Alex Attwood

Alex Attwood, MLA (Born 26 April 1959) is an Irish politician, currently serving in the Northern Ireland Executive, and is the Social Democratic and Labour Party MLA for Belfast West.

Attwood was born in Belfast. Educated at Queen's University, Belfast and a former practising solicitor, Attwood has been a member of Belfast City Council for the Upper Falls, West Belfast since 1985. He was a former Leader of the SDLP Belfast City Council Group. In 1997 he participated in negotiations for the first Nationalist Mayor of Belfast, having failed to secure his own nomination for the post within his political grouping.

In 1997, he was appointed by John Hume to the Dublin Forum for Peace and Reconciliation. Attwood was a member of the SDLP Talks Team, playing a key negotiating role on policing, human rights and justice issues.

He was elected to Northern Ireland Assembly in June 1998. Attwood is the SDLP spokesperson on policing and has played a key role in negotiations on the Policing Bill.

He was appointed to the Northern Ireland Policing Board in September 2001.

In May 2010, he succeeded Margaret Ritchie as Minister for Social Development

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