Arlene Foster - Place of Birth, Date of Birth, Age, Wiki, Facts, Net Worth, Birthday, Biography and Family
Arlene Foster, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Family, Facts, Age, Net Worth, Biography and More in FamedBorn.com
About Arlene Foster
- Arlene Isabel Foster MLA PC (née Kelly; born 3 July 1970) is a Northern Irish politician serving as Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party since 2015.
- She has been the Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone since 2003.
- Foster served in the Northern Ireland Executive as Minister of the Environment from 2007 until 2008, Minister for Enterprise and Investment from 2008 until 2015 and Minister for Finance and Personnel from 2015 until 2016.
- In January 2016, Foster became First Minister of Northern Ireland and shared power with Martin McGuinness. McGuinness resigned as deputy First Minister in January 2017 amid the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal, which involved a green energy scheme that Foster set up during her time as Minister for Enterprise and Investment.
- The scheme was set to cost the taxpayer £490 million and there were allegations of corruption surrounding the scheme.
- McGuinness asked Foster to step aside as First Minister while her involvement in the scheme was investigated, but she refused to step aside or resign and said that the voices calling for her resignation were those of misogynists and male chauvinists.
- Under the terms of the Northern Ireland power-sharing agreement known as the Good Friday Agreement, the First and deputy First Ministers are equal and, therefore, Foster could not remain in her post as First Minister.
- McGuinness's resignation caused a snap election to be held.
