Ruth Patterson (born October 1955) is a former Northern Irish unionist politician who was deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast between 2006 and 2007, then 2011 to 2012.
Commenting on the signatories of the Agreement in 1999, she said: “May god forgive them, for I won’t … and neither will the children of Ulster.”[6] [7] Patterson was the campaign manager for successful DUP candidates, Peter Robinson and Nigel Dodds, at the 2001 general election.
[9] On 28 September 2002, during a street party in Cluan Place, East Belfast, she and Peter Robinson blocked a road that residents had requested to be closed, but had been turned down by the police.
[10] At the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election, she was the unsuccessful running mate to Mark Robinson in South Belfast, polling 2,538 first-preference votes (8.1%).
She notably refused to shake the hand of the Sinn Fein Lord Mayor, Niall Ó Donnghaile, nor respond to his congratulations.
She was interrupted by Sinn Féin's group leader, Jim McVeigh, who questioned the deputy Lord Mayor chairing the meeting, Christopher Stalford, as to whether Patterson was allowed to wear the scarf.
Stalford responded to McVeigh, telling him to stop acting like a "petulant child", and accused him of turning the meeting into a "circus".
[34] The DUP had chosen to resign from the executive in September 2015, after alleged IRA involvement in the murder of ex-member, Kevin McGuigan.
[35][36][37] Additionally, she was vocal about her opposition to Emma Pengelly's selection to replace Jimmy Spratt as South Belfast MLA.
More worryingly for me, it is well known that a man named in Parliament as a senior member of the Provisional IRA...” She was told by the Lord Mayor Nuala McAllister to withdraw her remarks, though continued her speech by saying:“It is absolutely hypocritical to ask unionist members of this Council to support any club linked with a high-ranking republican terrorist.”[50] Consequently, SDLP councillor Tim Attwood sent a complaint to the Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner for Standards.
In a statement, the commissioner's office said that Patterson's actions were a "deliberate act which caused offence to the players and members" of Crumlin Star FC.
After examining the evidence the commissioner decided that Alderman Patterson's conduct at the meeting brought her position as a councillor, and the council into disrepute."
Patterson’s decision to join the party contrasts with her support for same-sex marriage, as well as extending the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland, both of which TUV are vehemently opposed to.