John Carson (Northern Ireland politician)

For other people with the same name, see John Carson (disambiguation).

John Carson
Member of
Belfast City Council
In office
15 May 1985 – 21 May 1997
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byDanny Lavery
ConstituencyCastle
In office
30 May 1973 – 15 May 1985
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
ConstituencyBelfast Area H
Member of Parliament
for North Belfast
In office
28 February 1974 – 3 May 1979
Preceded byStratton Mills
Succeeded byJohn McQuade
Personal details
Born31 July 1933
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Political partyUlster Unionist

John Carson CBE (born 31 July 1933)[1] is a former Northern Irish businessman and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician.

Career

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.[2] At the February 1974 general election, he was elected as a member of the United Ulster Unionist Coalition as the Member of Parliament for Belfast North. At the October 1974 general election, Carson was re-elected with a substantial increase in his majority.[citation needed]

However, he was de-selected in 1979, after voting in favour of the Labour government in the crucial vote of confidence, which they lost.[3] In that year's general election, Belfast North was gained by Johnny McQuade of the Democratic Unionist Party, with Cecil Walker coming second for the UUP.[4]

Despite this, Carson retained his popularity, topping the local government poll in the electoral area 'H',[2] which included over half of the parliamentary seat. He also topped the poll in North Belfast at the 1982 Assembly elections.[3]

Carson was twice Lord Mayor of Belfast first 1980-81 and second from 1985 to 1986, 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.[5] For this, he was threatened with expulsion from the UUP, which never happened.[5]

Carson remained a member of Belfast City Council until 1997, when he lost his seat after 24 consecutive years on the council.[2][6][7]

Personal life

Carson married Martha in 1953 and had two daughters. They celebrated their Diamond Anniversary in 2013.[8]

References

  1. ^ "John Carson". api.parliament.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Local Government Elections 1973 - 1981: Belfast". ark.ac.uk.
  3. ^ a b "North Belfast 1973-82". ark.ac.uk.
  4. ^ "North Belfast 1973-82". www.ark.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b Feargal Cochrane (1997). Unionist Politics and the Politics of Unionism Since the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Cork University Press. p. 186. ISBN 978-1-85918-138-6.
  6. ^ "Belfast City Council, 1993 - 2011". ark.ac.uk.
  7. ^ "Local Government Elections 1985-1989: Belfast". ark.ac.uk.
  8. ^ Amanda Ferguson (3 October 2013). "Former Lord Mayor's diamond day". Belfast Telegraph.

Sources

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Belfast North
February 1974–1979 		Succeeded by
Northern Ireland Assembly (1982)
New assembly MPA for North Belfast
1982–1986 		Assembly abolished
Civic offices
Preceded by
John Allen
 High Sheriff of Belfast
1978–1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Mayor of Belfast
1980 - 81 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Mayor of Belfast
1985 - 86 		Succeeded by


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