers for unionist delegates". BBC News. 27 November 1999. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Will the "Children Of Ulster" Behave Like "Fools" And "Puppets" Again?". The Pensive Quill. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  8. ^ "22 August 2013". Irish Independent. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Belfast City Council, 1993 - 2011". Ark elections. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Robinson may face legal action". Belfast Telegraph. 30 September 2002. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  11. ^ "BBC NEWS - VOTE 2003". BBC News. 28 November 2003. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Belfast High Sheriff sworn in for 2004 term". 4ni. 26 January 2004. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  13. ^ "New sheriff in town". Belfast Telegraph. 18 January 2004. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  14. ^ "Belfast City Council minutes" (PDF). Belfast City Council. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  15. ^ "City elects new Lord Mayor". BBC News. 1 June 2006. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  16. ^ "Election 2011". BBC News. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  17. ^ "Election 2011". BBC News. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  18. ^ "DUP backs Ruth Patterson over Sinn Fein mayor snub". BBC News. 27 May 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  19. ^ "New mayor more lad than lord". Irish Echo. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Ruth's selective hearing". Slugger O'Toole. 12 June 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  21. ^ "Ruth Patterson is charged over Facebook parade comments". BBC News. 2 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  22. ^ "Belfast councillor Ruth Pattersoncharged with 'grossly offensive communication' over Facebook comment". The Independent. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  23. ^ "DUP councillor Ruth Patterson charged over Facebook parade comments". Belfast Telegraph. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  24. ^ "DUP councillor Ruth Patterson apologises for parade comments". BBC News. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  25. ^ "DUP's Ruth Patterson to plead not guilty to Facebook message charge". Belfast Telegraph. 4 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  26. ^ "DUP woman on Facebook post charge". Belfast Telegraph. 22 August 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  27. ^ "Ruth Patterson Facebook posting charge dropped". Belfast Telegraph. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  28. ^ "Ruth Patterson Facebook prosecution: charge withdrawn". BBC News. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  29. ^ "Row as Belfast Councillor Dons Linfield Scarf". 4ni. 4 March 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  30. ^ "Row as Ruth Patterson puts on Linfield scarf at Belfast City Council". BBC News. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  31. ^ "DUP's Ruth Patterson wears Linfield scarf in Belfast City Council sparking furore". 4 March 2014. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  32. ^ "BBC Radio Ulster - The Nolan Show, 04/03/2013". BBC Radio Ulster. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
  33. ^ "Belfast City Council Elections 2014". ARK elections. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  34. ^ "Ruth Patterson: Belfast councillor expelled from DUP". BBC News. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  35. ^ "DUP's return to Executive 'shocked me to the core'". BBC News. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  36. ^ "Kevin McGuigan murder: Ex-IRA man shot dead in east Belfast". BBC News. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  37. ^ "Stormont in crisis as Northern Ireland's first minister Peter Robinson resigns". The Guardian. 10 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  38. ^ "Emma Pengelly is new DUP MLA for south Belfast". BBC News. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  39. ^ "'I earned my stripes but Emma is just a blow-in... I might join the TUV and contest her seat'". Belfast Telegraph. 18 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  40. ^ "Ruth Patterson: Belfast councillor will not appeal expulsion". BBC News. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
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