Alan McFarland
Alan McFarland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly forNorth Down | |
| In office 25 June 1998 – 2011 | |
| Preceded by | New Creation |
| Succeeded by | Gordon Dunne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 August 1949 Plumbridge,Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Independent Unionist(from 2010) |
| Other political affiliations | Ulster Unionist Party(until 2010) |
MajorRobert Alan McFarland(born 9 August 1949 inPlumbridge,County Tyrone[1]) is a former Northern Irish unionist politician who was aMember of the Legislative Assembly(MLA) forNorth Downfrom1998to2011.
Formerly a member of theUlster Unionist Party(UUP), McFarland resigned from the party in 2010, following the agreed pact between the UUP and theConservative Partyahead of thegeneral election that year.
Background[edit]
He attendedRockport SchoolnearHolywoodandCampbell Collegein eastBelfast.After a short career in banking he was admitted to theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurstand was commissioned into theRoyal Tank Regimentin 1974. He is also a member ofMensa.[citation needed]
He retired from theArmyin 1992 with the rank ofmajorand became a Parliamentary Assistant toJames MolyneauxMP and the Rev.Martin SmythMP.
Political career[edit]
In 1995, he was selected by the Ulster Unionists to contest theNorth Down by-electionover the favourite for the nomination,Sir Reg Empey,but was beaten in the election byRobert McCartney.He was again beaten by McCartney in the1997 general election,but by a narrower margin.
In 1996, he was elected to theNorthern Ireland Forum for Political Dialoguefor North Down and was involved in the talks process that resulted in theBelfast Agreementof 1998. He was one of three UUP members returned to the Assembly for North Down in thefirst elections to the body in 1998and he retained his seat in theNovember 2003 electionandMarch 2007 election.
He was, until reconstitution in 2006, one of the UUP representatives on theNorthern Ireland Policing Board.
Following the resignation ofDavid Trimbleas UUP leader in 2005 he stood as a candidate in thecontest to succeed himand was narrowly beaten by SirReg Empey.[2]Sir Reg appointed McFarland as the party's chief negotiator following the election, in which role McFarland served through the period before restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland.
In 2007, following the restoration of devolution the details of a row between McFarland and Empey were leaked to the press. It is believed that McFarland turned down the nomination to be Minister of Health when he discovered that Empey planned to take the UUP's other ministerial portfolio himself, insisting that the party leader should concentrate on rebuilding the party from outside theNorthern Ireland Executive.Empey did not back down from his stance and appointedMichael McGimpseyto the Department of Health instead.[3]
Resignation from the Ulster Unionist Party[edit]
McFarland announced his resignation from the Ulster Unionist Party on 30 March 2010,[4]five days after the resignation by North Down MP LadySylvia Hermon(also formerly UUP),[5]citing his disagreement with the UUP electoral pact with theConservative Party.He made his intentions clear to continue to sit as an independent in the Assembly.
In the2011 Assembly Election,McFarland lost his seat.
References[edit]
External links[edit]
- 1949 births
- Living people
- Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
- Royal Tank Regiment officers
- Politicians from County Tyrone
- Ulster Unionist Party MLAs
- Independent members of the Northern Ireland Assembly
- Members of the Northern Ireland Forum
- Northern Ireland MLAs 1998–2003
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2003–2007
- Northern Ireland MLAs 2007–2011
- People educated at Campbell College
- People educated at Rockport School
- Mensans
- Ulster Unionist Party parliamentary candidates