Arlene Foster

Lady Foster
The power behind Theresa May's throne
Born	Arlene Isabel Kelly 1970-07-03 Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Alma mater	Queen's University Belfast
Children	3
Spouse	Brian Foster
Party	Democratic Unionist Party
First Minister of Northern Ireland  Member of the House of Lords  In office 24 November 2022 - Present  First Minister of Northern Ireland In office 11 January 2020 - 14 June 2021 Serving with Michelle O'Neill  First Minister of Northern Ireland In office 11 January 2016 - 9 January 2017 Serving with Martin McGuinness  Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party In office 17 December 2015 - 28 May 2021  Minister for Finance and Personnel In office 11 May 2015 - 12 January 2016  Minister for Enterprise Trade and Investment In office 9 June 2008 - 11 May 2015  Northern Ireland/Minister for the Environment In office 8 May 2007 - 9 June 2008  Member of the Legislative Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone In office 26 November 2003 - 6 October 2021

Arlene Foster, Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee, is a Northern Irish politician who was First Minister of Northern Ireland.

She was the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from December 2015 to 2021.

She sat as the Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 2003 to 2021.

Career

Foster served in the Northern Ireland Executive as Minister of the Environment from 2007 until 2008, Minister for Enterprise and Investment from 2008 until 2015 and Minister for Finance and Personnel from 2015 until 2016. In January 2016, Foster became First Minister of Northern Ireland and shared power with Martin McGuinness.

McGuinness resigned as deputy First Minister in January 2017 amid the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, which involved a green energy scheme that Foster set up during her time as Minister for Enterprise and Investment. The scheme was set to cost the taxpayer £490 million and there were allegations of corruption surrounding the scheme. McGuinness asked Foster to step aside as First Minister while her involvement in the scheme was investigated, but she refused to step aside or resign and claimed that the voices calling for her resignation were those of misogynists and male chauvinists. Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, the First and deputy First Ministers are equal and, therefore, Foster could not remain in her post as First Minister. McGuinness's resignation caused a Northern Ireland Assembly election to be held.

Following the UK/2017 General Election, Theresa May sought the support of Arlene Foster's 10 DUP MPs to obtain a majority in Parliament.

In April 2021, she was forced out of her job by her DUP colleagues and resigned as both DUP leader and First Minister.

In July 2021, Foster joined GB News.

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