Gordon Lyons

Gordon Lyons (born 6 March 1986) is a Northern Irish unionist politician, serving as Minister for Communities since 2024. He has also served as Director of Elections for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) since 2021. He was Minister for the Economy in the Northern Ireland Executive from 2021 to 2022, and has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Antrim since August 2015. He is the DUP's Spokesperson for Finance, Public Service Reform and the Northern Ireland Protocol as of 2023.

Upon his temporary appointment as Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs in 2021, Lyons was described as an "up-and-coming" member of the DUP. In 2024, Lyons had been considered in the running to become Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland but ultimately DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson selected Emma Little-Pengelly. However, in June 2025, he was beaten by DUP backbencher Paul Frew in an internal contest to become party secretary. Amidst the 2025 Northern Ireland riots, the Assembly Communities Committee expressed no confidence in Lyons as Minister on 12 June 2025.

Career

Early career

Lyons worked as an assistant to DUP MLA Sammy Wilson for five years. He stood unsuccessfully in East Antrim at the 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election, and also for the Coast Road area of Larne Borough Council in the local elections held that same day.

At the 2014 local elections, Lyons was elected for the Coast Road area on the new Mid and East Antrim District Council, and in August 2015, he was co-opted to take Wilson's place on the Assembly.

Lyons was re-elected at the 2016 Assembly Election, and was a member of the Economy Committee and Chairman of the Committee for Procedures.

Following his re-election at the 2017 NI Assembly Election, Lyons was appointed by DUP Leader Arlene Foster as the DUP Assembly Group Chief Whip.

Executive career (2020–present)

When devolution was restored on 11 January 2020, First Minister Arlene Foster appointed Lyons as Junior Minister in the Executive Office.

He served as the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs after Edwin Poots stood down temporarily for health reasons.

On 6 July 2021 he became Minister for the Economy after being appointed by the DUP's newly elected Leader Jeffrey Donaldson, taking over from Paul Frew.

Minister for Communities (2024–present)

When the Northern Ireland Assembly was restored on 3 February 2024, the new Executive was formed and the DUP appointed Lyons to serve as Minister for Communities. In 2025, Lyons introduced the Sign Language Bill, communicating in sign language for part of his speech.

In June 2025, Lyons was defeated "convincingly" by DUP backbencher Paul Frew in an internal contest to become party secretary.

= 2025 Northern Ireland riots

=
People targeted in their homes during the 2025 Northern Ireland riots in Ballymena were temporarily moved to Larne leisure centre on 11 June 2025, which falls inside Lyons' East Antrim constituency. Lyons revealed this information in a social media post, stating that “It has been brought to my attention that a number of individuals were temporarily moved to Larne Leisure Centre in the early hours of the morning following the disturbances in Ballymena." Following this, the centre was set ablaze after vandalism at the facility on the third night of disorder across Northern Ireland as part of the riots. Lyons said he "strongly hit back at any notion" he had revealed the use of this facility but Sinn Féin Finance Minister John O'Dowd called for Lyons to consider his position, along with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn. The Green Party called for Lyons to resign.

Motion of no confidence

On 11 June 2025, the Leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole said that he will refer Lyons to the Assembly’s Standards Commissioner the next day. On 12 June, the 9-member Stormont Communities Committee voted no confidence in Lyons in a motion proposed by Maolíosa McHugh after the Committee Chair, Colm Gildernew, called for Lyons to consider his position. The First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, called for Lyons to resign following the vote of no confidence.

Political views

Northern Ireland Protocol

In 2021, Lyons encouraged the public to sign a DUP petition calling for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to trigger Article 16 of the NI Protocol.

Electoral history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyons, Gordon
1986 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Larne
Members of Larne Borough Council
Democratic Unionist Party MLAs
Northern Ireland MLAs 2011–2016
Northern Ireland MLAs 2016–2017
Northern Ireland MLAs 2017–2022
Northern Ireland MLAs 2022–2027
Alumni of Newcastle University