Ben Caraher
John Bernard Caraher (1 January 1938 – 21 November 2018),[1] known as Ben Caraher, was a politician in Northern Ireland.
Caraher grew up in
Irish nationalist New Ireland Society, although he saw himself principally as a supporter of the British Labour Party. He then became a founder member of the National Democratic Party (NDP).[2]
Caraher became a teacher of English and politics, working in a Belfast grammar school.[2][3] The NDP became part of the new Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and Caraher immediately became one of its main political theorists.[4] He was part of the team which drafted the party's constitution, organised the Belfast section of the party, and was elected as its first vice-chairman.[3]
Caraher stood unsuccessfully for the SDLP on numerous occasions: in
the South Belfast Parliament constituency at the February and October 1974 general elections; in the 1975 Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention election in the equivalent Assembly seat; in Belfast Area C at the 1981 Northern Ireland local elections; and finally at the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election. It was in 1982 that he came closest to winning a seat, taking fourth place, but narrowly missing out on transfers.[5][6]
At the 1985 Northern Ireland local elections, Caraher acted as election agent for Dorita Field, who stood unsuccessfully in the Balmoral area.[7]
References
- ^ Hanna, Eamon (3 December 2018). "Ben Caraher: leading strategist and policy formulator with the SDLP". The Irish Times. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ a b Fionnuala O'Connor, In Search of a State, p.56
- ^ a b The Times Guide to the House of Commons: February 1974, p.53
- ^ Jorg Neuheiser and Stefan Wolff, Peace at Last?
- ^ "South Belfast 1973-1984", Northern Ireland Elections
- ^ "The Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Belfast", Northern Ireland Elections
- ^ Fortnight, #206-231, p.27