Ian Parsley

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Ian James Parsley, born May 3, 1977, is a businessman and Northern Ireland politician.

He is a member of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and was elected to North Down Borough Council in 2005 representing Holywood. He chairs the party's youth wing (Young Alliance) and its Councillors' Association, and is the party's youth affairs spokesperson.

Parsley took lead responsibility for the party's media and PR campaign at the 2007 election, in which the party defied predictions of losses by picking up an extra seat on the back of its highest vote share in any election for nearly a decade.

Educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Parsley runs a PR business, and is also a commentator on linguistic issues.

He claims he is best known in local political circles for being a near namesake of Ian Paisley.