Reg Empey

The Right Honourable The Lord Empey OBE
Official portrait, 2024
First Minister of Northern Ireland
Acting
In office 1 July 2001 – 6 November 2001 Serving with Seamus Mallon
Appointed by	David Trimble
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	David Trimble
Succeeded by	David Trimble
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with unknown parameter "titlestyle" Party offices Chairman of the Ulster Unionist Party In office 1 April 2012 – 23 December 2019 Leader Mike Nesbitt Robin Swann Steve Aiken Preceded by David Campbell Succeeded by Danny Kennedy 13th Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party In office 24 June 2005 – 22 September 2010 Deputy Danny Kennedy Chairman David Campbell President The Lord Rogan John White Preceded by David Trimble Succeeded by Tom Elliott United Ulster Unionist Party 1977–1984 Deputy Leader Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party 1974–1975 Chairman
Ministerial offices Minister for Employment and Learning In office 8 May 2007 – 27 October 2010 Preceded by Carmel Hanna Succeeded by Danny Kennedy Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Investment In office 1 July 1998 – 14 October 2002 Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Nigel Dodds
Local government offices 46th and 50th Lord Mayor of Belfast In office 1 June 1993 – 1 June 1994 Deputy Hugh Smyth Preceded by Herbert Ditty Succeeded by Hugh Smyth In office 1 June 1989 – 1 June 1990 Deputy vacant Preceded by Nigel Dodds Succeeded by Fred Cobain 9th Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast In office 1 June 1988 – 1 June 1989 Lord Mayor Nigel Dodds Preceded by Dixie Gilmore (1987) Succeeded by Eric Smyth (1990) Member of Belfast City Council In office 17 May 1985 – 5 May 2011 Constituency Pottinger Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Niall Ó Donnghaile
Parliamentary offices Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal Incumbent Assumed office 19 January 2011 Life Peerage Member of the Legislative Assembly In office 25 June 1998 – 5 May 2011 Constituency Belfast East Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Michael Copeland Member of the Northern Ireland Forum In office 30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998 Constituency Belfast East Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Office abolished Member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention In office 1 May 1975 – 6 March 1976 Constituency Belfast East Preceded by Office established Succeeded by Office abolished
Personal details
Born	Reginald Norman Morgan Empey (1947-10-26) 26 October 1947 (age 77) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Political party	Ulster Unionist Party (Before 1973; 1984–2011; 2011-)
Other political affiliations	Ulster Vanguard (1973–1975) United Ulster Unionist Party (1975–1984) Conservatives (2011)
Spouse	Stella Empey (died 2023)
Children	2
Alma mater	Queen's University Belfast
Profession	Businessman

Reginald Norman Morgan Empey, Baron Empey, OBE (born 26 October 1947), best known as Reg Empey, is a Northern Irish politician who served as the acting First Minister of Northern Ireland in 2001. He was the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 2005 to 2010 and served as chairman of the party from 2012 to 2019. Empey was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for East Belfast from 1998 to 2011.