Background
McLaughlin was born in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland and educated at Long Tower Boys School, Derry and Christian Brothers Technical College, Derry.
McLaughlin was born in the Bogside area of Derry, Northern Ireland and educated at Long Tower Boys School, Derry and Christian Brothers Technical College, Derry.
In March 2007, McLaughlin transferred to the South Antrim constituency where he topped the poll during the 2007 Assembly election. He was re-elected at the 2011 Assembly election. After it was revealed that a consultancy contract on a new accounting system extended to 10 times the original budget, McLaughlin said, "I am very, very angry and I am very concerned that there appears to be almost a sense of immunity at the senior civil service level when these basic mistakes are made." The party chairman came in for criticism in 2005 when he said the killing of Jean McConville – one of the Disappeared – was not a criminal acting
1st Northern Ireland Assembly. 2nd Northern Ireland Assembly. 3rd Northern Ireland Assembly.
4th Northern Ireland Assembly]
He was elected a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Foyle in the 1998 assembly election and re-elected in 2003.