Clare Bailey

Clare Bailey (born 18 June 1970) is a Northern Irish politician who has been the Leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland since November 2018.

Clare Bailey

MLA
Bailey in 2011
Leader of the Green Party
in Northern Ireland
Assumed office
21 November 2018
DeputyTanya Jones
Malachai O'Hara
Preceded bySteven Agnew
Deputy Leader of the Green Party
in Northern Ireland
In office
November 2014 – 1 October 2017
LeaderSteven Agnew
Preceded byOffice created
Succeeded byTanya Jones
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Belfast South
Assumed office
May 2016
Preceded byFearghal McKinney
Personal details
Born (1970-06-18) 18 June 1970
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Political partyGreen Party
Children2
Alma materQueen's University Belfast

Early life

Bailey was born in Clonard on the Lower Falls.[1] She was one of the first 28 pupils of Lagan College, Northern Ireland's first integrated school.[2][3] She later attended Queen's University.

Political career

Bailey identifies as pro-choice and a feminist.[4] She was a client escort for women accessing healthcare advice at the Belfast Marie Stopes Clinic, enduring assault and intimidation from anti-abortion protesters.[5] She has also worked supporting survivors of sexual violence and abuse.[6]

In 2011 she stood unsuccessfully for the Laganbank district electoral area on Belfast City Council, narrowly missing a seat and coming 6th in a 5-seater district electoral area. She has been an MLA for Belfast South since the 2016 election, after nearly tripling the Green Party vote in the area compared to the previous Assembly election. She was re-elected to the Assembly in 2017.[7][8]

She served as the GPNI deputy leader until 2017, when she stood down to focus on her work as an MLA.

In November 2018, Bailey became leader of the Northern Irish Green Party.

In 2019 Bailey ran unsuccessfully for European Parliament, receiving 12,471 votes which placing her 7th. Bailey managed to increase the Greens' share of the vote by 0.48%.

References
  1. "MLA Clare Bailey: I know what it's like to be homeless single mum on benefits". belfasttelegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  2. Atkinson, Karen (11 March 2017). "The Scout Hall school". BBC News. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  3. "Clare Bailey MLA, South Belfast". The Green Party Northern Ireland.
  4. "The Big Interview: Clare Bailey deputy leader of the Green Party" – via www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
  5. Amanda Ferguson. "Closure of Marie Stopes Belfast clinic ends five years of hostility". The Irish Times. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  6. "'˜I could have ended up sleeping on the streets'". www.newsletter.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  7. "Winds of change as Greens and People Before Profit win seats", bright-green.org, 8 May 2016.
  8. "NI Assembly election: DUP remains largest as assembly count ends". BBC News. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by
Fearghal McKinney		 MLA for Belfast South
2016–present		 Incumbent
Party political offices
New title Deputy Leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland
2014–2017		 Succeeded by
Tanya Jones
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