BEFORE PETER Robinson asked her to assume his duties as First Minister, Arlene Foster (39) had already made a reputation for herself as a single-minded unionist politician with obvious ministerial ability.
But her sudden elevation yesterday was nonetheless a bold move for the DUP. A former Ulster Unionist (she left that party citing opposition to David Trimble), she rose quickly through the ranks of Robinson’s DUP despite some reservations from the traditional element within her new party.
In addition to her new responsibilities at the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister during Robinson’s absence, Foster remains as Minister for Enterprise. She is also a councillor in her native Co Fermanagh.
Born Arlene Kelly in 1970, she was raised in Roslea near the Border with Co Monaghan. Her father was a part-time RUC officer and she attended grammar school in Enniskillen. She survived a bomb attack on her school bus, which was being driven by a member of the former Ulster Defence Regiment. She also witnessed a murder bid on her father.
She did well at school and left to study law at Queen’s University Belfast. It was here that her interest in politics developed and she joined the college unionist association. She graduated and began to practise as a solicitor at offices in Enniskillen and Portadown, Co Armagh. She worked in the legal practice of UUP member James Cooper and quickly formed her own views about the way forward for unionism. She defected to the DUP alongside fellow UUP Assembly members Jeffrey Donaldson and Norah Beare.
The mother of three has risen quickly in the DUP which is not overly populated with women, let alone relatively young women.
Peter Robinson put her forward as a ministerial appointee under the Assembly’s d’Hondt system and she opted for the department of environment at the age of just 36. She was later promoted to the higher-profile enterprise portfolio just as the global economic downturn began to take effect.
Despite quitting Fermanagh District Council in 2007 to concentrate on her work at Stormont, she was pressed to return to fight a byelection following the death of a local councillor. She agreed despite the high risks involved in contesting the election at a time when the party was under pressure to retain its seat in the face of concerted unionist opposition. She won a seat convincingly.
Robinson had a range of choices when it came to asking one of his colleagues to step into the breach for up to six weeks. Deputy leader Nigel Dodds could not have been chosen as he is not currently a member of the Stormont Executive. Ministerial colleagues Sammy Wilson and Edwin Poots had been among the first to voice support for Robinson over the weekend. But he opted for the Enterprise Minister whose political record to date has demonstrated strong resolve and steely ability.