Cecil Harvey (politician)
Encyclopedia
Cecil Harvey was a unionist politician
in Northern Ireland
.
Harvey was a founding elder of Ian Paisley
's Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster
, in 1951. The following year, he suggested the congregation's move from Crossgar
to Whiteabbey
. He was also active in the Orange Order and the Ulster Unionist Party
(UUP), and was elected as a councillor. He became disillusioned with the UUP as it came to support the idea of power-sharing, and joined the rival Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party. Under this banner, he was elected from South Down
to the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973, where he was the party's chief whip
, then the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
.
In 1974, Harvey argued for the Orange Order to pay compensation to loyalists interned
around the Ulster Workers' Council strike. By 1975, Harvey was calling for the Order to found an entirely new united unionist party; this was moved by Robert Overend
but was defeated. Undeterred, Harvey became a founder member of the United Ulster Unionist Party
, becoming the party chairman, and remaining loyal until its collapse in 1982. He then joined the Democratic Unionist Party
, for which he stood unsuccessfully in South Down
at the 1983 general election
.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
.
Harvey was a founding elder of Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
's Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster
Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster
The Free Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination founded by the Rev. Ian Paisley in 1951. Most of its members live in Northern Ireland...
, in 1951. The following year, he suggested the congregation's move from Crossgar
Crossgar
Crossgar is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is about 15 miles south of Belfast – between Saintfield and Downpatrick. Crossgar had a population of 1,539 people in the 2001 Census.- History :...
to Whiteabbey
Whiteabbey
Whiteabbey is a townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is within the urban area called Newtownabbey and the wider Newtownabbey Borough...
. He was also active in the Orange Order and the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
(UUP), and was elected as a councillor. He became disillusioned with the UUP as it came to support the idea of power-sharing, and joined the rival Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party. Under this banner, he was elected from South Down
South Down (Assembly constituency)
South Down is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973...
to the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973, where he was the party's chief whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
, then the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention was an elected body set up in 1975 by the UK Labour government of Harold Wilson as an attempt to deal with constitutional issues surrounding the status of Northern Ireland....
.
In 1974, Harvey argued for the Orange Order to pay compensation to loyalists interned
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
around the Ulster Workers' Council strike. By 1975, Harvey was calling for the Order to found an entirely new united unionist party; this was moved by Robert Overend
Robert Overend
Robert Overend is a farmer and former Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Overend was a prominent member of the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party and the Orange Order in the mid-1970s. In 1975, he proposed that the Order formed a new, united unionist party, but this was rejected...
but was defeated. Undeterred, Harvey became a founder member of the United Ulster Unionist Party
United Ulster Unionist Party
The United Ulster Unionist Party was a unionist political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1975 and 1984.It emerged from a division in the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party in the late 1970s...
, becoming the party chairman, and remaining loyal until its collapse in 1982. He then joined the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
, for which he stood unsuccessfully in South Down
South Down (UK Parliament constituency)
South Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The county constituency was first created in 1885 from the southern part of Down...
at the 1983 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1983
The 1983 United Kingdom general election was held on 9 June 1983. It gave the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher the most decisive election victory since that of Labour in 1945...
.