Nichola Mallon

Nichola Mallon (born 23 August 1979) is an Irish politician from Northern Ireland and a member of the SDLP. She has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Belfast North since 2016, and was Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2014–2015. She was elected as Deputy Leader of the SDLP in 2017.[1] She was appointed Minister for Infrastructure on 11 January 2020.

Councillor

Nichola Mallon

MLA
Mallon as Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2014
Minister of Infrastructure
Assumed office
11 January 2020
First MinisterArlene Foster
Preceded byChris Hazzard
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Belfast North
Assumed office
5 May 2016
Preceded byAlban Maginness
59th Lord Mayor of Belfast
In office
2 June 2014 – 1 April 2015
Preceded byMáirtín Ó Muilleoir
Succeeded byArder Carson
Councillor on Belfast City Council
Assumed office
2010
ConstituencyOldpark
Personal details
Born (1979-08-23) 23 August 1979
Belfast, Northern Ireland
NationalityIrish
Political partySDLP
Spouse(s)Brendan Scott (m.2013)
ChildrenElena
ResidenceCrumlin, Belfast
Alma materTrinity College, Dublin
Queen's University Belfast

Background

Nichola Mallon was born in Belfast in 1979. Her father was a printer and her mother was a dress-maker. She grew up in the Ardoyne district of North Belfast.

She attended Mercy Primary School followed by St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls. She read Economics and Politics at Trinity College, Dublin and graduated with a BA (Hons), followed by an MA in Comparative Ethnic Conflict from Queen's University Belfast.

When she left QUB, she joined the civil service before moving to the General Medical Council and then to a job with the SDLP.[2]

Family

She is married to Brendan Scott and has three children, two daughters and a son.[3]

Political life

Her family were involved in the trade union movement and she took part in May Day rallies as a girl. At school she became more interested in politics and was attracted to the SDLP. In 2010 she was co-opted by the SDLP onto Belfast City Council to replace Alban Maginness in the Oldpark (District Electoral Area). In 2014, she won the seat in her own right, polling just under 1,000 first preferences. In 2013, she was appointed a special adviser to the SDLP's Environment Minister Mark H Durkan, but stood down from that position when elected Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2014.[2] She served as the Lord Mayor of Belfast from 2014 to 2015,[4] the first female Irish nationalist politician to hold the position.[5]

She was elected a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast North in 2016 and re-elected in 2017, increasing the SDLP vote to 5,431 first preferences.

She was elected Deputy Leader of the SDLP in 2017.[6]

She was appointed Minister for Infrastructure on 11 January 2020.[7]

References
  1. "Nichola Mallon named SDLP deputy leader". Irish News. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  2. Kane, Alex (7 June 2014). "Nichola Mallon: A people's mayor". Belfast Telegraph.
  3. "SDLP's Nichola Mallon gives birth to 'perfect' baby girl". Belfast Telegraph. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  4. "Lord Mayor". Belfast City Council. 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  5. "SDLP's Nichola Mallon is new Belfast lord mayor". BBC News. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  6. "Nichola Mallon elected SDLP deputy leader". BBC News. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  7. "Minister for Infrastructure Nichola Mallon". Department for Infrastructure. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
Civic offices
Preceded by
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir		 Lord Mayor of Belfast
2014–2015		 Succeeded by
Arder Carson
Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by
Alban Maginness		 MLA for Belfast North
2016–present		 Incumbent
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