Mike Nesbitt

Michael Nesbitt, MLA (born 11 May 1957) is a Northern Irish politician and former broadcaster. He served as Minister of Health from 28 May 2024 until 18 August 2026. Nesbitt became Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) on 30 August 2024, following his successful candidacy in the 2024 leadership election, and left the position on 31 January 2026; he had previously served in that role from 2012 to 2017. He has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Strangford since 2011. Nesbitt was appointed as the Ulster Unionist Party's Economy spokesperson by Doug Beattie and was briefly the private secretary to the Health Minister, Robin Swann, in preparation for him succeeding Swann. Following Beattie's resignation as UUP leader on 19 August 2024, Nesbitt launched a successful campaign to succeed him. In January 2026, he announced his resignation as UUP leader for the second time, leading to another leadership contest.