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'''Nigel Alexander Dodds, Baron Dodds of Duncairn''', {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|sep=,|size=100%|OBE|PC}} (born 20 August 1958), is a [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] [[barrister]], [[Unionism in Ireland|unionist]] politician and [[life peer]], who served as deputy leader of the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP) from June 2008 to May 2021.<ref>{{cite news|author=Angela Balakrishnan and agencies|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/apr/14/northernireland.northernireland?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews|title=Dodds will be DUP deputy|publisher=Guardian|date=14 April 2008|access-date=26 November 2010|location=London, UK|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150202034803/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/apr/14/northernireland.northernireland?gusrc=rss&feed=uknews|archive-date=2 February 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Dodds became North Belfast's MP at the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 UK general election]] and served in that role until he was defeated by [[Sinn Féin|Sinn Féin's]] [[John Finucane]] in [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019.]] He has served in the past as a member of the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], and as Minister of Finance in the [[Northern Ireland Executive]]. In July 2020, Dodds was nominated for a peerage in the House of Lords and announced in September 2020 that he would take the title Lord Dodds of Duncairn.<ref>{{cite news|author=Mark Rainey|url=https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-dodds-take-title-lord-dodds-duncairn-2976456|title=Nigel Dodds to take title 'Lord Dodds of Duncairn'|publisher=[[The News Letter]]|date=18 September 2020|access-date=18 September 2020|location=Belfast, UK}}</ref> He has been [[Lord Mayor of Belfast]] twice and served as General Secretary of the DUP from 1993 to 2008.<ref name=profile>{{cite web|author=Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office|url=http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/dodds_n.htm|title=NI Assembly profile|publisher=Niassembly.gov.uk|date=20 August 1958|access-date=26 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216034402/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/dodds_n.htm|archive-date=16 December 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
 
==Background==
Nigel Dodds was born in [[Derry]], [[Northern Ireland]].<ref name=profile/> His father Joe was a long-standing [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP) member of [[Fermanagh District Council]] until his death in 2008.<ref>[http://www.dup.org.uk/CanProfile.asp?CandidateID=11 DUP profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407000130/http://www.dup.org.uk/CanProfile.asp?CandidateID=11|date=7 April 2007}}</ref>▼
▲Nigel Dodds was born in [[Derry]], [[Northern Ireland]].<ref name=profile/> His father Joe was a long-standing [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP) member of [[Fermanagh District Council]] until his death in 2008.<ref>[http://www.dup.org.uk/CanProfile.asp?CandidateID=11 DUP profile] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407000130/http://www.dup.org.uk/CanProfile.asp?CandidateID=11|date=7 April 2007}}</ref>
 
Raised in [[County Fermanagh]], he was educated at [[Portora Royal School]] in [[Enniskillen]], County Fermanagh,<ref name="Dibret">Debrett's People of Today</ref> and studied law at [[St John's College, Cambridge]], from which he graduated with a first-class degree, and where he won the university scholarship, McMahan studentship and Winfield Prize for Law.<ref name="Dibret" /> Upon graduation, he returned to Northern Ireland and, after studying at the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at [[Queen's University of Belfast]], was called to the [[Bar of Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stratagem-ni.com/belfastnorthmlas.php|title=Stratagem profile|publisher=Stratagem-ni.com|access-date=26 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928094550/http://www.stratagem-ni.com/belfastnorthmlas.php|archive-date=28 September 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> After working as a [[barrister]], he worked at the [[Secretariat of the European Parliament]] from 1984 to 1996.<ref name="profile" />
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Dodds was Minister of Social Development in the [[Northern Ireland Executive]] from 21 November 1999 but resigned on 27 July 2000, then served again from 24 October 2001, when the devolved institutions were restored, until he was dismissed from office on 11 October 2002, shortly before the Executive and the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] were collapsed by the UUP.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
 
Dodds is vice-chair of the [[All-party parliamentary group|All Party Parliamentary Flag Group]].<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/memi297.htm UK Parliament - Register of All Party Groups] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119031635/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/memi297.htm |date=19 November 2007

}}</ref> He was appointed to the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]] on 9 June 2010, when he entered Westminster after the general election as the new party leader in parliament.<ref name="pc-9june2010">{{cite web|url=http://www.privy-council.org.uk/files/word/LIST%209%20June%202010.doc|title=Privy Council appointments|date=9 June 2010|publisher=Privy Council|access-date=26 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202221059/http://www.privy-council.org.uk/files/word/LIST%209%20June%202010.doc|archive-date=2 December 2010|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>Parliamentary Information List, number 08324, 31 May 2018. Democratic Unionist Party: Leaders and Officials since 1971, House of Commons Library, 05-06-2018.</ref>
 
In a Westminster debate on the issue of governance in [[association football]], Dodds highlighted that footballers born in Northern Ireland often opt to play for the [[Republic of Ireland national football team]] instead, saying "action needs to be taken to stop the haemorrhaging of talent from Northern Ireland".<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Stephen|title=BBC News - Nigel Dodds calls for talks over football eligibility|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16965522|work=BBC News|access-date=29 August 2012|date=9 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223112127/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-16965522|archive-date=23 February 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
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===House of Lords===
Dodds was nominated for a life peerage in the [[2019 Dissolution Honours]] and created '''''Baron Dodds of Duncairn''''' on 18 September 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://members.parliament.uk/member/1388/contact |title=Lord Dodds of Duncairn |publisher=UK Parliament |access-date=18 September 2020}}</ref> He made his [[maiden speech]] in the [[House of Lords]] on 3 November 2020.<ref>{{cite hansard |jurisdiction= United Kingdom |title= Defence and Security Public Contracts (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 |url= https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2020-11-03/debates/74141C40-82A9-450C-9AFC-B840209E9427/details#contribution-5F4479BE-5390-4186-9C99-E2D2BE8C1198 |house= House of Lords |date= 3 November 2020 |column_start= 665 |column_end= 666 |speaker= Lord Dodds of Duncairn }}</ref>
 
On 4 May 2021, Dodds announced that he would not seek re-election as deputy leader.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/05/04/nigel-dodds-ousted-dup-party-rebellion-grows/|title=Nigel Dodds quits as DUP deputy leader as party rebels get their way|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|date=4 May 2021|accessdate=7 May 2021|first=Harry|last=Yorke}}</ref>
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== Personal life ==
Dodds is married to DUP politician [[Diane Dodds]]; they have two sons and one daughter, and live in [[Banbridge]], [[County Down]].
 
==References==
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