Sir Jeffrey was first elected to the (1982-86) Northern Ireland Assembly in a by-election in 1985 aged 22. From 1983 to 1985 Jeffrey also served as Agent to the Rt Hon Enoch Powell MP.
In 1997 Sir Jeffrey was elected as the Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley and he has been re-elected at every subsequent election. He is Northern Ireland’s longest serving sitting MP.
In 2003 Sir Jeffrey was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly and represented Lagan Valley at Stormont until he stepped down in 2010. Whilst an Assembly Member Sir Jeffrey served as Chairman of the Assembly & Executive Review Committee and subsequently as a Junior Minister in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister with special responsibility for issues including children and young people, policy on older people and support for the victims of terrorism.
Sir Jeffrey has been
elected by the people of Lagan Valley seven times, most recently in
2019.
On Thursday 30th June 2021, Sir Jeffrey became Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party.