Jonathan Stephenson

Jonathan Stephenson was an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland who was the chairman of the Social Democratic and Labour Party from 1995 to 1998, and a Belfast City Councillor for Castle from 1993 until 1997. He also served as a member of the Northern Ireland Forum between 1996 and 1998.

Early life and education

Stephenson was born in England and educated at boarding schools in England, including Winchester College. His father was the senior British diplomat Hugh Southern Stephenson, while his grandfather was the former head of the Indian Civil Service in Bengal, Hugh Lansdown Stephenson.
Stephenson later moved to Northern Ireland to study History and Politics at Queen's University Belfast.

Career

In 1979, Stephenson began working for the Trades Union Congress in their press office in London. He left the TUC in 1988 and returned to Northern Ireland. He joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party in the 1980s, and would become its first official press officer.
Stephenson was elected to Belfast City Council at the 1993 Northern Ireland local elections, representing the SDLP in the Castle area. He also became Deputy Chairperson of the SDLP.
In 1995, he became the party's Chairperson, serving until 1998. At the Northern Ireland Forum election in 1996, he did not stand in a constituency, but was elected as one of two regional list candidates for the SDLP, but he lost his council seat in 1997.

Personal life

Stephenson was a self-described "British-born, English protestant."
Stephenson died on 21 December 2011.
In 2025 Stephenson's daughter Patricia Stephenson was elected to Seanad Éireann in the Republic of Ireland.