Alderman Samuel Gardiner MBE JP MLA (born 24 March 1940) is a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland for the Ulster Unionist Party who is an MLA for Upper BannGardiner was elected to Lurgan Borough Council (now Craigavon Borough Council) in 1963 and held office of Mayor in that borough in 1968. He was Mayor of Craigavon 1982/3, 1988/9 and 2000/1.He was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum and was party whip in the same in 1996-1998.Gardiner was elected to the Assembly in 2003.