Alex Easton is the independent MP for North Down, having first been elected to parliament at the 2024 general election.

In the 2024 general election, Easton won 20,913 votes, representing 48.3% of the vote. The Alliance Party candidate, Stephen Farry, received 13,608 votes (31.4%), while the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) candidate, Tim Collins, secured 6,754 votes (15.6%). Easton was duly elected with a majority of 7,305 votes.

Easton was endorsed by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party in the 2024 general election. The DUP and TUV therefore did not stand candidates against him.

The North Down constituency is located in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a historically unionist seat having been represented by MPs from rival unionist parties as well as independent unionist since 1950.

Easton’s immediate predecessor as the MP for North Down was Stephen Farry of the Alliance Party.

Political Career

Easton delivered his House of Commons maiden speech on 22 July 2024 in a debate on the economy, welfare and public services.

In it, he said that “the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is invaluable and should be cherished, as it enhances economic quality of life for all our people and communities across Northern Ireland.”

He added: “It is essential to note that the Northern Ireland protocol is fundamentally flawed. It creates a de facto border in the Irish sea, undermining the integrity of the UK by separating Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.

“This arrangement has led to increased bureaucracy, hurdles and trade barriers, disrupting economic stability and supply chains. Furthermore, it has caused political and social tensions in Northern Ireland, raising legitimate concerns among Unionists about their place in the United Kingdom.”

Before entering the parliament at Westminster, Easton served as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) from 2003 to 2024. He was a member of the DUP from 2000 to 2021. Easton stood as an independent candidate in the assembly election in North Down in 2022 and topped the poll with more than 9,500 votes.

Easton resigned from the DUP in July 2021, declaring that he was at the “end of his tether” and condemned senior DUP figures for having no “respect, discipline or decency”. The resignation came after Edwin Poots was ousted as DUP leader and succeeded by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

In a statement, Easton said: “It is with great sadness and hurt that I find myself doing one of the hardest things in my life and resigning from the Democratic Unionist Party.

“I have had to stand back and watch as colleagues tear themselves apart… there is no respect, discipline or decency I have just had enough.

“This is not something that I want to be a part of as a unionist and it is not Alex Easton. I am at the end of my tether with U-turns and reaction politics.”

Easton was also a member of North Down Borough Council from 2001 to 2014.

Easton previously stood as the DUP candidate for North Down in the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections.

Political views

Political identity and tradition

Mass deportation: In May 2025, Easton signed an early day motion (EDM) concerning the mass deportation of illegal migrants. The motion, tabled by the independent MP Rupert Lowe, expressed “grave concern at the continued presence of over one million illegal migrants in the United Kingdom”.

The EDM urged the government to “implement a comprehensive national strategy to identify, detain, and deport all individuals found to be residing in the United Kingdom illegally, and to ensure that such policies are backed by the necessary legislative, diplomatic, logistical and financial resources to restore confidence in the rule of law and the security of our borders.”

Lucy Connolly EDM: In May 2025, Easton joined a small, cross-party group of MPs in signing a parliamentary motion expressing concern over the imprisonment of Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for inciting racial hatred in a social media post following the knife attacks in Southport. Connolly posted online calling for “mass deportation now”, adding “set fire to all the… hotels [housing asylum seekers]… for all I care”.

The EDM, tabled by Lowe, stated that Connolly was a young mother convicted of a non-violent offence during a period of “unprecedented overcrowding” in the prison system.

Assisted dying

Easton voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, better known as the assisted dying bill, at both second reading (November 2024) and third reading (June 2025).

In a statement issued after the bill’s third reading, Easton said he was “profoundly disappointed” by the outcome of the vote.

He added: “This is not just a political or legal decision – it represents a fundamental shift in how we value life, protect the vulnerable, and approach end-of-life care.

“Despite the emotional appeals surrounding the bill, I firmly believe it is the wrong direction for our society. We should be focused on delivering far superior, accessible, and compassionate palliative care, not legalising assisted dying.

“This bill risks sending a damaging message to those who are elderly, isolated, or living with psychological distress – that their lives are somehow less worthy of support and protection.”

Social values and conscience issues

Abortion decriminalisation (2025): Easton voted against a backbench amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill that sought to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales in June 2025. The amendment, which was passed by a majority of 242 votes, removed women from the threat of prosecution for ending a pregnancy at any stage. As an issue of conscience, MPs were allowed to vote according to their personal beliefs.

Before Politics

Born on 19 May 1969 in Bangor, Northern Ireland, Easton attended Gransha Boys High School and Bangor Technical College.

Before his election to North Down Borough Council in 2001, he worked as a clerical officer. He held positions in the accident and emergency departments of Newtownards Hospital and subsequently the Ulster Hospital.

Personal Life

Easton was born in Bangor. His father was of South African descent.

He is a member of the Orange Order and the Church of Ireland.

Easton’s parents died in a house fire at their Bangor home in January 2023.

In his 2024 maiden speech, Easton told the House: “My mum and dad were killed in a fire at their home in Bangor last year, and it caused a lot of heartache for me. I want to say that my dad believed in me. After four attempts to get to Westminster, I finally succeeded. Dad, I hope I made you proud.

“When you have everything taken away from you like that, it makes you realise just how important your family are. It makes you see everything that you have taken for granted throughout your life, such as the health service, which has always been there for us.”

Trivia

In August 2025, Easton summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, raising more than £30,000 for a Food Bank and Mental Health charity.