20 Facts About Anna Lo

Anna Manwah Lo, or Anna Lo Man-wah, was a Northern Irish politician of the Alliance Party.

Anna Lo was a Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast South from 2007 to 2016 and was a former president of the Alliance Party.

Anna Lo was the first parliamentarian of East Asian ethnicity to be elected to any parliament or national assembly in any part of the UK.

Anna Manwah Lo was born in North Point, British Hong Kong, to Hongkonger parents on 16 June 1950.

Anna Lo's parents were born in Mainland China and had moved to British Hong Kong in 1948, one year before the Chinese Civil War had ended.

Anna Lo attended Shau Kei Wan East Government Secondary School.

Anna Lo moved to Northern Ireland in 1974 after meeting journalist David Watson.

Anna Lo spent her early years in the country working for the BBC and the Royal Ulster Constabulary as an interpreter.

Anna Lo was the first and, to date, only ethnic-minority politician elected at a regional level in Northern Ireland and the first politician born in East Asia elected to any legislative body in the United Kingdom.

Anna Lo used this role to influence the Local Government Bill.

Anna Lo further improved the freedom of the press at the new Councils by ensuring that journalists and the public can use social media during meetings.

Anna Lo was selected as the Alliance Party's candidate for the Northern Ireland constituency in the 2014 European Parliament election.

Anna Lo received the highest percentage of votes in a European Parliament election for her party until that election.

Anna Lo described herself as anti-colonial and said the partition of Ireland was "artificial".

Anna Lo expressed her outrage at First Minister Peter Robinson's defence of Pastor James McConnell, who was accused of making Islamophobic remarks.

Anna Lo stated that she viewed the Democratic Unionist Party to be racist because of decisions such as those.

Anna Lo served from 1997 and was chair as of October 2019.

Anna Lo later married businessman Gavin Millar, getting engaged in June 2010 and separating in 2012.

Anna Lo helped launch Northern Ireland Humanists at an event in Stormont in 2016 and supported many of the charity's campaigns, including on abortion rights.

Anna Lo died of complications from NHL at the Belfast City Hospital on 6 November 2024, aged 74.