Gavin Robinson

The Right Honourable Gavin Robinson MP
Official portrait, 2019
Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 May 2024 Interim: 29 March 2024 – 29 May 2024
Preceded by	Jeffrey Donaldson
Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in the House of Commons
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 March 2024
Leader	Himself[a]
Preceded by	Jeffrey Donaldson
Deputy Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
In office 9 June 2023 – 29 May 2024
Leader	Jeffrey Donaldson Himself[a]
Preceded by	Paula Bradley
Succeeded by	Vacant
Member of Parliament for Belfast East
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2015
Preceded by	Naomi Long
Majority	2,676 (6.2%)
69th Lord Mayor of Belfast
In office 1 June 2012 – 1 June 2013
Deputy	Tierna Cunningham
Preceded by	Niall Ó Donnghaile
Succeeded by	Máirtín Ó Muilleoir
Member of the Belfast City Council
In office 22 May 2014 – 7 May 2015
Preceded by	District created
Succeeded by	Brian Kennedy
Constituency	Titanic
In office 5 May 2011 – 22 May 2014
Preceded by	Sammy Wilson
Succeeded by	District abolished
Constituency	Pottinger
Personal details
Born	Gavin James Robinson[1] (1984-11-22) 22 November 1984 (age 40) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Political party	Democratic Unionist Party
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)[2]
Spouse	Lindsay
Children	1
Alma mater	Queen's University
Profession	Barrister

Gavin James Robinson (born 22 November 1984) is a Northern Irish unionist politician and barrister who has served as Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) since March 2024.^[a][3] He served as Deputy DUP Leader from June 2023 to May 2024. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast East in the UK House of Commons since the 2015 general election. He was Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2012–2013.^[4] Robinson is the DUP Spokesperson for Defence and Home Affairs.^[5]

Robinson is a lifelong East Belfast resident. He attended Grosvenor Grammar School in East Belfast, and then Ulster University where he obtained a degree in law and government, before attending Queen's University Belfast, where he attained a Masters in Irish Politics before commencing practice as a barrister. Raised a Presbyterian, he currently attends the Church of Ireland.^{[citation needed]}

Robinson was co-opted to Belfast City Council in March 2010 to replace Sammy Wilson in representing the Pottinger electoral area of South and East Belfast.^[6]

He was returned to the council as an alderman in the 2011 local elections and elected Lord Mayor by the council for the year beginning 1 June 2012. He was a member of the East Belfast District Policing and Community Safety Partnership subgroup and represented the council on the boards of the Ulster Orchestra and the 2013 World Police and Fire Games held in Belfast. He won the constituency of Belfast East for the Democratic Unionist Party, defeating the incumbent Naomi Long of the Alliance Party, to become a Member of Parliament in the 2015 UK General Election.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2019, Robinson was one of 21 MPs who voted against LGBT-inclusive sex and relationship education in English schools.^[7][8][9]

In June 2023, he was elected by Democratic Unionist Party MLAs and MPs to become the party's Deputy Leader, succeeding Paula Bradley.^{[citation needed]}

His appointment to the His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council was announced on 28 March 2024 as part of the 2024 Special Honours.^[10] The next day, Robinson was appointed interim leader of the DUP after Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigned following the disclosure that he had been charged by PSNI detectives with historic sex offences.^[11]

Robinson is married. He is unrelated to former DUP leader and Belfast East MP Peter Robinson.^[12]

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Gavin Robinson at Belfast City Council
• Appearances on C-SPAN