Roy Bradford
Encyclopedia
Roy Hamilton Bradford was a Unionist
politician
in Northern Ireland
and a government minister
in both the Parliament of Northern Ireland
and the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973.
Born in Ligoniel, Bradford studied at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
and Trinity College Dublin. He then worked in British Army
intelligence before moving to London
, where he worked for the BBC
and ITV
. In 1960, he published a novel, Excelsior.
At the Northern Ireland general election, 1965
, Bradford was elected for the Ulster Unionist Party
(UUP) in Belfast Victoria
, defeating David Bleakley
MP of the Northern Ireland Labour Party
. In 1966, he was appointed Assistant Whip, then in 1968, Chief Whip. From 1969, he was the Minister of Commerce
, then from 1971 to 1972, Minister of Development
.
At the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973
, Bradford was elected in Belfast East
. He sided in favour of the Sunningdale Agreement
and remained loyal to Brian Faulkner
, and was Minister in charge of the Department of the Environment until June 1974. He stood unsuccessfully in North Down
at the February 1974 UK general election. He followed Brian Faulkner
into the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
after the collapse of the power-sharing executive, but in June, he returned to the UUP. He was not elected to the 1975 Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
.
In 1982, Bradford completed a second novel, Last Ditch, and in 1989, he was elected to North Down Borough Council
where he joined his wife Hazel in the UUP group. He worked as a journalist
, writing an influential weekly column in the Belfast News Letter and also served as a councillor and Mayor of North Down.
His papers were deposited in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). Roy and Hazel Bradford's son, Conor, is a presenter on Good Morning Ulster
for BBC Northern Ireland
.
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
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...
and a government minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
in both the Parliament of Northern Ireland
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 the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973.
Born in Ligoniel, Bradford studied at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
and Trinity College Dublin. He then worked in British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
intelligence before moving to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he worked for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. In 1960, he published a novel, Excelsior.
At the Northern Ireland general election, 1965
Northern Ireland general election, 1965
-Seats summary:-References:*...
, Bradford was elected for the 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...
(UUP) in 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...
, defeating David Bleakley
David Bleakley
The Right Hon. David Bleakley, OBE 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...
MP of 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...
. In 1966, he was appointed Assistant Whip, then in 1968, Chief Whip. From 1969, he was the Minister of Commerce
Minister of Commerce (Northern Ireland)
The Minister of Commerce was a member of the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland in the Parliament of Northern Ireland which governed Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1972. The post was combined with that of the Minister of Agriculture until 1925...
, then from 1971 to 1972, Minister of Development
Minister of Development (Northern Ireland)
Minister of Development was a Cabinet ministry in the Parliament of Northern Ireland which governed Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1972. The position was established in 1965 to mirror the United Kingdom Department of the Environment.-References:*...
.
At the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973
-Seats summary:-Source:* http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fa73.htm...
, Bradford was elected 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...
. He sided in favour of the Sunningdale Agreement
Sunningdale Agreement
The Sunningdale Agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland. The Agreement was signed at the Civil Service College in Sunningdale Park located in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on 9 December 1973.Unionist opposition, violence and...
and remained loyal to 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...
, and was Minister in charge of the Department of the Environment until June 1974. He stood unsuccessfully in North Down
North Down (UK Parliament constituency)
North Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Sylvia Hermon, elected as an Independent in the 2010 General Election. -Boundaries:The county constituency was first created in 1885 from the northern part of Down...
at the February 1974 UK general election. He followed 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...
into the Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
The Unionist Party of Northern Ireland was a political party founded by Brian Faulkner in September 1974.-Formation:The party emerged following splits in the Ulster Unionist Party in 1973 and 1974 over the British government's white paper Northern Ireland Constitutional Proposals, the Northern...
after the collapse of the power-sharing executive, but in June, he returned to the UUP. He was not elected to the 1975 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....
.
In 1982, Bradford completed a second novel, Last Ditch, and in 1989, 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...
where he joined his wife Hazel in the UUP group. He worked as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, writing an influential weekly column in the Belfast News Letter and also served as a councillor and Mayor of North Down.
His papers were deposited in the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI). Roy and Hazel Bradford's son, Conor, is a presenter on Good Morning Ulster
Good Morning Ulster
Good Morning Ulster is a flagship Northern Irish radio news programme broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster.The programme is presented by Wendy Austin, Conor Bradford and Mark Carruthers, airing each weekday between 6:30am & 9am....
for BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
.