Brian Ervine

Brian Ervine
Ervine in 2011
Leader of the Progressive Unionist Party
In office
16 October 2010 – 2 June 2011
DeputyNigel Gardiner
Preceded byDawn Purvis
John Kyle (Interim)
Succeeded byHugh Smyth (Interim)
Billy Hutchinson
Personal details
BornOctober 1951 (age 74)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
PartyProgressive Unionist Party
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Brian Ervine (born October 1951) 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. Ervine's wife, Linda, serves as the Irish Language Officer at Turas, an Irish-language programme notable for its location in east Belfast.