Dawn Purvis

Dawn Purvis (born 22 October 1966) is a Northern Irish company executive and former unionist politician, who was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast East from 2007 to 2011. She was previously the leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) from 2007 to 2010.

Biography Born in the Donegall Pass area of Belfast, Purvis joined the PUP in 1994. She stood for the party in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum election in Belfast South and then in the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election in Belfast South, here taking 271 votes. She served as director of the Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast.

In November 2014, Bernadette Smyth, founder of the Precious Life organisation, was found guilty of the harassment of Purvis, but the verdict was later quashed.

Political career

By 1999, Purvis was the PUP's Spokesperson on Women's Affairs. She took a degree in Women's Studies, Social Policy and Social Anthropology and began working full-time for the party.

Purvis stood in Belfast South in the 2001 UK general election, finishing in sixth place with a total of 1112 votes (2.9%).

In 2006, Purvis was appointed to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. Her appointment was later criticised by the Democratic Unionist Party, because of the PUP's links with the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

In her maiden speech in the Assembly she said "As long as there is poverty, and as long as there is inequality in education, health and gender, it will be my duty to articulate the needs of the working and workless classes in East Belfast."

Purvis was re-elected in the constituency at the 2007 Assembly election on the tenth and final round of counting. She polled 3045 votes (10.3%)

In 2011 Dawn left politics and became the Northern Ireland Programme Director with Marie Stopes International (MSI).

Resignation from PUP In June 2010, Purvis resigned as leader, and as a member, of the PUP because of its relationship with the UVF and the murder of Bobby Moffet which was attributed to that group by the Independent Monitoring Commission.

Electoral defeat In the 2011 Assembly election Purvis defended her seat as an independent candidate with PUP leader Brian Ervine running against her. In the end neither candidate was elected and instead the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland gained a second East Belfast seat. Purvis polled 1702 votes (5.2%)