Sylvia Eileen, Lady Hermon (née Paisley; born 11 August 1955) is a retired Unionist politician from Northern Ireland.
On 25 March 2010, Lady Hermon announced her resignation from the Ulster Unionist Party, and had served since then as an Independent MP.
[7] She is a long-standing supporter of the Alzheimer's Research Trust and helped launch its Northern Ireland network centre.
[9] She was chosen as UUP candidate for the North Down constituency to contest the 2001 general election, and defeated the incumbent Robert McCartney of the UK Unionist Party by over 7,000 votes.
During the election she gained the support of the local branch of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, who withdrew their own candidate.
[12] Hermon was the only Ulster Unionist to be returned to Westminster in the 2005 general election and as a result figured in consideration for who would succeed David Trimble as party leader.
[13] Initially considered to be amongst the frontrunners, Hermon eventually declined the opportunity, feeling that she could not combine it with her responsibility of caring for her husband, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, and instead supported the unsuccessful bid of Alan McFarland.
She declared, in an unplanned announcement, during an interview in her constituency office, At the present time, I can't see myself standing under a Conservative banner ...
Although Hermon had previously been considered to be close to the Labour Party, she has said that she would not support the leader at the time, Jeremy Corbyn, in government.