David Trimble

David Trimble (1944-2022) was a Northern Irish politician and academic. He served as the inaugural First Minister of Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002 and was the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1995 to 2005. Trimble began his career as a law professor at The Queen's University of Belfast and later joined the UUP after his involvement with the paramilitary-linked Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party (VPUP). He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper Bann from 1990 to 2005 and a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann from 1998 to 2007. Trimble played a key role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.