Derek Hussey

Derek Robert Hussey (born 12 September 1948, Padstow, Cornwall, UK) is a Ulster Unionist politician from Northern Ireland

Hussey was educated at Omagh Model School, Omagh Academy and Stranmillis College, Belfast. He previously was a teacher at Castlederg High School.

In 1989 he was elected as councillor on Strabane District Council.^[1] In 2007 he was elected Chairman of the council. In the 1996 election to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum, Hussey was elected as representative for West Tyrone.

In 1998 he was elected as MLA to the Northern Ireland Assembly and re-elected in 2003.^[2] He was an outgoing candidate in the 2007 Assembly elections, but lost his seat. His brother, Ross Hussey, re-took the seat in 2011.

He is the Ulster Unionist spokesperson on Victims Issues.^[3]

He also has a special interest in regional development, Ulster-Scots and the Orange Order.

He was a member of a country and western music band and was known to wear cowboy boots in the 1998-2003 Assembly.^[4]

He has twice been convicted of drink driving most recently in 2011.^[5]

Derek Hussey continued his role in local politics having been re-elected as the only Ulster Unionist Councillor in Strabane District Council on 5 May 2011.

The Hussey family have a strong connection with the security forces with Hussey himself serving as a part-time Special Constable with the Ulster Special Constabulary, his late father Sydney Robert Hussey had served in the Royal Navy during WWII and the USC and UDR until his death. His mother served in the WRNS and the UDR, his brother Harold William was a Sergeant in the RUC, his sister was in the UDR and Royal Irish Regiment and finally his politician brother Ross also served as a part-time member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

References

External links

• NI Assembly biography
• UUP website