Arlene Foster

The Right Honourable The Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee DBE PC
Official portrait, 2024
Chair of Intertrade UK
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 September 2024
Appointed by	Steve Baker
Secretary of State	Hilary Benn
Preceded by	Position established
First Minister of Northern Ireland
In office 11 January 2020 – 14 June 2021 Serving with Michelle O'Neill
Preceded by	Herself (2017)
Succeeded by	Paul Givan
In office 11 January 2016 – 9 January 2017[a] Serving with Martin McGuinness
Preceded by	Peter Robinson
Succeeded by	Herself (2020)
Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
In office 17 December 2015 – 28 May 2021
Deputy	The Lord Dodds of Duncairn
Preceded by	Peter Robinson
Succeeded by	Edwin Poots
Minister for Finance and Personnel
In office 11 May 2015 – 12 January 2016
Preceded by	Simon Hamilton
Succeeded by	Mervyn Storey
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
In office 9 June 2008 – 11 May 2015
Preceded by	Nigel Dodds
Succeeded by	Jonathan Bell
Minister for the Environment
In office 8 May 2007 – 9 June 2008
Preceded by	Dermot Nesbitt
Succeeded by	Sammy Wilson
Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 November 2022 Life Peerage
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
In office 26 November 2003 – 6 October 2021
Preceded by	Joan Carson
Succeeded by	Deborah Erskine
Member of Fermanagh District Council
In office 5 May 2005 – 5 May 2011
Preceded by	Raymond Ferguson
Succeeded by	Alison Brimstone
Constituency	Enniskillen
Personal details
Born	Arlene Isobel Kelly[1] (1970-07-17) 17 July 1970 (age 54)[2] Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Political party	None (non affiliated)
Other political affiliations	Democratic Unionist Party (2004–2021) Ulster Unionist Party (Before 2004)
Spouse	Brian Foster
Children	3
Residence(s)	Brookeborough, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
Alma mater	Queen's University Belfast
Website	Official website
^a Foster served as acting first minister from 11 January 2010 to 3 February 2010 and from 10 September 2015 to 20 October 2015 while Robinson was on leave.

This article is part of a series about Arlene Foster
Democratic Unionist Party MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone First term as First Minister 2016 Assembly election Executive RHI Scandal Northern Ireland political deadlock 2017 Assembly election 2017 general election Conservative–DUP agreement Irish Language Act Irish backstop 2019 Northern Ireland Act 2019 general election Second term as First Minister New Decade, New Approach Executive Northern Ireland Protocol COVID-19 pandemic EU Vaccine Dispute
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Dame Arlene Isobel Foster, Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee, DBE, PC (née Kelly; born 17 July 1970),^[2] is a British broadcaster and politician from Northern Ireland who is serving as Chair of Intertrade UK since September 2024. She previously served as First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2016 to 2017 and 2020 to 2021 and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2015 to 2021. Foster was the first woman to hold either position. She is a Member of the House of Lords, having previously been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 2003 to 2021.

Foster served in the Northern Ireland Executive as Minister of the Environment from 2007 to 2008, Minister for Enterprise and Investment from 2008 to 2015 and Minister for Finance and Personnel from 2015 to 2016. In December 2015, Foster was elected unopposed to succeed Peter Robinson as leader of the DUP. In January 2016, Foster became First Minister of Northern Ireland and shared power with Martin McGuinness.

McGuinness resigned as deputy First Minister in January 2017 amid the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, which involved a green energy scheme that Foster set up during her time as Minister for Enterprise and Investment. The scheme was set to cost the taxpayer £490 million and there were allegations of corruption surrounding Foster's role in implementing the scheme. McGuinness asked Foster to step aside as First Minister while her involvement in the scheme was investigated, but she refused to step aside or resign and said that the voices calling for her resignation were those of "misogynists and male chauvinists".^[3] Under the terms of the Northern Ireland power-sharing agreement, the First and deputy First Ministers are equal and, therefore, Foster could not remain in her post as First Minister and was subsequently removed from office. McGuinness's resignation caused a 2017 snap assembly election to be held, in which the DUP lost 10 seats. After no party received an outright majority in the 2017 general election, the DUP entered into an agreement with the Conservative Party to support Prime Minister Theresa May's government.^[4] In January 2020, she became First Minister of Northern Ireland again after the Executive was reinstated under the terms of the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

On 28 April 2021, after more than 20 DUP MLAs and four DUP MPs signed a letter "...voicing no confidence in her leadership", Foster announced that she would resign as party leader and as First Minister. She was succeeded by Edwin Poots as DUP leader on 28 May 2021.^[5] Foster left office as First Minister on 14 June 2021^[6] and was succeeded by Paul Givan as First Minister on 17 June 2021.^[7] She resigned from the Northern Ireland Assembly in October 2021 and became a presenter on GB News.

In May 2024, it was confirmed that Foster would be appointed chairperson of Intertrade UK, a new body to promote trade within the UK which was announced as part of the UK government package to restore devolution.^[8] She assumed the role on 19 September 2024.^[9]