David Bleakley
Encyclopedia
The Right Hon. David Bleakley, OBE
(born 11 January 1925) is a politician
in Northern Ireland
.
Born in the Strandtown
district of Belfast
, Bleakley worked as an electrician
in the Harland and Wolff
dockyards while becoming increasingly active in his trade union
. He studied economics at Ruskin College in Oxford
, where he struck up a friendship with C. S. Lewis
. He later attended Queen's University, Belfast. A committed Christian, he has been a lifelong Anglican - a member of the Church of Ireland
- and was for a time a teacher at Methodist College Belfast
. Throughout his life, he has involved himself as a lay preacher, in a casual context.
Bleakley joined the Northern Ireland Labour Party
(NILP) and contested the Northern Ireland Parliament
seat of Belfast Victoria
in 1949
and 1953
before finally winning it in 1958
. At Stormont
, he was made the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, but he lost his seat in 1965
.
Bleakley ran for the Westminster seat of Belfast East
in 1970, winning 40% of the vote. In 1971, Brian Faulkner
appointed him as his Minister of Community Relations, but as Bleakley was not an MP, he could only hold this post for six months. He resigned five days before his term expired in order to highlight his disagreement with government policy, specifically the failure to widen the government to include non-Unionist parties, and the decision to introduce internment without trial
.
After the Parliament was abolished, Bleakley stood for, and was elected to, the Northern Ireland Assembly
and its successor, the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
. He stood again for Belfast East in the February
and October UK general elections
, but won only 14% of the vote each time.
By the late 1970s, the NILP was in disarray, and did not stand a candidate for the 1979 European Assembly election
. Bleakley instead stood as an "Independent Community Candidate
", but took only 1.6% of the votes cast.
During the 1980s, Bleakley sat as a non-partisan member of various quangos, and in 1984 received an OBE. From 1980 to 1992 he was general secretary of the Irish Council of Churches. In 1992, he joined the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
and was an advisor to the group during the all-party talks. For the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum
election, he was a prominent member of the Democratic Partnership
list and stood in Belfast East
, but was not elected. In 1998, he joined the Labour Party of Northern Ireland
and stood in Belfast East
in the Assembly elections, receiving 369 first preference votes. The same year, he published C. S. Lewis, at Home in Ireland.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 11 January 1925) is a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
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...
.
Born in the Strandtown
Strandtown
Strandtown is a district of Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland.The author C.S. Lewis lived in the district as a child from 1905 to 1908, at a house called "Little Lea". He later moved to England and achieve fame with a wide range of fiction books, mostly notably The Chronicles of Narnia....
district of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Bleakley worked as an electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
in the Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
dockyards while becoming increasingly active in his trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
. He studied economics at Ruskin College in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, where he struck up a friendship with C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
. He later attended Queen's University, Belfast. A committed Christian, he has been a lifelong Anglican - a member of the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
- and was for a time a teacher at Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast
Methodist College Belfast , styled locally as Methody, is a voluntary grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland, one of eight Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, and is a member of the Independent Schools Council...
. Throughout his life, he has involved himself as a lay preacher, in a casual context.
Bleakley joined the Northern Ireland Labour Party
Northern Ireland Labour Party
The Northern Ireland Labour Party was an Irish political party which operated from 1924 until 1987.In 1913 the British Labour Party resolved to give the recently formed Irish Labour Party exclusive organising rights in Ireland...
(NILP) and contested the Northern Ireland Parliament
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
seat of Belfast Victoria
Belfast Victoria (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Belfast Victoria was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.-Boundaries:Belfast Victoria was a borough constituency comprising part of eastern Belfast...
in 1949
Northern Ireland general election, 1949
-References:*-See also:*MPs elected in the Northern Ireland general election, 1949...
and 1953
Northern Ireland general election, 1953
-References:*...
before finally winning it in 1958
Northern Ireland general election, 1958
-References:*-See also:*MPs elected in the Northern Ireland general election, 1958...
. At Stormont
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
, he was made the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, but he lost his seat in 1965
Northern Ireland general election, 1965
-Seats summary:-References:*...
.
Bleakley ran for the Westminster seat of Belfast East
Belfast East (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast East is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Naomi Long of the Alliance Party, elected in 2010...
in 1970, winning 40% of the vote. In 1971, Brian Faulkner
Brian Faulkner
Arthur Brian Deane Faulkner, Baron Faulkner of Downpatrick, PC was the sixth and last Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from March 1971 until his resignation in March 1972...
appointed him as his Minister of Community Relations, but as Bleakley was not an MP, he could only hold this post for six months. He resigned five days before his term expired in order to highlight his disagreement with government policy, specifically the failure to widen the government to include non-Unionist parties, and the decision to introduce internment without trial
Operation Demetrius
Operation Demetrius began in Northern Ireland on the morning of Monday 9 August 1971. Operation Demetrius was launched by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary and involved arresting and interning people accused of being paramilitary members...
.
After the Parliament was abolished, Bleakley stood for, and was elected to, the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973
-Seats summary:-Source:* http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fa73.htm...
and its successor, the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention was an elected body set up in 1975 by the UK Labour government of Harold Wilson as an attempt to deal with constitutional issues surrounding the status of Northern Ireland....
. He stood again for Belfast East in the February
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
and October UK general elections
United Kingdom general election, October 1974
The United Kingdom general election of October 1974 took place on 10 October 1974 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. It was the second general election of that year and resulted in the Labour Party led by Harold Wilson, winning by a tiny majority of 3 seats.The election of...
, but won only 14% of the vote each time.
By the late 1970s, the NILP was in disarray, and did not stand a candidate for the 1979 European Assembly election
European Assembly election, 1979 (UK)
The European Assembly Election, 1979, was the first European election to be held in the United Kingdom after the European Community decided to directly elect representatives to the European Parliament. It was held on 7 June. Elections were also held in eight other EC states. European elections...
. Bleakley instead stood as an "Independent Community Candidate
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...
", but took only 1.6% of the votes cast.
During the 1980s, Bleakley sat as a non-partisan member of various quangos, and in 1984 received an OBE. From 1980 to 1992 he was general secretary of the Irish Council of Churches. In 1992, he joined the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
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 was an advisor to the group during the all-party talks. For the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum
Northern Ireland Forum
The Northern Ireland Forum was a body set up in 1996 as part of a process of negotiations that eventually led to the Belfast Agreement in 1998....
election, he was a prominent member of the Democratic Partnership
Democratic Partnership
Democratic Partnership was an electoral coalition in Northern Ireland.Democratic Partnership was founded for the Northern Ireland Forum election of 1996 by the Peace People group, independent peace activists and a number of people from the labour movement, including former Northern Ireland Labour...
list and stood in Belfast East
Belfast East (Assembly constituency)
Belfast East 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...
, but was not elected. In 1998, he joined the Labour Party of Northern Ireland
Labour Party of Northern Ireland
The Labour Party of Northern Ireland is a political party in Northern Ireland, formed in 1985 by a group around Paddy Devlin, a former Social Democratic and Labour Party councillor and Northern Ireland Assembly member, and Billy Blease, a member of the British House of Lords.-Progress:In 1987, the...
and stood in Belfast East
Belfast East (Assembly constituency)
Belfast East 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...
in the Assembly elections, receiving 369 first preference votes. The same year, he published C. S. Lewis, at Home in Ireland.