Iris Robinson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iris Robinson
Robinson in 2012
Member of Parliament for Strangford
In office 7 June 2001 – 13 January 2010
Preceded by	John Taylor
Succeeded by	Jim Shannon
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Strangford
In office 25 June 1998 – 12 January 2010
Preceded by	Office Created
Succeeded by	Jonathan Bell
Democratic Unionist Party Spokesperson for Health
In office 2001 – 9 January 2010
Leader	Ian Paisley Peter Robinson
Personal details
Born	Iris Collins (1949-09-06) 6 September 1949 (age 74) Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Nationality	British
Political party	Independent (2010–present) Democratic Unionist Party (until 2010)
Spouse	Peter Robinson (1970–present)
Children	3
Residences	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Alma mater	Cregagh Technical College
Profession	Secretary

Iris Robinson (née Collins; born 6 September 1949) is a former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician in Northern Ireland. She is married to Peter Robinson, who was First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2008 to 2016.

Robinson was first elected councillor for Castlereagh Borough Council in 1989, and served as Mayor in 1992 and 1995. She was a member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue from 1995 to 1997. In 1998 she was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Democratic Unionist Party as member for Strangford, acting as Deputy Whip and health spokesperson. She was elected as DUP Member of Parliament for Strangford at the 2001 general election, replacing the Ulster Unionist Party's John Taylor. She was re-elected at the 2005 general election.

Robinson describes herself as a born-again Christian, and has publicly stated that "the government has the responsibility to uphold God's laws". In light of this, she was criticised for her views on homosexuality in 2008.

In December 2009, Robinson announced that she would leave politics and withdraw from public life following prolonged periods of mental illness. ..... It was announced on 9 January 2010 that her membership of the DUP had been terminated, and that she would stand down from elected office. On 12 January 2010 she resigned from the Northern Ireland Assembly, and on 13 January 2010, she resigned from the House of Commons and from Castlereagh Borough Council.

Personal life

The oldest of seven children, Iris Collins was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland to Mary McCarten and Joseph Collins, an English soldier. She grew up in a working-class area in the east of the city. She describes herself as a born again Christian and attends Metropolitan Tabernacle Church in Belfast. She comes from family with a mixed religious background as ten of her first cousins are Roman Catholics. She attended Cregagh Primary School, Knockbreda Intermediate School and Cregagh Technical College before becoming a secretary.

She married Peter Robinson on 26 July 1970. They were the first husband and wife ever to represent Northern Ireland constituencies in Parliament at the same time. They have three grown-up children: Jonathan, Gareth and Rebekah. Gareth Robinson is also a former Councillor on Castlereagh Borough Council.

Outside politics Robinson listed her interests as charity fundraising for multiple sclerosis, interior design and horseriding.

Political career

Robinson was first elected councillor for Castlereagh (borough) in 1989. She became the Council's first woman mayor in 1992 and served as mayor again in 1995. She was a member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue from 1995 to 1997. She was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998, representing the constituency of Strangford. She acted as the DUP health spokesperson.

Robinson was elected as the DUP Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Strangford at the 2001 general election, replacing the Ulster Unionist Party's John Taylor. She was re-elected at the 2005 general election.

Since taking up her seat in the House of Commons, Robinson has voted in 32 per cent of votes in parliament, below the average among MPs. In her maiden speech she spoke about the "betrayal" felt by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, criticising the Government's policy on policing.

Robinson's voting record shows that she voted strongly against introducing foundation hospitals, very strongly for the Iraq War, moderately for an investigation into said war, voted moderately against LGBT rights, and never voted on transparent Parliament or on replacing Trident. Robinson also voted for Labour's 42-day terror detention, part of the Counter-Terrorism Bill.

Robinson was suspended from Stormont for a day on 19 November 2007 after refusing to withdraw "unparliamentary" comments she had made about the health minister, Michael McGimpsey.

In an interview with the Sunday Tribune in April 2008, anticipating becoming "First Lady" of Northern Ireland, Iris spoke out against Hillary Clinton alluding to her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky: "No woman would put up with what she tolerated from her husband when he was president. She was thinking only of her future political career. It's all about power and not principle."

Comments about homosexuality

In June 2008, shortly after a physical assault on a homosexual man in Northern Ireland, she made comments on the BBC Radio Ulster's Stephen Nolan Show offering to recommend homosexuals to psychiatric counselling. While condemning the attack, she called homosexuality an "abomination" that made her feel "sick" and "nauseous", and offered to refer homosexuals to a psychiatrist she knew. In a subsequent interview, Robinson defended her views and denied prejudice against homosexuals, saying that "just as a murderer can be redeemed by the blood of Christ, so can a homosexual.... If anyone takes issue, they're taking issue with the word of God". Her comments were rebuffed by representatives of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the Rainbow Project, the Alliance Party, Sinn Féin, and the Social Democratic and Labour Party. The psychiatrist in question, Dr. Paul Miller later resigned as her adviser and stood down from his post of consultant psychiatrist at Belfast's Mater hospital. He is no longer a consultant psychiatrist within the NHS and has been reported to the General Medical Council (GMC). A police investigation followed these comments, over 100 complaints were made, and gay rights activist Robert Toner also made a complaint to the Equality Commission.

Robinson subsequently repeated her views in parliamentary session. ..... She reiterated her statement to the Belfast Telegraph on 21 June 2008, but later stated that she had been "misrepresented" in Hansard. This statement was challenged when Alliance Party Executive Director Gerry Lynch confirmed with Hansard staff that Robinson's comments were in fact correctly quoted. Further controversy was caused on 17 July 2008 when on the Stephen Nolan Show Robinson stated "it is the government's responsibility to uphold God's law". In the Northern Ireland Assembly on 30 June 2008, in a discussion about "LGBT Groups: Mental-Health Needs", Robinson said that "Homosexuality, like all sin, is an abomination", and suggested that teenagers needed help deciding whether they were homosexual or heterosexual. .....

By late July 2008, the Belfast Telegraph reported that "[A]lmost 11,000 people have signed a petition calling on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to reprimand DUP MP Iris Robinson over her controversial remarks about homosexuality" and "[Fewer than] 30 people have signed an opposing petition calling on the Prime Minister to allow the comments to go un-reprimanded as a matter of personal opinion and religion". As a result of her comments, Robinson was named "Bigot of the Year" for 2008 by Stonewall.

Parliamentary expenses

In April 2009, both Iris and Peter Robinson came under fire after Commons MPs' expenses accounts were leaked to the press. The couple were described as the "swish family Robinson" by the News of the World and Daily Mail after claims that they were receiving £571,939.41 a year in various salaries and expenses.

Later years

It was reported that Robinson had been receiving psychiatric treatment in a London clinic from January 2010 and returned to Northern Ireland on 19 September 2010 to continue treatment.

Robinson made her first appearance in public almost seven months after her return, at the funeral of her mother at Bethany Free Presbyterian Church in County Armagh on 14 April 2011. Among the mourners was deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness who embraced Robinson on the steps of the church.

Her husband stated his wife was too ill to attend the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Kate Middleton on 29 April 2011. Robinson did, however, attend the state banquet in Dublin during the Queen's visit to the Republic of Ireland 20 days later on 18 May 2011.

On 8 November 2019, an opera featuring former Robinson's homophobic views was staged in Belfast. Abomination, A DUP Opera, composed by Conor Mitchell, open the 2019 Outburst Queer Arts Festival at the Lyric Theatre. It toured Belfast and Dublin in 2022, before receiving its London premiere at the Southbank Arts Centre in May 2023.