Tragedy inspired career politician’s climb to top

WITH a holiday home in Florida and a sprawling property in east Belfast, Peter Robinson, 61, enjoys the rewards of a life lived in the political spotlight.

In 1971, he was one of the founder members of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). The death of a school friend, Harry Beggs, killed that year in an IRA bombing at Northern Ireland Electricity headquarters, spurred the young Mr Robinson to enter politics.

He won the East Belfast parliamentary seat in 1979, turning over an Ulster Unionist majority of 17,000. He became DUP deputy leader a year later and was the youngest MP in Britain when he entered Parliament aged 30.