Victor Halley was a nationalist trade unionist 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...

, from West Belfast.

A Presbyterian, Halley joined the Independent Labour Party

Independent Labour Party

The Independent Labour Party was a socialist political party in Britain established in 1893. The ILP was affiliated to the Labour Party from 1906 to 1932, when it voted to leave...

, and when this disaffiliated from the British Labour Party

Labour Party (UK)

The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

, he became a founder member of the small Socialist Party of Northern Ireland, an integral part of the Northern Ireland Labour Party

Northern Ireland Labour Party

The Northern Ireland Labour Party was an Irish political party which operated from 1924 until 1987.In 1913 the British Labour Party resolved to give the recently formed Irish Labour Party exclusive organising rights in Ireland...

. He fought for the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War

Spanish Civil War

The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...

. and was also appointed to the editorial board of the Irish Democrat, a short-lived left-wing journal.

Halley soon became closely aligned with Harry Diamond

Harry Diamond

Harry Diamond was a socialist and an Irish nationalist. He was the MP for Belfast Falls in the Parliament of Northern Ireland, and later the leader of the Republican Labour Party....

, and in 1944 he was a founder member of the Socialist Republican Party

Socialist Republican Party (Ireland)

The Socialist Republican Party was an Irish republican political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1944 by a coalition of former Nationalist Party members, former Irish Republican Army members and Protestant trade unionists around Victor Halley, all based in West Belfast.The party...

. He stood for the party at the 1946 Belfast Central

Belfast Central (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Belfast Central was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.-Boundaries:Belfast Central was a borough constituency comprising part of central Belfast...

 by-election for the party, but was defeated by Frank Hanna

Frank Hanna

Francis Hanna , known as Frank Hanna, was an Irish politician.After studying at St. Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School, Belfast and Queen's University, Belfast, Hanna became a solicitor, founding Francis Hanna and Co., specialising in personal injuries and trade union cases...

.

Halley was also a prominent member of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union, rising to become its Vice-Chairman.