Arlene Foster

**Dame Arlene Isabel Foster** MLA PC (; born 17 July 1970) is a Northern Irish politician. She was the First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2020 until 2021, having also served this role from 2016 to 2017. She also was the leader of the largest Northern Irish political party, the Democratic Unionist Party, from 2015 until 2021. She was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, representing Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 2003 until 2021. She strongly supports Northern Ireland staying in the United Kingdom and is a member of the Protestant Church of Ireland.

On 28 April 2021, after more than 20 DUP MLAs and four DUP MPs signed a letter "...voicing no confidence in her leadership", Foster announced that she would resign as party leader on 28 May 2021 and as First Minister and MLA in June 2021.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific prefix**: The Right Honourable Dame
- **name**: Arlene Foster
- **image**: Official Portrait of Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee crop 2.jpg
- **caption**: Foster in 2024
- **office**: First Minister of Northern Ireland
- **alongside**: Michelle O'Neill
- **term start**: 11 January 2020
- **term end**: 14 June 2021
- **alongside1**: Martin McGuinness
- **predecessor**: Herself (2017)
- **successor**: Paul Givan
- **predecessor1**: Peter Robinson (Northern Ireland politician), Peter Robinson
- **successor1**: Herself (2020)
- **term start1**: 11 January 2016
- **term end1**: 9 January 2017
- **office2**: Democratic Unionist Party#Party leader, Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party
- **predecessor2**: Peter Robinson (Northern Ireland politician), Peter Robinson
- **successor2**: Edwin Poots
- **term start2**: 17 December 2015
- **term end2**: 28 May 2021
- **deputy2**: Nigel Dodds, The Lord Dodds of Duncairn
- **footnotes**: Foster served as Acting FM from 11 January 2010 to 3 February 2010 and from 10 September 2015 to 20 October 2015 while Robinson was on leave.
- **office3**: Department of Finance and Personnel, Minister for Finance and Personnel
- **predecessor3**: Simon Hamilton
- **party**: Democratic Unionist Party
- **otherparty**: Independent politician, Independent
 Ulster Unionist Party
- **successor3**: Mervyn Storey
- **term start3**: 11 May 2015
- **term end3**: 12 January 2016
- **birth name**: Arlene Isabel Kelly
- **birth place**: Enniskillen, Northern Ireland
- **spouse**: Brian Foster
- **children**: 3
- **nationality**: British
- **alma mater**: Queen's University Belfast
- **office4**: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment
- **term start4**: 9 June 2008
- **term end4**: 11 May 2015
- **predecessor4**: Nigel Dodds
- **successor4**: Jonathan Bell (politician), Jonathan Bell
- **office5**: Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland), Minister for the Environment
- **term start5**: 8 May 2007
- **term end5**: 9 June 2008
- **predecessor5**: Dermot Nesbitt
- **successor5**: Sammy Wilson (politician), Sammy Wilson
- **office6**: Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland), Member of the Legislative Assembly
- **term start6**: 26 November 2003
- **term end6**: 6 October 2021
- **predecessor6**: Joan Carson
- **successor6**: Deborah Erskine