Gavin Robinson

Gavin James Robinson (born 22 November 1984) is a Democratic Unionist Party politician from Belfast in Northern Ireland. A barrister by profession, he was Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2012–2013 and has been MP for Belfast East in the UK House of Commons since the 2015 general election.

Career

Robinson is a lifelong East Belfast resident. Educated at Queen's University Belfast, he read Law and attained a Masters in Irish Politics before commencing practice as a barrister. Raised a Presbyterian, he currently attends the Church of Ireland. He is married. Gavin Robinson is unrelated to former DUP leader and Belfast East MP Peter Robinson.

Robinson was co-opted to Belfast City Council in March 2010 to replace Sammy Wilson representing the Pottinger electoral area of South and East Belfast. He was returned to the council as an alderman in the 2011 local elections and elected Lord Mayor by the council for the year beginning 1 June 2012. He was a member of the East Belfast District Policing and Community Safety Partnership subgroup and represented the council on the boards of the Ulster Orchestra and the 2013 World Police and Fire Games held in Belfast.

He won the constituency of Belfast East for the Democratic Unionist Party, defeating the incumbent Naomi Long of the Alliance Party, to become a Member of Parliament in the 2015 UK General Election.

In March 2019, Robinson was one of 21 MPs who voted against LGBT-inclusive sex and relationship education in English schools.