Robinson, Peter David (1948-…), was a politician in Northern Ireland, one of the divisions of the United Kingdom. In June 2008, the Northern Ireland Assembly elected him first minister, a post he held until 2016. The first minister and deputy first minister jointly head the government of Northern Ireland. During most of his time as first minister, Robinson was also leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The DUP is a political party dedicated to keeping Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom.
Robinson was born on Dec. 29, 1948, in Belfast. He studied at Castlereagh College (now part of Belfast Metropolitan College) and then worked for a real estate agency. He was among the founding members of the Democratic Unionist Party. Robinson became an executive member of the DUP in 1973 and the party’s deputy leader in 1980.
Beginning in 1977, Robinson held a number of local government positions—including council member, deputy mayor, mayor, and alderman—in the borough of Castlereagh. Robinson was a member of the British Parliament from 1979 to 2010. He served on Parliament’s Northern Ireland Affairs Committee from the time it was formed in 1994 until 2004. In Northern Ireland’s government, Robinson served as minister for regional development and minister for finance and personnel. In 2008, Robinson succeeded DUP founder Ian Paisley as first minister of Northern Ireland’s government and as leader of the DUP. Robinson stepped down as DUP leader in late 2015 and announced his retirement from politics in 2016.
