William Craig (Northern Ireland politician)
William Craig | |
---|---|
Leader of the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party | |
In office February 1972 – February 1978 | |
Member of Parliament for Belfast East | |
In office 28 February 1974 – 7 April 1979 | |
Preceded by | Stanley McMaster |
Succeeded by | Peter Robinson |
Personal details | |
Born | Cookstown, Northern Ireland | 2 December 1924
Died | 25 April 2011 Bangor, Northern Ireland | (aged 86)
Nationality | British |
Political party | Ulster Unionist (pre 1972; from 1978) Ulster Vanguard (1972 - 1978) |
Spouse |
Doris Hilgendorff (m. 1960) |
Children | 2 |
Queen's University, Belfast | |
Profession | Solicitor |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch/service | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1943–1945 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
William "Bill" Craig (2 December 1924 – 25 April 2011) was a Northern Irish politician best known for forming the Unionist Vanguard movement.
Biography
Early life
From
After serving in the Royal Air Force (as a Lancaster bomber rear gunner) during World War II, he became a solicitor.
Politics
He was active in the
On 11 December 1968, O'Neill dismissed Craig when he suspected Craig was a supporter of Ulster nationalism. Craig began to build a power base for himself within unionism, becoming head of the Ulster Loyalist Association. The UUP withdrew the whip from him in May 1970; Craig then began to make plans to form his own political party. The Ulster Vanguard movement was formed on 9 February 1972 under Craig's leadership (the Deputy Leaders were the Reverend Martin Smyth and Captain Austin Ardill).
Ulster Vanguard advocated a semi-independent Northern Ireland. Vanguard held a large rally on 18 March 1972 in Belfast's Ormeau Park at which Craig said "We must build up the dossiers on the men and women who are a menace to this country, because one day, ladies and gentlemen, if the politicians fail, it may be our job to liquidate the enemy".[3] Vanguard also staged a two-day strike in protest at the prorogation of the Stormont Parliament.
In April 1972, Vanguard issued a policy statement "
The Vanguard Unionists under Craig formed part of the United Ulster Unionist Council which opposed the power-sharing Sunningdale Agreement. Craig was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly created under the Sunningdale Agreement, and he won a seat in the UK Parliament at the February 1974 general election for East Belfast. However, in the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in the mid-1970s, Craig broke with the majority of his party to support voluntary power-sharing with the Social Democratic and Labour Party. The Vanguard Unionists fell apart, with one section forming the United Ulster Unionist Party. Craig led the remains of Vanguard in rejoining the Ulster Unionist Party in 1978, but lost his seat at the 1979 general election.
Craig subsequently broke with the Ulster Unionists once more. When elections were held for the new Northern Ireland Assembly in 1982, Craig revived the name Vanguard for his candidacy in East Belfast. However, he failed to be elected. That marked the effective end of Craig's political career.
After a long period away from public life, he died on 25 April 2011. He had suffered a stroke the previous month.
References
- ^ "Members of Parliament for Belfast, East" Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Peter Robinson official website
- ^ "Biographies of all Members of Parliament in the Northern Ireland House of Commons" Archived 26 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Election Demon
- ^ "Tartan Gangs and the 'Hidden History' of the Northern Ireland Conflict". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ William Craig, Ulster Unionist, dies at 86 Archived 14 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine by Ben Quinn. The Guardian, 26 April 2011