Brian Ervine | |
|---|---|
 Ervine in 2011 | |
| Leader of the Progressive Unionist Party | |
| In office 16 October 2010 – 2 June 2011 | |
| Deputy | Nigel Gardiner |
| Preceded by | Dawn Purvis John Kyle (Interim) |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Smyth (Interim) Billy Hutchinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1951 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Progressive Unionist Party |
Brian Ervine (born October 1951, Belfast) is a Northern Irish playwright, songwriter, teacher and former Ulster loyalist politician, based in Belfast. The Northern Irish playwright St John Ervine (1883–1971) was a distant relative. As a politician, he served as leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) from 2010 to 2011, having succeeded Dawn Purvis.[1] Ervine's wife, Linda, serves as the Irish Language Officer at Turas, an Irish-language programme notable for its location in east Belfast.