James Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead

James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC ( born August 27, 1920 in Killead, County Antrim ) is a Northern Irish Unionist, politician and served as Chairman (Leader ) of the Ulster Unionist Party 1979 until 1995. He was a leading member and former Vice-President ( Vice - President ) of the Conservative Monday Club. He is a member of the Orange Order and was from 1971 to 1995 Sovereign Grand Master of the Royal Black Institution.

Life and career

Molyneaux was in Killead, born in County Antrim and visited the nearby Aldergrove School before serving in the Royal Air Force from 1941 to 1946. He took part in the liberation of the concentration camp Bergen- Belsen and has since appeared on several occasions interviews about what he had seen there.

As a child, he attended briefly a local Catholic elementary school and to have stated there, the Catholic Church had made ​​a mistake with the abandonment of the Tridentine Mass. Was as a Catholic church near his house burned down by loyalist arsonists in the late 1990s, Molyneaux helped to collect money to rebuild. During the 1960s and 1970s he was a member of the Antrim County Council ( 1964-1973 ) and in a number of committees for local health care.

Membership in the House of Commons

In 1970 he was elected for the constituency of South Antrim to the House of Commons. In October 1974 Molyneaux Chairman (Leader ) of the Ulster Unionists was in the House of Commons from 1982 to 1986 he sat as a member of the Ulster Unionists in the South Antrim constituency of the failed Northern Ireland Assembly. He was a member of the Privy Council in 1983. After a clean slate of constituencies, with South Antrim was divided, he was in 1983 a member for Lagan Valley. In 1985, he resigned from his seat with his Unionist colleagues in the House in protest against the Anglo-Irish Agreement back, but was re-elected in the following election.

Molyneaux was generally seen as a member of the integrative tendency within the Ulster Unionism, he was responsible for direct management of Westminster with some extension of the local jurisdiction, in contrast to the preference for devolution for a new parliamentary assembly in Northern Ireland. This preference was attributed to the influence of Enoch Powell. Critics in his party saw Molyneaux as chairman, who do nothing and inappropriate defensive was against the Conservative Party. This meant that he was surprised by the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, overshadowed by Ian Paisley.

The defenders of Molyneaux argue that his main goal was the unity of the party and as the UUP was so divided, only could a minimalist policy they hold together. The correctness of this view was found by the dissolution of the party under David Trimble.

During the 1980s he was active as a Member of Parliament and Vice- President of the Conservative Monday Club. In whose newspaper, Right Ahead in the output of the Conservative Party Conference in October 1985 Molyneaux contributed a lengthy article titled Northern Ireland - Ulster belongs to Britain NOT to the Irish Republic at. In 1995, he was challenged by the party presidency of a 21- year-old student and even though he won with ease, a high percentage of protest votes was present. After the poor performance of the Ulster Unionists in the North Down by-election in 1995, Molyneaux was after the renewed push for his resignation.

From 1995 to 1997 he was UUP spokesman for the Treasury. In the general election in 1997, he did not appear again.

Membership in the House of Lords

Molyneaux was appointed Life peer as Baron Molyneaux of Killead, of Killead in the County of Antrim on 10 June 1997. In the House of Lords he sits as a cross Bencher. His inaugural address was delivered on 3 July 1997.

As subjects of political interest he calls on the website of the House of Lords Constitutional Affairs. mental health and local government.

He was spokesman for Northern Ireland. On several occasions during his retirement he expressed himself in the public critical of his successor as chairman, David Trimble, leaning from the Good Friday Agreement.

2003 supported Molyneaux half of the members of the Ulster Unionists, including David Burnside, Jeffrey Donaldson and Martin Smyth, as these leaked from the faction in protest against the leadership by Trimble and the continued support of the agreement.

In the general election in 2005 caused Molyneaux stir when he and Smyth prefer the candidate of the Democratic Unionist Party, Jimmy Spratt said the Ulster Unionist Party, Michael McGimpsey in South Belfast constituency. This had previously represented Smyth. Molyneaux also supported his successor Donaldson as Member for Lagan Valley, although this was converted to the DUP. However, he also supported some UUP candidates, including Burnside in South Antrim. When choosing Donaldson held his seat for his new party with a large majority, while Spratt received more votes than McGimpsey, but just by Alasdair McDonnell ( SDLP ) was beaten. Many suggest that the support of Molyneaux and Smith had a negative impact on the result of the UUP. However, Burnside lost his seat

  • Session of April 1, 2001 to March 31, 2002: 115 days
  • Session of April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2003: 154 days
  • Session of April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004: 162 days
  • Session of April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2005: 151 days
  • Session of April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006: 115 days
  • Session of April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2007: 140 days
  • Session 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008: 143 days
  • Session 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009: 97 days
  • Session 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010: 2 days
  • Session of April 1, 2010 to June 30, 2010: 0 days
  • Session 1 July 2010 to 30 September 2010: 0 days
  • Session 1 October 2010 to 31 December 2010: 0 days
  • Session 1 January 2011 to 31 March 2011: 0 days
  • April 2011: 0 days
  • May 2011: 0 days
  • June 2011: 0 days
  • July 2011: 0 days
  • August 2011: 0 days
  • September 2011: 0 days
  • October 2011: 0 days
  • November 2011: 0 days
  • December 2011: 0 days
  • January 2012: 0 days
  • February 2012: 0 days
  • April 2012: 0 days
  • May 2012: 0 days
  • June 2012: 0 days

Molyneaux was in the period since 2001, first in regular attendance, his presence finally dropped but strong. Most recently, he was present at the session of 2009/2010 in two days. Since 25 June 2012, he is on leave of absence granted by the House of Lords Leave of Absence.

More offices

Molyneaux was 1954-1970 Honorary Secretary ( Hon. Secretary ) of the South Antrim Unionist Association. From 1971 to 1974 he was Chairman ( Chair ) of the Unionist Association in Antrim. From 1974 to 1977 Molyneaux was Chairman (Leader ) of the United Ulster Unionist Coalition.

From 1974 to 1979 he was Vice President of UUP Council. From 1966 to 1973 he was Deputy Chairman ( Vice-Chairman ) of the Eastern Special Care Hospital Committee. He was 1967-1970 President ( Chairman ) of the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health in Antrim. He was also from 1957 to 1986 Justice of the Peace of Co Antrim.

Honors

After his resignation as party chairman in 1996, he was appointed Knight of the Order of the British Empire.

Family

Molyneaux is not married.

United Kingdom general election, 1997 United Kingdom general election, 2005 Social Democratic and Labour Party Hansard
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