Séan Neeson
Encyclopedia
Seán Neeson is a politician in Northern Ireland
who served as leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
between 1998 and 2001.
and then the Queen's University of Belfast
before working as a teacher for many years. In the 1970s he joined the Alliance and in 1977 he was first elected to Carrickfergus
council and has remained a member ever since, serving as Mayor in 1993-1994.
. The following year he first contested the new constituency of East Antrim
in the 1983 general election
and subsequently fought it in the 1986 by-election called on the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the 1987 general election
, the 1992 general election
and the 1997 general election
.
He was also elected from the constituency to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum in 1996 and the Northern Ireland Assembly
in both the 1998
and 2003 elections
. On several occasions Neeson has been at the head of the single highest vote for Alliance in a province wide election. During this period Neeson emerged as one of the leading Alliance spokespersons, often participating in their delegation to successive talks about the future of the province.
In 1998 Neeson stood for the leadership of Alliance upon the resignation of John Alderdice. Neeson's election represented a notable geographic shift as his three predecessors (Alderdice, John Cushnahan
and Oliver Napier
) had all had political bases in the strip incorporating the East Belfast and North Down
constituencies, whereas Neeson's political base was in County Antrim
, to the north of Belfast. This was continued by Neeson's successor, David Ford
, whose political base is in South Antrim
.
Neeson's leadership came at a time of crisis for the Alliance. The negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement
and its subsequent strong endorsement by a referendum had given Alliance much to hope for, as the party whose longstanding position on the province's future most closely matched that negotiated. However the first Assembly elections
had seen Alliance win a mere 6.5% of the vote and just six Assembly seats. The decision by the party's leader, John Alderdice, to resign and take up the position of the Assembly's Speaker deprived Alliance of their most well known figure. Alliance was also in danger of losing further support to the cross-community Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
. The political arrangements of the Assembly placed great stress on the need for a "majority in both communities" and a party that refused to identify as being a part of either found its influence diminished. Under Neeson's leadership Alliance sought to enhance its credentials as a party that was unambiguously in favour of the Agreement.
The first major electoral test came in the South Antrim by-election
in 2000. With both the Ulster Unionist Party
and the Democratic Unionist Party
fielding candidates hostile to the Agreement, Alliance sought to gain votes from those unionists who supported it. In a fierce contest that was clearly always going to be between the two main unionist parties, Alliance instead found its vote squeezed.
The following year the 2001 general election
saw a number of misfortunes for Alliance and Neeson personally. He failed to be selected to fight his own constituency by his local association. An attempt to negotiate an electoral pact with the Ulster Unionists, with the hope of Alliance winning the East Belfast seat broke down in negotiations. Subsequently Alliance took the controversial decision to withdraw from several constituencies which looked likely to be fierce contests between the Ulster Unionists and/or the SDLP
against the Democratic Unionists and/or Sinn Féin
, instead urging voters to support the pro Agreement candidate best placed for peace (although Sinn Féin were pro-Agreement, its main rival for votes, the SDLP, was ideologically closer to the Alliance Party). The extent to which this strategy worked is debated, however many commentators and some former prominent Alliance activists were left asking publicly whether there was a point to the continuation of Alliance. The party also lost a number of council seats in the local elections held on the same day. Shortly after the election the party's deputy leader, Seamus Close
, resigned citing differences over direction with the leadership.
Subsequently in September 2001 Neeson chose to resign from the leadership, being succeeded by David Ford
, though he remained a member of the Assembly. In the 2003 Assembly election
he held his seat and was subsequently selected by his local association to fight East Antrim in the 2005 general election
. Having increased the party's vote at that election, Neeson was re-elected to the Assembly comfortably at the 2007 election
, on a party vote share of 16%.
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...
who served as leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
between 1998 and 2001.
Education and early life
Neeson was educated at St. Malachy's CollegeSt. Malachy's College
St. Malachy's College is the oldest Roman Catholic grammar school in the province of Ulster, and one of the oldest in Ireland.The college was founded in 1833 by Bishop William Crolly, about 50 years after the repeal of the penal laws, which had outlawed, among other things, the celebration of the...
and then the Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University of Belfast
Queen's University Belfast is a public research university in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The university's official title, per its charter, is the Queen's University of Belfast. It is often referred to simply as Queen's, or by the abbreviation QUB...
before working as a teacher for many years. In the 1970s he joined the Alliance and in 1977 he was first elected to Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
council and has remained a member ever since, serving as Mayor in 1993-1994.
Political career
In 1982 Neeson was elected to the Prior Assembly for Northern Ireland for the constituency of North AntrimNorth Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)
North Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. Its current member is Ian Paisley Jr.-Boundaries:North Antrim has always been a county constituency comprising the northern part of County Antrim in the north-east of Northern Ireland...
. The following year he first contested the new constituency of East Antrim
East Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)
East Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It has voted for Unionist candidates since its re-creation in 1983.-Boundaries:...
in 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...
and subsequently fought it in the 1986 by-election called on the Anglo-Irish Agreement, the 1987 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
, the 1992 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1992
The United Kingdom general election of 1992 was held on 9 April 1992, and was the fourth consecutive victory for the Conservative Party. This election result was one of the biggest surprises in 20th Century politics, as polling leading up to the day of the election showed Labour under leader Neil...
and the 1997 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1997
The United Kingdom general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997, more than five years after the previous election on 9 April 1992, to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party ended its 18 years in opposition under the leadership of Tony Blair, and won the general...
.
He was also elected from the constituency to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum in 1996 and 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...
in both the 1998
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1998
-Seats summary:-Details:Although the SDLP won the most first preference votes, the Ulster Unionists won the most seats in the Assembly. This has been attributed to several reasons, including:...
and 2003 elections
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2003
The second elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which at the time of the elections had been suspended for just over a year, were held on Wednesday 26 November 2003. Six members were elected by Single Transferable Vote from each of Northern Ireland's eighteen Westminster Parliamentary...
. On several occasions Neeson has been at the head of the single highest vote for Alliance in a province wide election. During this period Neeson emerged as one of the leading Alliance spokespersons, often participating in their delegation to successive talks about the future of the province.
In 1998 Neeson stood for the leadership of Alliance upon the resignation of John Alderdice. Neeson's election represented a notable geographic shift as his three predecessors (Alderdice, John Cushnahan
John Cushnahan
John Walls Cushnahan is a former politician in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland who served as leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and then as a Member of the European Parliament for Fine Gael....
and Oliver Napier
Oliver Napier
Sir Oliver Napier was the first leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. In 1974 he served as the first and only Legal Minister and head of the Office of Legal Reform in the Northern Ireland power-sharing executive set up by the Sunningdale Agreement.-Early life:Napier was educated at St...
) had all had political bases in the strip incorporating the East Belfast and North Down
North Down (UK Parliament constituency)
North Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Sylvia Hermon, elected as an Independent in the 2010 General Election. -Boundaries:The county constituency was first created in 1885 from the northern part of Down...
constituencies, whereas Neeson's political base was in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, to the north of Belfast. This was continued by Neeson's successor, David Ford
David Ford
David Ford is a politician who is a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Ford has been leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland since 2001 and has been Northern Ireland Minister of Justice since April 2010.- Early life :...
, whose political base is in South Antrim
South Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)
South Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:From 1885, this constituency was one of four county divisions of the former Antrim constituency...
.
Neeson's leadership came at a time of crisis for the Alliance. The negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
and its subsequent strong endorsement by a referendum had given Alliance much to hope for, as the party whose longstanding position on the province's future most closely matched that negotiated. However the first Assembly elections
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1998
-Seats summary:-Details:Although the SDLP won the most first preference votes, the Ulster Unionists won the most seats in the Assembly. This has been attributed to several reasons, including:...
had seen Alliance win a mere 6.5% of the vote and just six Assembly seats. The decision by the party's leader, John Alderdice, to resign and take up the position of the Assembly's Speaker deprived Alliance of their most well known figure. Alliance was also in danger of losing further support to the cross-community Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
The Northern Ireland Women's Coalition was a minor political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1996 by Catholic academic Monica McWilliams and Protestant social worker Pearl Sagar to contest the elections to the Northern Ireland Forum, the body for all-party talks which led to the...
. The political arrangements of the Assembly placed great stress on the need for a "majority in both communities" and a party that refused to identify as being a part of either found its influence diminished. Under Neeson's leadership Alliance sought to enhance its credentials as a party that was unambiguously in favour of the Agreement.
The first major electoral test came in the South Antrim by-election
South Antrim by-election, 2000
Clifford Forsythe, the Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament for South Antrim, died on April 27, 2000, precipitating a by-election.-Candidates:...
in 2000. With both 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 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...
fielding candidates hostile to the Agreement, Alliance sought to gain votes from those unionists who supported it. In a fierce contest that was clearly always going to be between the two main unionist parties, Alliance instead found its vote squeezed.
The following year the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
saw a number of misfortunes for Alliance and Neeson personally. He failed to be selected to fight his own constituency by his local association. An attempt to negotiate an electoral pact with the Ulster Unionists, with the hope of Alliance winning the East Belfast seat broke down in negotiations. Subsequently Alliance took the controversial decision to withdraw from several constituencies which looked likely to be fierce contests between the Ulster Unionists and/or the SDLP
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
against the Democratic Unionists and/or Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, instead urging voters to support the pro Agreement candidate best placed for peace (although Sinn Féin were pro-Agreement, its main rival for votes, the SDLP, was ideologically closer to the Alliance Party). The extent to which this strategy worked is debated, however many commentators and some former prominent Alliance activists were left asking publicly whether there was a point to the continuation of Alliance. The party also lost a number of council seats in the local elections held on the same day. Shortly after the election the party's deputy leader, Seamus Close
Seamus Close
Seamus Close OBE is a Northern Ireland politician, former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley and a former deputy leader of the Alliance Party....
, resigned citing differences over direction with the leadership.
Subsequently in September 2001 Neeson chose to resign from the leadership, being succeeded by David Ford
David Ford
David Ford is a politician who is a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Ford has been leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland since 2001 and has been Northern Ireland Minister of Justice since April 2010.- Early life :...
, though he remained a member of the Assembly. In the 2003 Assembly election
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2003
The second elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which at the time of the elections had been suspended for just over a year, were held on Wednesday 26 November 2003. Six members were elected by Single Transferable Vote from each of Northern Ireland's eighteen Westminster Parliamentary...
he held his seat and was subsequently selected by his local association to fight East Antrim in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
. Having increased the party's vote at that election, Neeson was re-elected to the Assembly comfortably at the 2007 election
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were elected. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, along with the Alliance Party, increase their...
, on a party vote share of 16%.