Brian Wilson (Northern Ireland politician)
Encyclopedia
Brian Wilson MLA is an Independent
politician in Northern Ireland
. He was the first member of the Green Party
to be elected as member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
.
Born in Bangor, County Down
, he attended Trinity Primary School and Bangor Grammar School
. A former civil servant in the Department of Education, he took studied part-time at the Open University
and in 1973 left the civil service to do a fulltime masters degree in Politics at the University of Strathclyde
.
On his return to Northern Ireland he lectured at Omagh Technical College in 1979 from where he transferred to the College of Business Studies as a lecturer in government and economics. He was a senior lecturer at BIFHE for 24- years.
In the 1970s he became a member of the Northern Ireland Labour Party and then joined the Alliance Party
in 1975. He was elected to North Down Borough Council
at the 1981 local elections
and was elected Mayor in 1993/1994. During this period, he unsuccessfully contested North Down in the 1982 Assembly Election.
In 1997 Wilson left the Alliance Party and was elected as an Independent
councillor for Bangor West in 2001
topping the poll for the fourth successive election with 1871 votes (1.6 quotas). In 2003 he again stood as an independent candidate for the Assembly increasing his share of the poll by 10% and finishing tenth out of 19 candidates on the first count.
In 2004 he joined the Green Party. The following year he became the first Green Party representative to be elected to public office in Northern Ireland when he again topped the poll in Bangor West.
Then in 2007 he won the first Green Party's seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly, winning a seat in the North Down
constituency on the 10th count, after increasing the Green vote from 730 to 2,839 first preferences.
He was a member of the Environment Committee and Privileges Committee in the Northern Ireland Assembly. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Rathmore Primary School and St. Columbanus College, former member of South Eastern Education and Library Board, former member of North Down District Policing Partnership. Wilson is also a member of Greenpeace
, RSPB and Friends of the Earth
.
In 2011 he retired from the Northern Ireland Assembly, Steven Agnew
stood in his place and retained the seat for Green Party.
Brian stood instead for Bangor West seat on North Down Council, as an Independent
standing against both his wife (Anne Wilson, Alliance Party
) and the Green Party candidate . Both Brian and his wife were elected as councillors. Brian received the highest number of first preference votes (1458) .
In 1979 he married Anne whom he met when studying in Scotland. They have two children Scott (born 1980) and Allan (born 1982) and two step children Roy and Caroline.
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
politician in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. He was the first member of the Green Party
Green Party in Northern Ireland
The Green Party in Northern Ireland is the Northern Ireland subdivision of the Irish Green Party, based on the principles of Green politics. It works in co-operation with Green parties across Europe, and was formerly a party in its own right...
to be elected as member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
.
Born in Bangor, County Down
Bangor, County Down
Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
, he attended Trinity Primary School and Bangor Grammar School
Bangor Grammar School
Bangor Grammar School , is an all-boys, voluntary grammar school situated in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1856 by the Conservative politician and Bangor man, Col The Hon. Robert Ward PC MP who lived at Castle Ward...
. A former civil servant in the Department of Education, he took studied part-time at the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
and in 1973 left the civil service to do a fulltime masters degree in Politics at the University of Strathclyde
University of Strathclyde
The University of Strathclyde , Glasgow, Scotland, is Glasgow's second university by age, founded in 1796, and receiving its Royal Charter in 1964 as the UK's first technological university...
.
On his return to Northern Ireland he lectured at Omagh Technical College in 1979 from where he transferred to the College of Business Studies as a lecturer in government and economics. He was a senior lecturer at BIFHE for 24- years.
In the 1970s he became a member of the Northern Ireland Labour Party and then joined the Alliance Party
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
in 1975. He was elected to North Down Borough Council
North Down Borough Council
North Down Borough Council is a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland with an overall population of around 80,000. Its main town is Bangor, 20 km east of Belfast with a population of approximately 55,000. The Council is headquartered in Bangor. Its secondary centre is the former Urban...
at the 1981 local elections
Northern Ireland local elections, 1981
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland in 1981.-Overall:-Belfast:...
and was elected Mayor in 1993/1994. During this period, he unsuccessfully contested North Down in the 1982 Assembly Election.
In 1997 Wilson left the Alliance Party and was elected as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
councillor for Bangor West in 2001
Northern Ireland local elections, 2001
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 7 June 2001 along with the 2001 general election across the entire United Kingdom.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
topping the poll for the fourth successive election with 1871 votes (1.6 quotas). In 2003 he again stood as an independent candidate for the Assembly increasing his share of the poll by 10% and finishing tenth out of 19 candidates on the first count.
In 2004 he joined the Green Party. The following year he became the first Green Party representative to be elected to public office in Northern Ireland when he again topped the poll in Bangor West.
Then in 2007 he won the first Green Party's seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly, winning a seat in the North Down
North Down (Assembly constituency)
North Down is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973...
constituency on the 10th count, after increasing the Green vote from 730 to 2,839 first preferences.
He was a member of the Environment Committee and Privileges Committee in the Northern Ireland Assembly. He is a member of the Board of Governors of Rathmore Primary School and St. Columbanus College, former member of South Eastern Education and Library Board, former member of North Down District Policing Partnership. Wilson is also a member of Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
, RSPB and Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth International is an international network of environmental organizations in 76 countries.FOEI is assisted by a small secretariat which provides support for the network and its agreed major campaigns...
.
In 2011 he retired from the Northern Ireland Assembly, Steven Agnew
Steven Agnew
Steven Agnew is the leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland. He was elected as an MLA to the Northern Ireland Assembly in May 2011....
stood in his place and retained the seat for Green Party.
Brian stood instead for Bangor West seat on North Down Council, as an Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
standing against both his wife (Anne Wilson, Alliance Party
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
) and the Green Party candidate . Both Brian and his wife were elected as councillors. Brian received the highest number of first preference votes (1458) .
In 1979 he married Anne whom he met when studying in Scotland. They have two children Scott (born 1980) and Allan (born 1982) and two step children Roy and Caroline.