Gavin Robinson: The DUP leader facing tricky general election for party
His silver hair, stern glasses and imposing 6ft 4in build sometimes belie the fact that Gavin Robinson is just 39. A qualified barrister, a former mayor and now unionism's most senior party leader.
Wednesday 12 June 2024 21:27, UK
Always an ambitious force within Northern Ireland's largest unionist party, Gavin Robinson only recently became its leader.
He was the DUP's deputy leader in March when, in a development that shocked Northern Ireland, party leader Jeffrey Donaldson abruptly quit after being charged with rape and other historical abuse offences.
Mr Robinson was quickly appointed interim leader, which was cemented into a permanent role at the end of May.
He now faces leading the DUP into potentially the trickiest general election in the party's history.
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This is a young and accomplished politician. His silver hair, stern glasses and imposing 6ft 4in build sometimes belie the fact that Mr Robinson is just 39, a qualified barrister, a former mayor and now unionism's most senior party leader.
Early life and career
Born and raised in predominantly unionist east Belfast, Mr Robinson was educated Ulster University, where he studied law, and Queen's University, where he obtained a master's degree in Irish politics.
He started work as a barrister but entered politics in 2010 when he became a member of Belfast City Council.
He served as lord mayor of Belfast from 2012 to 2013, and worked as a special adviser to the DUP's Peter Robinson when he was first minister of Northern Ireland (the two men are not related).
The party chose him as a candidate for the 2015 general election, where he won back the Belfast East seat from Alliance's Naomi Long.
He has been the constituency's MP ever since.
Mr Robinson is regarded as one of the more liberal members of the socially conservative DUP, and was the first DUP figure to attend a Pride event when he was Belfast lord mayor in 2012.
However, he has also voted against proposed LGBT-inclusive changes to school curriculums.
A tough battle ahead
Now he must rally the DUP which has suddenly lost its previous leader, faces a rising Sinn Fein and middle ground, and sits in a splintered unionist landscape.
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The DUP could lose hardline unionist votes to the TUV amid criticism of the Irish Sea border, while more moderate unionists may favour the UUP.
Presenting another electoral headache, Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife Eleanor will next appear in court on the eve of the election, 3 July.
This means the final hours of campaigning could be dominated by media coverage of the former DUP leader in court.
Mr Robinson himself faces a tough battle to retain his Belfast East seat, where he will face off for the fourth time in a row against Ms Long.
It could be a bellwether seat in this election, and one which will be hugely significant both for the DUP and its youthful new leader. It's hard to see how Mr Robinson could stay on in the top job should he lose his seat in Westminster.