Chris Hazzard
 Chris Hazzard     (politician) | ||||||||||
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| Born | 20 August 1984 | |||||||||
| Alma mater | Queen's University Belfast | |||||||||
| Party | Sinn Féin | |||||||||
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Chris Hazzard is an Irish politician from Sinn Féin who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Down since the 2017 United Kingdom general election, when he defeated incumbent Margaret Ritchie of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Due to Sinn Féin's policy of abstentionism with regard to the Westminster Parliament, Hazzard has not taken his seat.
On 16 October 2023, Matt Kennard posted on X:
- "Follow @ChrisHazzardSF. In my opinion, he's the most talented progressive MP in UK parliament—and he's not yet 40.
- "Super articulate - with principles and an international outlook - he could be the first president of a United Ireland."[1]
Contents
Early life
Chris Hazzard was born in Drumaness, County Down, in 1984. The eldest of four siblings, he attended Our Lady and St Patrick's College, Knock, before going to Queen's University Belfast.
Political career
Chris Hazzard previously worked as a press officer for Sinn Féin.
He was selected by his party as a member (MLA) of the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent the South Down constituency in April 2012. He replaced his party colleague Willie Clarke, who had retired to concentrate on his local council work. Hazzard was the Minister for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland from May 2016 until the Executive's collapse in January 2017. He was also a member of the Education Committee from 2012 to 2016 and the Public Accounts Committee from 2013 to 2014.
At the snap general election held on 8 June 2017, he was elected as the MP for South Down, defeating the incumbent SDLP MP, Margaret Ritchie. It is the first time that his party have represented the seat.
Brexit doomsday consequences
In June 2018, Chris Hazzard called on the Government to publish what he described as "secret papers that outline the doomsday consequences of a no deal exit from Europe". Hazzard said that inside sources indicated that the government papers warn that crashing out of the EU without a deal would result in severe food, fuel, and medicine shortages.
- “The British Government must allow full public scrutiny of these papers - it is totally unacceptable that they continue to drive us towards the cliff-edge knowing the cataclysmic effects of a no deal exit from Europe.
- “We already know from previous scenario planning exercises that the north of Ireland will be worse hit in any Brexit scenario; bearing in mind today’s revelations it is absolutely imperative that the British Government also now publish legal texts on their plans to deal with Ireland.
- “As we approach the June EU Council meeting in a matter of weeks - the people of Ireland demand legal certainty; we have had enough flights of fancy from the British Government.”
- A Department for Exiting the European Union spokesperson said that such discussions had taken place, but denied that the doomsday scenario would occur.[2]
Personal life
Hazzard is a Gaelic Athletic Association member and PhD candidate at Queen's University Belfast. He was, at the time of his selection, the youngest MLA.
He is married to Lisa, and the couple have a daughter, Eva, who was born in August 2015.
References
This page imported content from Wikipedia on 16 October 2023.Wikipedia is not affiliated with Wikispooks. Original page source here
