Jim Wells (born 27 April 1957) is a Northern Irish unionist politician who was Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety from 2014 to 2015.

[4] Wells had the party whip withdrawn in May 2018 after he criticised the leadership in the media for reneging on a promise to reinstate him as a minister.

On the same day, he endorsed South Down TUV candidate Harold McKee over his former party's nominee Diane Forsythe.

[9] Along with his DUP colleagues, Nelson McCausland and Gregory Campbell, he lobbied for creationism to be included in the Giant's Causeway Exhibition Centre.

In 2013 some 40% of DUP activists believe that creationism should be taught in science classes, a Belfast Telegraph survey found.

[14] Many political commentators and critics had claimed that the gaffe prone MLA would not be offered the role in the near future because of the importance of implementing health reform known as "Transforming your Care".

[citation needed] It was widely believed that the then Health Minister Edwin Poots was seen by his party as a safer pair of hands to handle the review.

However, in an unexpected turn of events, the DUP leader Peter Robinson dismissed Edwin Poots and appointed Wells to the Health role in September 2014.

On 24 April 2015, the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that they had received a complaint and officers were making enquiries.

[23][24] On 25 April 2015, it was alleged that Wells, who was doing door-to-door canvassing, called at a lesbian couple's house and during a conversation was critical of their lifestyle.

[26][27] In August 2016 a woman was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail after pleading guilty to making false statements to police about Wells, including that she had been present at the Rathfriland incident.

[31] On Monday 9 April he appeared on Talkback and criticised the DUP leadership, press office and special advisors.

[35] Furthermore, with the whip still removed, Wells resigned from the DUP on 12 April 2022 and announced that he would be supporting the Traditional Unionist Voice's Harold McKee for his old seat.