Yet as with many Ulstermen and women of my generation, my 'childhood innocence' was shattered by the onset of the 'Troubles'. I remember vividly, almost as if it were yesterday the murder of my cousin Samuel Donaldson, an RUC constable. He was the first policeman to be blown up by the IRA in the 'Troubles'.

It was really the first time that the Troubles had come into our home and the awfulness of that moment stayed with me. Later, in 1985 Samuels brother Alex, an RUC man too, was amongst nine RUC Officers killed in a mortar attack on Newry station.It was in part due to these events that I became politically aware from an early age. At the age of 16 I followed in the family tradition by becoming a member of the Orange Order, for which I was an Assistant Grand Master for 3 years. Two years later I became involved in the 'Young Unionist' movement and went on to become Chairman of the Ulster Young Unionist Council in 1985. At that time I also followed in my father's footsteps and joined the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), a regiment comprised mainly of part-time soldiers within the British Army.

My involvement within the Ulster Unionist Party grew as I worked alongside two of the greatest names in Unionism this century. Between 1982 and 1984 I worked as Enoch Powell's constituency agent, successfully spearheading Mr. Powell's election campaigns of 1983 and 1986 when the seat was retained despite the fact the constituency contained an natural 'Nationalist' majority.

In 1985 I was elected aged 22 to the Northern Ireland Assembly, with the distinction of being the youngest person ever to win a seat at Stormont with a majority of some 15,000 votes. Throughout this period I also served as Personal Assistant to the then leader of the UUP, the Rt Hon James Molyneaux MP.

In 1988 I was elected Honorary Secretary of the Ulster Unionist Council and in 2000 I was elected Vice President of the Council. My responsibilities include overseeing the UUP Bureau in Washington DC. I have, therefore, been a regular visitor to the United States, often accompanying leaders James Molyneaux and his successor David Trimble on delegations that have included several meetings with former President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore.

I was a member of the Ulster Unionist negotiating team in the Northern Ireland constitutional talks from 1991 when I took part in the talks chaired by Secretary of State, Peter Brooke which continued in 1992 under the chairmanship of Sir Patrick Mayhew. In 1996, I topped the poll and was elected to represent the Lagan Valley constituency in the Northern Ireland Forum. As a Forum member I was Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Order issues and a key member of the UUP team at the constitutional talks at Stormont.

Following the retirement of Lord Molyneaux, I was selected as Ulster Unionist candidate for the former leader's Lagan Valley constituency which in the May 1997 election I won with a majority of 16,925. In 2001 I was re-elected to Parliament with an increased vote and an enhanced majority of 18,342.

When the Belfast Agreement was concluded on 10th April 1998, I decided to vote 'No' in the subsequent referendum. The reasons for my decision included opposition to such concessions as the early release of terrorist prisoners and the demise of the Royal Ulster Constabulary as well as the failure to deal adequately with the decommissioning of illegal terrorist weapons. I have continued to oppose the agreement and to campaign for fresh negotiations to enable the political parties to find a better agreement for Northern Ireland.

Whilst serving as Trade & Industry spokesman in Parliament for the Ulster Unionist Party I took a keen interest in the Economic Development of Northern Ireland. In my own Constituency I work closely with the Local Councils , the Industrial Development Board (now Invest Northern Ireland) and Local Enterprise Organisations to promote the growth of existing business as well as inward investment in order to enhance employment opportunities for local people. My Party is also very keen to support local companies to grow, develop and expand our export potential.

In addition I have been involved in leading a number of trade delegations to countries like the United States to promote Northern Ireland as an ideal centre for new companies to locate in the European market place.

Following the General Election in June 2001, I was given an expanded portfolio which in addition to Trade and Industry, included Defence as well as Work and Pensions. I have also been appointed to serve on two Select Committees in the House of Commons on Regulatory Reform and Statutory Instruments.

On 26th November 2003 I was elected to the N.I. Assembly on the first count to represent the Lagan Valley Constituency with a total first preference vote of 14,104. This was the highest vote cast for any candidate in Northern Ireland at the 2003 Assembly Elections. Despite my electoral success, David Trimble and his supporters orchestrated a move to have me expelled from the UUP if I did not support his failed policy which had been rejected by the Unionist electorate. In these circumstances, I felt there was no alternative but to take the only principled course of action available to me and so I tendered my resignation from the Party.

Upon joining the Democratic Unionists in January 2004, I was appointed as a Party Officer in the leadership team and took on the Education Portfolio at Westminster in addition to Defence. I am also a member of the DUP negotiating team which is participating in the negotiations under the Review of the Belfast Agreement. It is our avowed objective to secure a better agreement for the people of Northern Ireland that will deliver real peace and long term political stability. You can check out our proposals on the DUP website.

In March 2004 I was part of a DUP delegation that visited New York and Washington. I met with President Bush and senior U.S. Administration Officials, to discuss the negotiations in Northern Ireland and our efforts to secure a better agreement.