Stephen Ronald Aiken OBE MLA is a Northern Irish politician, serving as the Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly since 2024.

Quick Facts Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Preceded by ...

Commander Steve Aiken OBE MLA
Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 February 2024 Serving with Carál Ní Chuilín and John Blair
Preceded by	Patsy McGlone
17th Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
In office 9 November 2019 – 27 May 2021
Preceded by	Robin Swann
Succeeded by	Doug Beattie
Ulster Unionist Party spokesperson for Finance
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 May 2021
Leader	Doug Beattie
Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Antrim
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 May 2016
Preceded by	Adrian Cochrane-Watson
Personal details
Born	Ballyclare, Northern Ireland
Political party	Ulster Unionist Party
Alma mater	Britannia Royal Naval College King's College London University of Cambridge
Profession	Royal Navy Commander, Submarine Warfare
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	Royal Navy
Years of service	1980–2011
Rank	Commander
Unit	Submarine Service

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A member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), he was party leader from 2019 to 2021, having previously served as Chief Whip from 2017 to 2019.

Aiken has been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for South Antrim since 2016.

This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (October 2023)

Aiken was born in South Antrim, attended Thompson Primary School, Ballyrobert, and then was educated at Belfast High School. He joined the Sea Cadets in 1982 based at HMS Caroline (1914), which remains in its original dock as a Museum Ship. During his naval career he undertook further study and holds a PhD and MPhil in International Relations from the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Cambridge, with his thesis research on India and its growing military power. He also has a MA in Defence Studies from the Department of Defence Studies at King's College London.^[1]

Aiken served for 32 years in the Royal Navy as a submariner, ultimately in many senior operational roles, including commanding two nuclear-powered submarines, being Joint Plans Officer for operations in the Middle-East in 2002-04 (for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)).^[2] At the end of his service in the Royal Navy, he became the founding CEO of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce, a post he held for three years during which time he lived in Dublin with his family.^[3][4]

When Robin Swann MLA announced his sudden resignation as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party in 2019, Aiken stood for the leadership.^[5][6] He was elected unopposed as leader in November 2019 and led the party through difficult periods addressing concerns about Brexit, the Protocol and pandemic.^[7] He promptly opted for the UUP to take the Ministry of Health Department, when no other party would take it, and appointed Mr Swann MLA as Minister.^[8] He announced his resignation as leader eighteen months later^[9] because he held a firm position that the Chief Constable needed to resign in 2021.^[10]

In October 2021 Aiken was reselected to be a UUP candidate for South Antrim in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election.^[11] He was reelected in the May 2022 poll and, despite the lack of a functioning Northern Ireland Assembly since February 2022, he continues to serve the people of South Antrim and remains the Party Spokesperson on the Northern Ireland Protocol and Finance, in addition to his private consulting business.^[12]