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Carla Lockhart

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Carla Lockhart
MP
Official portrait, 2024
Member of Parliament
for Upper Bann
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 December 2019
Preceded byDavid Simpson
Majority7,406 (15.6%)
Member of the Legislative Assembly
for Upper Bann
In office
5 May 2016 – 13 December 2019
Preceded byStephen Moutray
Succeeded byDiane Dodds
Member of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
In office
22 May 2014 – 5 May 2016
Preceded byCouncil established
Succeeded byTerry McWilliams
ConstituencyLurgan
Mayor of Craigavon
In office
2012–2013
Preceded byAlan Carson
Succeeded byMark Baxter
Member of
Craigavon Borough Council
In office
2007 – 22 May 2014
Preceded byFergie Dawson
Succeeded byCouncil abolished
ConstituencyLurgan
Personal details
BornCarla Rebecca Lockhart
(1985-02-28) 28 February 1985 (age 41)
Aughnacloy, Northern Ireland[1]
PartyDemocratic Unionist Party
SpouseRodney Condell
Children1
EducationUlster University (BSc)

Carla Rebecca Lockhart (born 28 February 1985) is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Upper Bann since the 2019 general election. She currently serves as the DUP spokesperson for environment, food and rural affairs.[2][3][4] She was previously a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Upper Bann from 2016 to 2019.[5]

Early life and career

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Carla Rebecca Lockhart[6] was born to Kenneth and Valerie Lockhart in Aughnacloy, County Tyrone, as part of a working-class family. She attended Aughnacloy High School, before attending Armagh Tech (now part of Southern Regional College) and then obtaining a business degree from the University of Ulster. Interested in politics from a young age, she was a member of the DUP's Young Democrats in her youth.

Political career

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Lockhart was elected to Craigavon Borough Council in 2007, representing the Lurgan area. She was Mayor of Craigavon from 2012 to 2013, and stepped down in 2016 to run for the Assembly elections. Lockhart was President of the Local Government Association of Northern Ireland from 2015 to 2016.[3]

She worked full-time in the Lurgan DUP Advice Centre under Stephen Moutray, whilst working as a councillor.[7] Lockhart was elected as an MLA for Upper Bann in 2016.[3]

On 8 November 2019, Lockhart announced her candidacy for the Upper Bann Westminster constituency at the 2019 general election.[8] On 13 December, Lockhart won the seat in Westminster, succeeding the retiring MP David Simpson, and stepped down from her seat as MLA for Upper Bann.[2][9][10][11]

Lockhart is a governor at Lurgan Junior High School and Magheralin Primary School.[3]

Despite previously stating during a 2017 interview that having no functioning Northern Ireland Executive was one of the biggest problems facing the citizens of Northern Ireland,[7] in November 2022 Lockhart defended the DUP's collapse of the same institutions by claiming the party had a democratic mandate to do so.[12]

In December 2022, Lockhart, Miriam Cates and Rosie Duffield signed a cross-party letter asking the British Government to block the Scottish Government's Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.[13]

Lockhart retained her seat, with a decreased majority of 7,406 votes, at the 2024 general election.[14][15] Despite a reduced majority, she increased her share of the vote to 45.7%, being the only DUP MP to do so.[16][17]

Lockhart did not attend the first meeting of the new parliament in July 2024. She instead attended a planning committee meeting of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council, where she spoke against plans to include Irish language on street signs in Portadown. Claiming to speak on behalf of residents and Orange lodges, Lockhart said the plans were meant to "whip up tension", to "mark territory", and to "cleanse this area of Protestantism".[18]

In April 2025, Lockhart called for Kneecap to be denied entry to the US and Canada ahead of their US-Canada tour after allegations of the rap trio calling for the death of British MPs and shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" in previous gigs.[19]

Lockhart tabled a motion in parliament in February 2026, calling for a law banning the "glorification" of convicted terrorists. This was in response to tributes that had been paid to a recently-deceased IRA member.[20]

In April 2026, Lockhart called for Marks & Spencer to reintroduce Union Flag branded bags to their Northern Ireland stores.[21]

Lockhart condemned the Public Health Agency in June 2026 for publishing harm reduction advice for anyone taking drugs at festivals. Lockhart called for the advice to be taken down, saying "There is no safe way to take illegal drugs". The PHA defended its advice, saying it is "derived from evidence-based harm-reduction guidance".[22]

Scarva and Drumcree marches

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In the long-running Drumcree dispute, Lockhart has supported attempts by the Protestant Orange Order to march through the mainly-Catholic part of Portadown, which is in her constituency. The residents oppose the march.[23]

On 6 June 2026, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) held a sponsored walk from Lurgan to Newry for humanitarian aid to Gaza. Lockhart supported Unionist residents who sought to block it from the village of Scarva, calling it an unwanted "republican march" that would cause disruption, disorder, and harm community relations.[24] The Parades Commission allowed the procession to go along a towpath, but banned it from entering the village and imposed other restrictions. It also allowed a counter-protest.[25]She issued a joint statement with other DUP representatives, saying:

"Residents are entitled to go about their daily lives without unnecessary disruption from what is widely viewed as a deliberately provocative parade which serves no legitimate purpose within the area. We strongly impressed upon the Commission that the protection of community relations and public order must come before facilitating a deeply divisive demonstration".[25]

Lockhart was criticised for standing alongside a crowd of masked men at the counter-protest in Scarva. The IPSC, local politicians and the media variously reported that counter-protesters waved Israeli flags and shouted sectarian, racist, misogynistic and other abuse at the walkers.[26][27][28][29] At the time, Lockhart had thanked the pro-Israeli protesters "for their dignified actions".[30] Her party defended her, and she refused to apologise, saying "I stood with my people" to prevent tensions escalating and helped to avert "an absolute bloodbath".[31]

Lockhart and the Portadown Orangemen argued that, because the IPSC walk was allowed to go ahead despite unionist opposition, the Orange Order should also be allowed to march on Garvaghy Road.[32]

In July 2026, Lockhart's conduct at Scarva was raised during a High Court judicial review of the Parades Commission's decision to ban the Orange Order parade from Garvaghy Road in Portadown. Lockhart had written to the Parades Commission in support of the Orangemen's position. On 3 July, Mr Justice McAlinden questioned the weight that should be placed on her representations in light of her appearance alongside masked counter-protesters at Scarva, saying that her conduct had the potential to "devalue her intervention" and caused him concern about "placing too much weight" on her correspondence.[33] John Larkin KC told the court on Lockhart's behalf that she condemned masked persons and criminality and that she had been specifically asked by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to attend the Scarva protest.[33] The following day, a PSNI spokesperson said that Lockhart had not been asked to attend the protest, nor had any elected representatives. Lockhart accused The Irish News of "selective reporting".[34]

The High Court overturned the Parades Commission's ban, and the Orange Order applied for another march on Garvaghy Road. Lockhart said the ruling was a "massive victory for unionism and loyalism" and called for the Commission to resign.[35] She supported the Orangemen in their renewed bid to march on Garvaghy Road, saying that the Catholic residents and Irish nationalist politicians who opposed the march "need to emotionally regulate". Lockhart said that their rights would no longer be "elevated" above those of the Orange Order.[36]

Following this, the Parades Commission approved the Orange march on Garvaghy Road, for the first time in 28 years. Thousands of residents stood on the road to block the march. Police said that removing at least "1,000 people from the Garvaghy Road, including women, children and older people, would have required such a significant use of force that public safety would have been significantly jeopardised, people seriously hurt and disorder inevitable".[37] Lockhart called the thousands of protesters "an absolute rabble"; she demanded police enforce the law and clear the road for the Orangemen.[38]

Personal life

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Lockhart is a member of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster.[7] She is married to Rodney Condell, a quantity surveyor.[39] In 2019, she gave birth to her first child.[40]

References

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  1. ↑ "The borough's youngest-ever Mayor going up political ladder". Portadown Times. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Upper Bann parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Lockhart, Carla Rebecca, (born 28 Feb. 1985), MP (DemU) Upper Bann, since 2019". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u287531. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 1 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  4. ↑ "Carla Lockhart MP". DUP. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "Upper Bann: DUP's Carla Lockhart tops the poll". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "No. 8702". The Belfast Gazette. 22 July 2024. p. 62.
  7. 1 2 3 McNeilly, Claire (29 May 2017). "I've miscarried twice, the pain was horrendous and never leaves you... If it's God's plan, I'd still like to have children". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  8. ↑ "Carla Lockhart selected for Upper Bann". Facebook. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "Upper Bann: DUP's Carla Lockhart eases to victory against John O'Dowd". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "Upper Bann: Carla Lockhart will 'lean on' predecessor MP David Simpson". The Irish News. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  11. ↑ McClements, Freya. "Upper Bann: Carla Lockhart increases DUP lead in her first Westminster win". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
  12. ↑ "Focus should be on replacing Protocol says Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart". Farming Life. 9 November 2022.
  13. ↑ Elliards, Xander (28 December 2022). "Unionist politicians divided on Scottish gender reform amid independence concerns". The National. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "General election results 2024 - BBC News - Upper Bann". BBC News. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  15. ↑ "Election result for Upper Bann (Constituency)". UK Parliament. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  16. ↑ "DUP's Carla Lockhart increases vote despite Upper Bann boundary changes". Irish Times. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  17. ↑ "Upper Bann General Election 2024 results in full as Carla Lockhart holds her seat". Belfast Live. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2025.
  18. ↑ "DUP MP absent on first day of new parliament while objecting to Irish language street signs at council". The Irish News. 13 July 2024.
  19. ↑ "Belfast band apologises to families of Sir David Amess and Jo Cox". BBC News. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 1 May 2025.
  20. ↑ "DUP MP Carla Lockhart tables motion to prohibit glorification of terrorists after Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDondald lauds Brendan 'Bik' McFarlane". Belfast Newsletter. 26 February 2026.
  21. ↑ McCarthy, James Martin (15 April 2026). "MP hits out at M&S after complaints lead to removal of Union Flag bags from NI". Belfast Live. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "'Evidence-based': PHA hits back at MP's criticism of festival advice on drug use". Belfast Telegraph. 2 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "DUP MP Carla Lockhart describes Orange Order Drumcree parade application as 'forward-thinking'". The Irish News. 24 July 2024.
  24. ↑ "Parades Commission clears Palestine march to pass through Scarva despite unionist objections". The Irish News. 29 May 2026.
  25. 1 2 "Pro-Palestine march given go-ahead but banned from entering Scarva". Armagh I. 29 May 2026.
  26. ↑ "MP 'stood with the community' says DUP leader after Lockhart comes under fire". BBC News. 8 June 2026.
  27. ↑ Pepper, Diarmuid (7 June 2026). "Politicians in the North criticise DUP MP for appearing alongside masked men at Co Down protest". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 7 June 2026.
  28. ↑ "PSNI defend Scarva operation as DUP MLA accuses officers of being 'determined to start a riot'". The Irish News. 8 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "What happened at Scarva as MP under pressure after 'masked men' photograph". Belfast Live. 8 June 2026.
  30. ↑ "Pro-Palestinian march and counter protest pass off without incident but Unionists blast policing in Scarva". Armagh I. 6 June 2026.
  31. ↑ "DUP MP says she helped avert 'absolute bloodbath' in Scarva as party colleague claims police were 'determined to start a riot'". Belfast Telegraph. 8 June 2026.
  32. ↑ "Drumcree Orangemen accuse Parades Commission of hypocrisy for granting Palestine march through Scarva despite objections". Belfast Telegraph. 20 June 2026.
  33. 1 2 Young, Connla (21 July 2026). "High Court judge raises 'concerns' over Carla Lockhart appearance with masked men at Scarva". The Irish News. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  34. ↑ Young, Connla (22 July 2026). "Police contradict court claim by Carla Lockhart that she attended masked men protest at the request of the PSNI". The Irish News. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "High Court quashes decision to restrict annual Drumcree parade". BBC News. 25 August 2026.
  36. ↑ "Drumcree: MP says nationalists need to 'emotionally regulate' over Garvaghy Rd dispute - and accept a balance of rights". Belfast News Letter. 5 September 2026.
  37. ↑ "Removing Garvaghy Road protesters 'jeopardised' public safety, PSNI officer says". Belfast Telegraph. 28 September 2026.
  38. ↑ Pogatchnik, Shawn (27 September 2026). "Northern Ireland standoff puts peace and power-sharing at risk". Politico.
  39. ↑ "Profile". mydup.com. Archived from the original on 16 June 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  40. ↑ "Carla Lockhart gives birth to baby Charlie after dash from election count". Belfast News Letter. 5 May 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
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