Mitchel McLaughlin

John Mitchel McLaughlin (born 29 October 1945) is the former General Secretary of Sinn Féin and currently an MLA and Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

McLaughlin was born in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland and educated at Long Tower Boys School, Derry and Christian Brothers Technical College, Derry.

He was elected a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Foyle in the 1998 assembly election and re-elected in 2003. In March 2007, McLaughlin transferred to the South Antrim constituency where he topped the poll during the 2007 Assembly election. He was re-elected at the 2011 Assembly election.

After it was revealed that a consultancy contract on a new accounting system extended to 10 times the original budget, McLaughlin said, "I am very, very angry and I am very concerned that there appears to be almost a sense of immunity at the senior civil service level when these basic mistakes are made." The party chairman came in for criticism in 2005 when he said the killing of Jean McConville – one of the Disappeared – was not a criminal act. He is married and has three sons.

External links

• NIA profile

Party political offices
Preceded by Tom Hartley	Chairperson of Sinn Féin 1996–2005	Succeeded by Mary Lou McDonald
Preceded by Lucilita Bhreatnach	General Secretary of Sinn Féin 2003–2007	Succeeded by Rita O'Hare
Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by New creation	MLA for Foyle 1998 – 2007	Succeeded by Martina Anderson
Preceded by Jim Wilson	MLA for South Antrim 2007–present	Incumbent