John Mitchel McLaughlin (born 29 October 1945) is an Irish Sinn Féin former politician who served as Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly from 2015 to 2016, becoming the first Nationalist speaker of the Assembly. McLaughlin was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for South Antrim from 2007 to 2016. He was previously an MLA for Foyle from 1998 to 2003.

Background

McLaughlin was born in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland and educated at Long Tower Boys School, Derry and Christian Brothers Technical College, Derry. He was elected a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Foyle in the 1998 assembly election and re-elected in 2003. In March 2007, McLaughlin transferred to the South Antrim constituency where he topped the poll during the 2007 Assembly election. He was re-elected at the 2011 Assembly election. After it was revealed that a consultancy contract on a new accounting system extended to 10 times the original budget, McLaughlin said, "I am very, very angry and I am very concerned that there appears to be almost a sense of immunity at the senior civil service level when these basic mistakes are made." The party chairman came in for criticism in 2005 when he said the kidnapping and killing of Jean McConville – one of the Disappeared – was not a criminal act. He is married and has three sons.