Jonathan Bell who replaced Iris Robinson as the DUP’s Strangford MLA following the latter’s resignation has declared on the Register of Members’ Interests that he employs two members of the Robinson family: Jonathan Robinson (son of Peter and Iris) and one of their daughters in law. This may simply continuing the previous employment of these individuals though I could not find them on the 2009 or previous 2010 register of members’ interests. In addition the DUP Westminster Strangford candidate Jim Shannon has registered his part ownership of a Florida home and some farm land. According to the BBC he had forgotten to register them previously.
Nothing remotely wrong in any of this though the optics and timing of the release of the register are slightly unfortunate for the DUP.
Other information contained on the register includes the SDLP’s Declan O’Loan is now an honourary Romanian Consul; SDLP’s Alban Maginness is on the Prison Services Trust, UUP’s Basil McCrea got £1,000 for his trip to Washington as a guest of Forever Friends, and UUP’s David McClarty no longer employs his wife part-time.
This author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
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