I currently live in Gilnahirk on the fringes of Strangford constituency, am married and have two teenage boys.

I was born in Belfast and attended Campbell College, before studying English Literature at Jesus College Cambridge with the novelist Nick Hornby.

I returned to Belfast in 1979 to take a post-graduate course at the Business School at Queen's University and at the same time began my career as a broadcast journalist with BBC Northern Ireland. I presented Radio Ulster's flagship news and current affairs programme, Good Morning Ulster, before taking a break from the media to be Managing Director of Anderson Kenny Public Relations.

In 1990, UTV asked me to help launch UTV Live, which went on to become the most popular regional television news service in the UK. For over a decade.

In 2008 I was appointed to the Victims' Commission and I worked tirelessly to make a positive difference in the day-to-day lives of those I represented. This is something I aim to do in serving Strangford and its constituents.