Timothy Gaston
Traditional Unionist Voice politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Timothy James Gaston (born October 1988) is a Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) politician, serving as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Antrim since July 2024.
Timothy James Gaston | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Legislative Assembly for North Antrim | |
| Assumed office 16 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Allister |
| Deputy mayor of Mid and East Antrim | |
| In office April 2015 – 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | William McNeilly |
| Member of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council | |
| In office 22 May 2014 – 16 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Council established |
| Succeeded by | Anna Henry |
| Constituency | Bannside |
| Member of Ballymena Borough Council | |
| In office 14 February 2013 – 22 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Davy Tweed |
| Succeeded by | Council abolished |
| Constituency | Ballymena South |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1988 (age 37)[1] Glarryford, Ballymena, Northern Ireland |
| Party | Traditional Unionist Voice |
Prior to this, Gaston had been a Mid and East Antrim Borough Councillor for the Bannside DEA from 2014 to 2024.
Political career
Gaston's first electoral contest was at the 2011 local elections, where he was the running mate to Ballymena Councillor, Roy Gillespie, in the Bannside District.[2]
He was later co-opted onto the council in February 2013, for the Ballymena South District, following the resignation of Davy Tweed.[3]
Gaston was elected onto the new Mid and East Antrim Borough Council at the 2014 local elections, topping the poll in Bannside.[4]
In April 2015, he was appointed as the first deputy mayor of Mid and East Antrim.[5]
He was the TUV candidate in North Antrim at the 2015 general election, finishing second with 6,561 votes (15.7%), against Ian Paisley Jr of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).[6]
At the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election, he was the running mate in North Antrim to sitting Assembly member and party leader, Jim Allister. Gaston was eliminated on the sixth count, having polled 4.77% of first-preferences.[7]
Gaston stood again at the 2017 Assembly election, but was not successful.[8]
At the 2017 general election, Gaston stood again in North Antrim, where he came fourth with 3,282 votes (6.8%).[9]
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
In July 2024, Gaston was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly to succeed Allister, following the latter’s election as MP for North Antrim.[10][11][12]
In September 2024, while sitting as a member of the Northern Ireland Executive Committee, Gaston clashed with Paula Bradshaw, chair of the committee. He had asked Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Equality Commission, if the body saw “the conflict between the rights of a woman, and a biological man claiming or thinking that he is a woman." Bradshaw responded to Gaston's questioning, telling the latter to “watch your language.”[13][14]
Gaston has called the Bible, "the bedrock of moral order" and has criticised a neutral or multi-faith approach to religious education in schools.[15]