Nelson McCausland
Encyclopedia
Nelson McCausland, MLA is a unionist politician from Northern Ireland
. He is the current Minister (MLA) for Social Development in the Northern Irish Government.
, Worcester College, Oxford
and Queen's University, Belfast. He is a former teacher and a member of the Belfast Education and Library Board.
(UUUP), when he was eliminated early on in the count. He appears to have quit the UUUP before the party was formally disbanded in May 1984 as he ran as an Independent Unionist in a by-election to Belfast Area H in February 1984, but polled only 9% of the vote. He stood again the following year for the Oldpark area in the local government elections
, but managed only 5% of the vote. He finally succeeded in gaining election for the Castle area in 1989
, taking the seat of Alfie Redpath, the by-election victor of five years before. Around this time McCausland briefly served as a member of the Ulster Independence Committee.
He was re-elected in 1993
as an Independent Unionist but announced the week after the election that he would join the Ulster Unionist Party
and became the High Sheriff of Belfast
in 1997. He was a candidate for the UUP in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum
elections, but was placed third on the UUP list, effectively giving him no chance of election. He attempted to dislodge Cecil Walker
as North Belfast MP during the 1990s Disenchanted with the UUP under David Trimble, whom he had supported for the leadership, he defected to the Democratic Unionist Party
in 2001 and was re-elected as a local councillor for the Oldpark area in 2001
and 2005
. McCausland represented the Council on the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
and the Community Relations Council. He stepped down as a councillor in November 2010.
He has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
since 2003. He has been suspended twice from the Assembly for unparliamentary language in respect of allegations of PIRA membership made against Gerry Adams
.
In June 2009, he was appointed Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
, and it was in his capacity as Minister of state that in May 2010, he wrote to the Ulster Museum
requesting that it display a range of Creationist and other anti-Evolution
material, claiming that it was the Museum's job to "reflect the views of all the people in Northern Ireland" rather than to reflect the understanding of modern science. In response to McCausland's letter, the prominent evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins
, said "If the museum was to go down that road then perhaps they should bring in the stork theory of where babies come from. Or perhaps the museum should introduce the flat earth theory".
In 2011, he was appointed as Minister for Social Development.
from 1997 until his election to the Assembly in 2003, when he was succeeded by his party and Council colleague William Humphrey. McCausland served as DUP spokesman and Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure.
He is a member of Cross of Saint Patrick LOL 688. McCausland served as the Northern Ireland Secretary of the Lord's Day Observance Society from 1983-93. He has been described as a "Protestant fundamentalist".
Further, McCausland is of the belief that Ulster Protestants descended from one of the lost tribes of Israel.
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...
. He is the current Minister (MLA) for Social Development in the Northern Irish Government.
Education
He was educated at Belfast Royal AcademyBelfast Royal Academy
The Belfast Royal Academy is the oldest school in the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is a co-educational, non-denominational voluntary grammar school situated in north Belfast. The Academy is one of eight Northern Irish schools whose Headmaster is a member of the Headmasters' and...
, Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College, Oxford
Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in the eighteenth century, but its predecessor on the same site had been an institution of learning since the late thirteenth century...
and Queen's University, Belfast. He is a former teacher and a member of the Belfast Education and Library Board.
Career
McCausland made his political debut in the 1982 Assembly elections, standing in North Belfast for the United Ulster Unionist PartyUnited 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...
(UUUP), when he was eliminated early on in the count. He appears to have quit the UUUP before the party was formally disbanded in May 1984 as he ran as an Independent Unionist in a by-election to Belfast Area H in February 1984, but polled only 9% of the vote. He stood again the following year for the Oldpark area in the local government elections
Northern Ireland local elections, 1985
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 15 May 1985.-1981 elections:The previous elections had been fought in the middle of the hunger strike and the H-Block Prison Protest...
, but managed only 5% of the vote. He finally succeeded in gaining election for the Castle area in 1989
Northern Ireland local elections, 1989
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland in 1989.-Background:The elections took place after a turbulent period in Northern Irish politics. The signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in November 1985 had been followed by widespread protests by those in the Unionist community...
, taking the seat of Alfie Redpath, the by-election victor of five years before. Around this time McCausland briefly served as a member of the Ulster Independence Committee.
He was re-elected in 1993
Northern Ireland local elections, 1993
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 19 May 1993.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
as an Independent Unionist but announced the week after the election that he would join 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...
and became the High Sheriff of Belfast
High Sheriff of Belfast
The High Sheriff of Belfast is a High Sheriff title and position which was created in 1900 under the Local Government Act 1898, with Sir James Henderson the first holder. It is a largely ceremonial position currently held by Ian Adamson, who took office in January 2011...
in 1997. He was a candidate for the UUP in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum
Northern Ireland Forum
The Northern Ireland Forum was a body set up in 1996 as part of a process of negotiations that eventually led to the Belfast Agreement in 1998....
elections, but was placed third on the UUP list, effectively giving him no chance of election. He attempted to dislodge Cecil Walker
Cecil Walker
Sir Alfred Cecil Walker was an Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament for North Belfast from 1983 to 2001.Walker was born in Belfast. His father was a police constable. He was educated at Everton elementary school, Model Boys' school and Belfast Methodist College. He worked for the Belfast timber...
as North Belfast MP during the 1990s Disenchanted with the UUP under David Trimble, whom he had supported for the leadership, he defected to 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...
in 2001 and was re-elected as a local councillor for the Oldpark area in 2001
Northern Ireland local elections, 2001
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 7 June 2001 along with the 2001 general election across the entire United Kingdom.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
and 2005
Northern Ireland local elections, 2005
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 5 May 2005 along with the 2005 general election across the entire United Kingdom and local elections in England.-Results:-Belfast:-Derry:...
. McCausland represented the Council on the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...
and the Community Relations Council. He stepped down as a councillor in November 2010.
He has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
since 2003. He has been suspended twice from the Assembly for unparliamentary language in respect of allegations of PIRA membership made against Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
.
In June 2009, he was appointed Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is a devolved Northern Irish government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
, and it was in his capacity as Minister of state that in May 2010, he wrote to the Ulster Museum
Ulster Museum
The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasures from the Spanish Armada, local history, numismatics, industrial...
requesting that it display a range of Creationist and other anti-Evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
material, claiming that it was the Museum's job to "reflect the views of all the people in Northern Ireland" rather than to reflect the understanding of modern science. In response to McCausland's letter, the prominent evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, said "If the museum was to go down that road then perhaps they should bring in the stork theory of where babies come from. Or perhaps the museum should introduce the flat earth theory".
In 2011, he was appointed as Minister for Social Development.
Affiliations
He was Director of The Ulster-Scots Heritage CouncilThe Ulster-Scots Heritage Council
The Ulster-Scots Heritage Council was established in 1995 as an umbrella organisation to represent the Ulster-Scots community....
from 1997 until his election to the Assembly in 2003, when he was succeeded by his party and Council colleague William Humphrey. McCausland served as DUP spokesman and Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure.
He is a member of Cross of Saint Patrick LOL 688. McCausland served as the Northern Ireland Secretary of the Lord's Day Observance Society from 1983-93. He has been described as a "Protestant fundamentalist".
Further, McCausland is of the belief that Ulster Protestants descended from one of the lost tribes of Israel.
Works
- Patrick, Apostle of Ulster: A Protestant View of Patrick. Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland; ISBN 978-0950144450
- Cross of St Patrick LOL 688 publication on St Patrick