William James Morgan
Encyclopedia
William James Morgan (17 July 1914 – 12 May 1999) was a Unionist
politician in Northern Ireland
.
A businessman by profession, he owned James Morgan & Sons, a transport contractors' business. He was president of the Irish Temperance Alliance and chairman of Oldpark YMCA
. He was elected to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
from the Belfast Oldpark
seat in 1949, and represented the constituency until his defeat by Labour
in 1958. He was then elected for Belfast Clifton
in a 1959 by-election, and served that constituency until being defeated in 1969.
He served as Assistant Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Finance
and Assistant Whip
from 1958 to 1961. This included five months while not holding a seat in Parliament, something which was permitted for a maximum of six months under the Government of Ireland Act 1920
. He entered the Cabinet and Privy Council of Northern Ireland
in 1961 as Minister of Health and Local Government and was appointed as Minister of Labour and National Insurance in 1964, and then Minister of Health and Social Services from 1965 to 1969, when he resigned. He was prevented by court order from referring to himself as the official Unionist candidate at the 1969 general election because of a violation of the rules at his selection meeting. He lost that election to the pro-O'Neill
and "unofficial" Unionist candidate, Lloyd Hall-Thompson
. He served as a member of the Senate
from 1969 until he resigned in 1970.
He contested South Antrim in the by-election of 1970, and was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Belfast North
from 1973 to 1974 as a "pledged" Ulster Unionist (i.e. pro-Sunningdale
), and then a member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
- this time as part of the United Ulster Unionist Coalition, having parted company with Brian Faulkner
and the pro-Sunningdale Unionists over the Council of Ireland
in May 1974 - from 1975 to 1976. He died on 12 May 1999.
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 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...
.
A businessman by profession, he owned James Morgan & Sons, a transport contractors' business. He was president of the Irish Temperance Alliance and chairman of Oldpark YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
. He was elected to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
House of Commons of Northern Ireland
The House of Commons of Northern Ireland was the lower house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. The upper house in the bicameral parliament was called the Senate. It was abolished with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act...
from the Belfast Oldpark
Belfast Oldpark (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Belfast Oldpark was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.-Boundaries:Belfast Oldpark was a borough constituency comprising part of northern Belfast...
seat in 1949, and represented the constituency until his defeat by Labour
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 1958. He was then elected for Belfast Clifton
Belfast Clifton (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Belfast Clifton was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.-Boundaries:Belfast Clifton was a borough constituency comprising part of northern Belfast...
in a 1959 by-election, and served that constituency until being defeated in 1969.
He served as Assistant Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Finance
Minister of Finance (Northern Ireland)
The Minister of Finance 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...
and Assistant Whip
Ulster Unionist Chief Whip
This is a list of people who served as Chief Whip of the Ulster Unionist Party in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Parliament of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Assembly.-Parliament of the United Kingdom:...
from 1958 to 1961. This included five months while not holding a seat in Parliament, something which was permitted for a maximum of six months under the Government of Ireland Act 1920
Government of Ireland Act 1920
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 was the Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which partitioned Ireland. The Act's long title was "An Act to provide for the better government of Ireland"; it is also known as the Fourth Home Rule Bill or as the Fourth Home Rule Act.The Act was intended...
. He entered the Cabinet and Privy Council of Northern Ireland
Privy Council of Northern Ireland
The Privy Council of Northern Ireland was a formal body of advisors to the sovereign and was a vehicle for the monarch's prerogative powers in Northern Ireland. It was modelled on the Privy Council of the United Kingdom....
in 1961 as Minister of Health and Local Government and was appointed as Minister of Labour and National Insurance in 1964, and then Minister of Health and Social Services from 1965 to 1969, when he resigned. He was prevented by court order from referring to himself as the official Unionist candidate at the 1969 general election because of a violation of the rules at his selection meeting. He lost that election to the pro-O'Neill
Terence O'Neill
Terence Marne O'Neill, Baron O'Neill of the Maine, PC was the fourth Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party...
and "unofficial" Unionist candidate, Lloyd Hall-Thompson
Lloyd Hall-Thompson
Robert Lloyd Hall-Thompson TD , known as Lloyd Hall-Thompson, was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Belfast, Hall-Thompson was the son of Samuel Hall-Thompson, and grandson of Rt. Hon. Robert Thompson MP. He studied at Campbell College in Belfast and joined the Ulster Unionist...
. He served as a member of the Senate
Senate of Northern Ireland
The Senate of Northern Ireland was the upper house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It was abolished with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973.-Powers:...
from 1969 until he resigned in 1970.
He contested South Antrim in the by-election of 1970, and was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly (1973)
The Northern Ireland Assembly was a legislative assembly set up by the Government of the United Kingdom on 3 May 1973 to restore devolved government to Northern Ireland with the power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive made up of unionists and nationalists....
for Belfast North
Belfast North (Assembly constituency)
Belfast North 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...
from 1973 to 1974 as a "pledged" Ulster Unionist (i.e. pro-Sunningdale
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 then a member of 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....
- this time as part of the United Ulster Unionist Coalition, having parted company with 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 the pro-Sunningdale Unionists over the Council of Ireland
Council of Ireland
The Council of Ireland may refer to one of two councils, one established in the 1920s, the other in the 1970s.-Council of Ireland :...
in May 1974 - from 1975 to 1976. He died on 12 May 1999.