John Carson (politician)
Encyclopedia
John Carson is a former Northern Ireland
Ulster Unionist Party
politician.
A draper who owned a shop in the interface area
of the Duncairn Gardens in north Belfast
, Carson was elected to Belfast City Council
in 1973
. The following year he was elected as a member of the United Ulster Unionist Coalition as Member of Parliament
for Belfast North
from 1974. However he was de-selected in 1979 after voting in favour of the Labour government in the crucial vote of confidence which they lost.
Despite this, he retained his popularity, topping the local government poll in the electoral area 'H' which included over half of the parliamentary seat. He also topped the poll in North Belfast at the 1982 Assembly elections.
Carson was Lord Mayor of Belfast from 1985–6 and in his capacity as a councillor was sometimes at odds with his party colleagues. For example, he attended a City Hall lunch attended by the then Secretary of State Tom King
despite the Unionist policy of boycotting meetings with Government ministers in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement
. For this he was threatened with expulsion from the UUP, which never happened.
He remained a member of Belfast City Council until 1997
when he lost his seat after 24 consecutive years on the council.
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...
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...
politician.
A draper who owned a shop in the interface area
Interface area
Interface area is the name given to areas where segregated nationalist and unionist residential areas meet in Northern Ireland. They have been defined as "the intersection of segregated and polarised working class residential zones, in areas with a strong link betweenterritory and ethno-political...
of the Duncairn Gardens in north 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...
, Carson was elected to Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
in 1973
Northern Ireland local elections, 1973
Local government in Northern Ireland was reorganised in 1973 by the Local Government Act 1971 and the Local Government Act 1972...
. The following year he was elected as a member of the United Ulster Unionist Coalition as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Belfast North
Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast North is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created 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...
from 1974. However he was de-selected in 1979 after voting in favour of the Labour government in the crucial vote of confidence which they lost.
Despite this, he retained his popularity, topping the local government poll in the electoral area 'H' which included over half of the parliamentary seat. He also topped the poll in North Belfast at the 1982 Assembly elections.
Carson was Lord Mayor of Belfast from 1985–6 and in his capacity as a councillor was sometimes at odds with his party colleagues. For example, he attended a City Hall lunch attended by the then Secretary of State Tom King
Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater
Thomas Jeremy King, Baron King of Bridgwater, CH, PC , is a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet from 1983–92, and was the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Bridgwater in Somerset from 1970-2001...
despite the Unionist policy of boycotting meetings with Government ministers in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
. For this he was threatened with expulsion from the UUP, which never happened.
He remained a member of Belfast City Council until 1997
Northern Ireland local elections, 1997
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 21 May 1997, shortly after the 1997 general election across the entire United Kingdom.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
when he lost his seat after 24 consecutive years on the council.
Sources
- The Times Guide to the House of Commons, Times Newspapers LtdThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, October 1974