Diane was brought up on a small family farm outside Rathfriland.

Educated at Annaclone Primary School and then Banbridge Academy, Diane graduated in History and English from Queen's University, where she joined the Democratic Unionist Party

She qualified as a teacher from Stranmillis College, taking up a teaching post at Laurelhill High School in Lisburn where she taught History and English as well as pupils with learning difficulties.

In 1998 Diane began working in the North Belfast constituency, developing the DUP constituency service to three offices dealing with 17,000 constituency cases.

In the 2003 Assembly election Diane became the first Unionist to win a seat in West Belfast for over 20 years. Diane was elected to Belfast City Council in 2005 with the highest individual vote of any candidate across Northern Ireland.

Diane was elected as DUP MEP for Northern Ireland in June 2009, topping the Unionist poll on first preference votes. She has succesfully negogiated full membership of the EU Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and also representation on the EU Fisheries Committee.

• Elected Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for West Belfast in November 2003
• Married to Nigel Dodds MP for North Belfast
• After graduating from Queens University taught history at Laurelhill High School
• Runs a very successful constituency office helping people from the Greater Shankill and West Belfast with a wide variety of everyday issues
• Is an able and articulate advocate of the unionist cause and is passionate about building thriving and confident unionist communities throughout the Greater Shankill and West Belfast
• Diane Dodds believes that the regeneration of the Greater Shankill community will require a commitment from Government for the provision of new family housing and is dedicated to campaigning for this target
• Diane Dodds recognises the importance of educational excellence and is already working with professionals and government in a determined effort to promote educational opportunity for all.