David Trimble
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC (born 15 October 1944, in Belfast) is a politician from Northern Ireland. He served as Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP; 1995–2005), was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland (1998–2002), and was a Member of the British Parliament (1990–2005). He is currently a life peer for the Conservative Party. Trimble was awarded the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, along with John Hume.
While a professor of law at Queen's University Belfast, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention. He served as Member of Parliament for Upper Bann from 1990 until 2005. He resigned the leadership of the UUP soon afterwards. In June 2006, he became a member of the House of Lords, taking the title of Baron Trimble of Lisnagarvey in the County of Antrim. In April 2007 he left the UUP to join the Conservative Party.
In June 2010, the Israeli government appointed Lord Trimble to be one of two international observers serving on an Israeli commission of inquiry looking into the events surrounding an Israeli raid on the Mavi Marmara, along with Canadian former Judge Advocate General Ken Watkin. The panel concluded that both Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and the interception of the flotilla "were found to be legally pursuant to the rules of international law".
Read more about David Trimble: Early Life and Education, Leadership of Ulster Unionist Party, First Minister of Northern Ireland; Nobel Peace Prize, House of Lords; Conservative Party, Personal Life
Famous quotes containing the word david:
“The shifting islands! who would not be willing that his house should be undermined by such a foe! The inhabitant of an island can tell what currents formed the land which he cultivates; and his earth is still being created or destroyed. There before his door, perchance, still empties the stream which brought down the material of his farm ages before, and is still bringing it down or washing it away,—the graceful, gentle robber!”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)