Alex Attwood

SDLP- West Belfast

A Belfast native, Alex Attwood attended St Malachy's College, Queen's University and Belfast Institute of Professional Legal Studies, graduating with an LLB. He qualified and worked as a solicitor in the city before devoting himself to full-time politics.

Alex first got involved in student politics at university, serving as Student President of the Students' Union 1982-83 overseeing a time of change and investment at the university.

Alex represented West Belfast on the Upper Falls council since 1985 and became leader of the SDLP Belfast City Council Group.

Appointed in 1997 by John Hume to the Dublin Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Alex is committed to an all-Ireland agenda. As a member of the SDLP Talks Team, he played a negotiating role on policing, human rights and justice issues.

Elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 1998, Alex is the SDLP spokesperson on policing and was appointed to the Northern Ireland Policing Board in September 2001 on which he served until 2007.

He currently sits on the Assembly OFMDFM committee, the Assembly Executive Review Committee and is the party's spokesman on North/South matters.

Profile based on information supplied by the party.