John Carson (Northern Ireland politician)
Northern Irish UUP politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Carson CBE (born 31 July 1933)[1] is a former Northern Irish businessman and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician.
John Carson | |
|---|---|
| Lord Mayor of Belfast | |
| In office 1980–1981 | |
| Preceded by | Billy Bell |
| Succeeded by | Grace Bannister |
| In office 1985–1986 | |
| Preceded by | Alfie Ferguson |
| Succeeded by | Sammy Wilson |
| Member of Belfast City Council | |
| In office 15 May 1985 – 21 May 1997 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Danny Lavery |
| Constituency | Castle |
| In office 30 May 1973 – 15 May 1985 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Constituency | Belfast Area H |
| Member of Parliament for North Belfast | |
| In office 28 February 1974 – 3 May 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Stratton Mills |
| Succeeded by | John McQuade |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 31, 1933 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Party | Ulster Unionist |
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]
Carson was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1981 Birthday Honours.[9]
