Michael O'Halloran (UK politician)
Encyclopedia
Michael Joseph O'Halloran (20 August 1933 - 29 November 1999) was a British
politician. He was brought up in County Clare
, and, finding no employment, he "drifted to London" in 1948, aged 15, and worked as a railwayman until he entered politics.
He was elected Labour Party
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Islington North
in a by-election in 1969
following the death of sitting MP Gerry Reynolds
. He was the subject of an investigation in the early 1970s by the Sunday Times newspaper. They highlighted his background with a local building company and the local Irish community and questioned the propriety of the tactics of his supporters during his selection as candidate. Regarding Northern Ireland
he was staunchly pro-Nationalist and anti-Partition .
O'Halloran was among the Labour MPs who defected to the new Social Democratic Party
(SDP) in 1981. However in 1983, the SDP chose John Grant
, the MP for Islington Central
(which was being abolished in boundary changes), to be its candidate in Islington North. O'Halloran left the SDP to stand as an independent Labour candidate in the 1983 general election
. The official Labour candidate Jeremy Corbyn
won while O'Halloran came in fourth with 11% of the vote. Grant came third with 22% of the vote.
He retired to County Wexford
with his wife, and lived there until his death at age 66.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician. He was brought up in County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, and, finding no employment, he "drifted to London" in 1948, aged 15, and worked as a railwayman until he entered politics.
He was elected Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
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,...
(MP) for Islington North
Islington North (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington North is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
in a by-election in 1969
Islington North by-election, 1969
The Islington North by-election, 1969 was a parliamentary by-election held on 30 October 1969 for the British House of Commons constituency of Islington North in Islington, North London....
following the death of sitting MP Gerry Reynolds
Gerry Reynolds (UK politician)
Gerald William Reynolds , known as Gerry Reynolds was a British Labour Party politician.Reynolds was elected as Member of Parliament for Islington North in a 1958 by-election following the death of the sitting MP Wilfred Fienburgh...
. He was the subject of an investigation in the early 1970s by the Sunday Times newspaper. They highlighted his background with a local building company and the local Irish community and questioned the propriety of the tactics of his supporters during his selection as candidate. Regarding 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 staunchly pro-Nationalist and anti-Partition .
O'Halloran was among the Labour MPs who defected to the new Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (UK)
The Social Democratic Party was a political party in the United Kingdom that was created on 26 March 1981 and existed until 1988. It was founded by four senior Labour Party 'moderates', dubbed the 'Gang of Four': Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams...
(SDP) in 1981. However in 1983, the SDP chose John Grant
John Grant (British politician)
John Douglas Grant was a British Member of Parliament from 1970 to 1983. He was as a member of the Labour until he left in 1981 to join the new Social Democratic Party . He represented Islington East from 1970 to 1974 and Islington Central from 1974-1983.Grant was born in Finsbury Park, North London...
, the MP for Islington Central
Islington Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Islington Central was a parliamentary constituency in the Islington district of Inner London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
(which was being abolished in boundary changes), to be its candidate in Islington North. O'Halloran left the SDP to stand as an independent Labour candidate in the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
. The official Labour candidate Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Islington North since 1983.-Early and personal life:...
won while O'Halloran came in fourth with 11% of the vote. Grant came third with 22% of the vote.
He retired to County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
with his wife, and lived there until his death at age 66.