Harry Diamond
Encyclopedia
Harry Diamond was a socialist and an Irish nationalist. He was the MP for Belfast Falls in the Parliament of Northern Ireland
, and later the leader of the Republican Labour Party
.
In 1927, Diamond was the main initiator and first chairman of O'Donnell's GAA.http://ulster.gaa.ie/antrim%20clubs/oDonnells.html He later became chairman of Antrim GAA
.http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/biographies.html
Diamond was an active nationalist before the Second World War and in 1933 was sentenced to a month in jail for refusing to pay a fine given out for addressing an illegal rally
in support of republican prisoners.http://web.archive.org/web/20091028150416/http://geocities.com/irelandscw/band-Kielty.htm The following year, he stood in the Belfast Central by-election
as an "Anti-Partition" candidate.http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/biographies.html
Diamond was first elected in the 1940s at a time when the Irish Labour Party was in government in the Republic of Ireland
. He left the Labour Party because of the (indirect) consequences of that government's travails over the Mother and Child Scheme
and the demand of the majority of Irish Labour members in Belfast
that the party should challenge the entrenched power of the Catholic Church in Ireland
. Diamond opposed these demands and left the party to fight a city council by-election against a Protestant Irish Labour Party supporter of reform. Diamond lost the byelection but viciously attacked the Labour Party for being in the grip of Communism
, thereby effectively destroying it as a political force.
In 1944, Diamond became a founder member of the Socialist Republican Party
. He took the Belfast Falls seat at the Northern Ireland general election, 1945. In 1949, no-one else contested the seat, and he remained the Socialist Republican Party's only MP, but the party disbanded that year. While most of its members joined the Irish Labour Party, Diamond held his seat, until 1964 as an independent
standing as "Republican Labour".
In 1964, Diamond joined with Gerry Fitt
to found the Republican Labour Party
. He stood for the Westminster constituency of Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)
in the October 1964 UK general election, but was defeated by James Kilfedder
. The campaign was disfigured by riot
s after Ian Paisley
attempted to lead a Unionist crowd up Divis Street to remove an Irish tricolour from the offices of Sinn Féin
, who were supporting the candidacy of Billy McMillen
. The riots galvanised the Unionist vote while the nationalist vote was split between Diamond and McMillen. Diamond alleged that the official Ulster Unionist Party
had colluded in this.http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/docs/boyd69.htm
Diamond saw a strong challenge to his position from the resurgent Northern Ireland Labour Party
(NILP) in the late 1960s, and was criticised for being inattentive to his constituents' needs. Paddy Devlin
of the NILP, a former supporter of the reformists in the Belfast branch of the Irish Labour Party, defeated him in the Northern Ireland general election, 1969
.
In 1970, Fitt left the Republican Labour Party to found the broader-based Social Democratic and Labour Party
. Paddy Kennedy assumed the leadership, but the party was in terminal decline and disbanded in 1973.
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...
, and later the leader of the Republican Labour Party
Republican Labour Party
The Republican Labour Party was a political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964, with two MPs at Stormont, Harry Diamond and Gerry Fitt...
.
In 1927, Diamond was the main initiator and first chairman of O'Donnell's GAA.http://ulster.gaa.ie/antrim%20clubs/oDonnells.html He later became chairman of Antrim GAA
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
.http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/biographies.html
Diamond was an active nationalist before the Second World War and in 1933 was sentenced to a month in jail for refusing to pay a fine given out for addressing an illegal rally
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
in support of republican prisoners.http://web.archive.org/web/20091028150416/http://geocities.com/irelandscw/band-Kielty.htm The following year, he stood in the Belfast Central by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
as an "Anti-Partition" candidate.http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/biographies.html
Diamond was first elected in the 1940s at a time when the Irish Labour Party was in government in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. He left the Labour Party because of the (indirect) consequences of that government's travails over the Mother and Child Scheme
Mother and Child Scheme
The Mother and Child Scheme was a healthcare programme in the Republic of Ireland that would later become remembered as a major political crisis involving primarily the Irish Government and Roman Catholic Church in the early 1950s....
and the demand of the majority of Irish Labour members in 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...
that the party should challenge the entrenched power of the Catholic Church in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Diamond opposed these demands and left the party to fight a city council by-election against a Protestant Irish Labour Party supporter of reform. Diamond lost the byelection but viciously attacked the Labour Party for being in the grip of Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, thereby effectively destroying it as a political force.
In 1944, Diamond became a founder member of the Socialist Republican Party
Socialist Republican Party (Ireland)
The Socialist Republican Party was an Irish republican political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1944 by a coalition of former Nationalist Party members, former Irish Republican Army members and Protestant trade unionists around Victor Halley, all based in West Belfast.The party...
. He took the Belfast Falls seat at the Northern Ireland general election, 1945. In 1949, no-one else contested the seat, and he remained the Socialist Republican Party's only MP, but the party disbanded that year. While most of its members joined the Irish Labour Party, Diamond held his seat, until 1964 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 as "Republican Labour".
In 1964, Diamond joined with Gerry Fitt
Gerry Fitt
Gerard Fitt, Baron Fitt was a politician in Northern Ireland. He was a founder and the first leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party , a social democratic and Irish nationalist party.-Early years:...
to found the Republican Labour Party
Republican Labour Party
The Republican Labour Party was a political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964, with two MPs at Stormont, Harry Diamond and Gerry Fitt...
. He stood for the Westminster constituency of Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was restored in 1922 when as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut...
in the October 1964 UK general election, but was defeated by James Kilfedder
James Kilfedder
Sir James Alexander Kilfedder was a Northern Ireland unionist politician.-Early life:...
. The campaign was disfigured by riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s after Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
attempted to lead a Unionist crowd up Divis Street to remove an Irish tricolour from the offices of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, who were supporting the candidacy of Billy McMillen
Billy McMillen
Billy McMillen was an Irish republican activist and an officer of the Official Irish Republican Army...
. The riots galvanised the Unionist vote while the nationalist vote was split between Diamond and McMillen. Diamond alleged that the official Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
had colluded in this.http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/docs/boyd69.htm
Diamond saw a strong challenge to his position from the resurgent 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) in the late 1960s, and was criticised for being inattentive to his constituents' needs. Paddy Devlin
Paddy Devlin
Paddy Devlin was a Northern Irish social democrat and Labour activist, a former Stormont MP, a founder of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and a member of the 1974 Power Sharing Executive.-Early life:...
of the NILP, a former supporter of the reformists in the Belfast branch of the Irish Labour Party, defeated him in the Northern Ireland general election, 1969
Northern Ireland general election, 1969
-References:*...
.
In 1970, Fitt left the Republican Labour Party to found the broader-based Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
. Paddy Kennedy assumed the leadership, but the party was in terminal decline and disbanded in 1973.