Brian Ervine
| Brian Ervine | |
|---|---|
| Ervine in 2011 | |
| Leader of the Progressive Unionist Party | |
| In office 16 October 2010 – 2 June 2011 | |
| Deputy | Nigel Gardiner | 
| Preceded by | Dawn Purvis John Kyle (Interim) | 
| Succeeded by | Hugh Smyth (Interim) Billy Hutchinson | 
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 1951 (age 73) Belfast, Northern Ireland | 
| Political party | Progressive Unionist Party | 
Brian Ervine (born October 1951, Belfast) is a Northern Irish playwright, songwriter, teacher and former Ulster loyalist politician, based in Belfast. The Northern Irish playwright St John Ervine (1883–1971) was a distant relative. As a politician, he served as leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) from 2010 to 2011, having succeeded Dawn Purvis. Ervine's wife, Linda, serves as the Irish Language Officer at Turas, an Irish-language programme notable for its location in east Belfast.