Andrew Muir (politician)

Andrew Muir
MLA
Andrew Muir MLA
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 3 February 2024
First Minister	Michelle O'Neill
Preceded by	Edwin Poots (2022)
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly; for North Down
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 23 December 2019
Preceded by	Stephen Farry
Personal details
Born	Andrew David Muir; 9 July 1976 (age 48); Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland
Political party	Alliance
Alma mater	University of Ulster
Occupation	Politician
Website	http://www.andrewmuir.net/

Andrew Muir (born 9 July 1976) is a Northern Irish politician who has served as Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs since February 2024. He is an Alliance Party Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Down.^[1] He was appointed as an MLA following incumbent Alliance MLA Stephen Farry's election as MP for North Down in the 2019 UK general election,^[2] and elected in the constituency in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election.^[3]

Professional life

From 2006 until he became a full-time politician Muir worked for Translink (Northern Ireland) .^[4] Before that he held a variety of low-level administrative posts including at Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Political career

Council (2010-2019)

Muir was co-opted onto North Down Borough Council in 2010,^[5] and was elected for the Hollywood DEA at the 2011 local elections. He was elected on the first count with 22.73% of FPVs, but he did not top the poll as newly elected MLA Gordon Dunne out-polled him by 90 votes.^[6]

Muir became the first openly gay mayor in Northern Ireland when he became North Down Borough Council mayor from 2013 to 2014.^[7]

Muir was re-elected at the 2014 local election for the Holywood and Clandeboye DEA, following the local government reform that merged Ards and North Down borough councils. He ran as one of two Alliance candidates, with now- MLA for Belfast South Kate Nicholl being his running mate. He was elected behind Stephen Dunne, the son of Gordon Dunne, and now MLA for North Down.

Muir ran alongside Stephen Farry as an Alliance candidate at the 2016 Assembly election in North Down, and was runner up behind his party colleague.^[8]

Muir was subsequently re-elected at the 2019 local elections, topping the poll with 1,397 votes (20.43%). His running mate Gillian Greer was also elected on the first count and gained a seat at the expense of the DUP.^[9]

Member of the Legislative Assembly (2019-Present)

Muir was selected by Alliance to replace Stephen Farry, the newly elected MP for North Down, and was co-opted into the Assembly. In doing so, he became the second openly gay member of the Assembly, after Alliance MLA John Blair (South Antrim).^[10]

He was selected to run as one of Alliance's two candidates in North Down for the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election and both he and his running mate, Connie Egan, were elected. He polled the second most FPVs (6,838) and 16.38% of the vote as Alliance increased their vote by 10.3% in the constituency.^[11]