May Beattie (born c. 1950) is a former Northern Irish unionist politician who was a Mid and East Antrim Councillor for the Knockagh DEA from 2014 to 2019. A former member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Beattie previously represented Knockagh on the former Carrickfergus Borough Council from 1997 to 2014.

May Beattie
Member of
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
In office
22 May 2014 – 2 May 2019
Preceded byNew council
Succeeded byMarc Collins
ConstituencyKnockagh
Member of Carrickfergus Borough Council
In office
21 May 1997 – 22 May 2014
Preceded byWilliam Haggan
Succeeded byCouncil abolished
ConstituencyKnockagh
Member of the Northern Ireland Forum for
East Antrim
In office
30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998
Personal details
Born1950
Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland
Political partyTraditional Unionist Voice (2019 - present)
Other political
affiliations
Democratic Unionist Party (1993 - 2019)

Background

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Born in Carrickfergus, Beattie became involved in politics by assisting the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) during elections. She became a party member in the early 1990s,[1] and first stood for election to Carrickfergus Borough Council at the 1993 Northern Ireland local elections.[2]

Although unsuccessful, she was elected for the DUP in East Antrim at the Northern Ireland Forum election in 1996, and sat on the forum's health committee.[1][3] She gained a seat on Carrickfergus council in 1997, and held this in 2001, 2005 and 2011.[2] She was Mayor of Carrickfergus in 2003–4 and sits on a large number of committees. She is currently[when?] an alderman.[4]

Beattie has also been secretary for the DUP's East Antrim branch and for the East Antrim Imperial Association, and was previously a member of the Association of Loyal Orangewomen of Ireland.[1]

In the 2019 Northern Ireland local elections, she unsuccessfully ran as a Traditional Unionist Voice candidate in the Knockagh ward for Mid and East Antrim Borough Council[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Rachel Ward, Women, unionism and loyalism in Northern Ireland, p.170
  2. ^ a b "Carrickfergus Borough Council Elections 1993-2011", Northern Ireland Elections
  3. ^ "East Antrim", Northern Ireland Elections
  4. ^ "Alderman May Beattie", Carrickfergus Borough Council
  5. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll" (PDF). Deputy Returning Officer, Mid and East Antrim District Council. 8 April 2019.
    - "Election 2019: District Electoral Area: Knockagh". The Belfast Telegraph.
Northern Ireland Forum
New forum Member for East Antrim
1996–1998
Forum dissolved
Civic offices
Preceded by
Eric Ferguson
Mayor of Carrickfergus
2003–2004
Succeeded by