Paul Butler (politician)
Paul Butler | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley | |
| In office 7 March 2007 – 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Marietta Farrell |
| Succeeded by | Brenda Hale |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lisburn, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Sinn Féin |
| Website | Sinn Féin |
Paul Butler (Irish: Pól de Buitléir[1]) is a republican politician in Northern Ireland and a former member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. He served as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley from 2007 to 2011.[2][3]
Involvement in the Troubles
At the age of 17, Butler was convicted of killing 50-year-old reserve Royal Ulster Constabulary officer. As a result, he spent 15 years in jail.[4][5]
Lisburn City Council
Paul Butler is the leader of the Sinn Féin group on the Lisburn City Council. The party currently holds four seats on the council, making it the third party and the largest nationalist party. Butler has a served as a Councillor for Lisburn City Council since 1997 and is a member of their Strategic Policy, Planning and Finance Committees.[6][7] Butler claims he campaigns against discrimination on the council, culminating in the Irish Government sending a representative to witness council proceedings. Nationalists claim that the unionist majority on the council has prevented nationalists from taking council positions. Butler campaigned for the town to gain city status which was bestowed on the city by the British Monarch.[citation needed]
Westminster elections
Butler stood in the UK general elections in 2001 and 2005 in the Lagan Valley constituency but was not elected.[8] In the 2005 general election, Sinn Féin received the largest share of the vote by a nationalist party, overtaking the SDLP.
In October 2023, he called on the Social Democratic and Labour Party to not stand a candidate in Lagan Valley in the next general election.[9]
Standing down
Butler announced that he will not contest the May Assembly elections after only one term as an MLA. "I am standing down," confirmed Butler. "The Party's position on this is that anyone who is a councillor and an MLA should only have one job."[10]
Assembly elections
Results of the election to the Northern Irish Assembly, Lagan Valley, 2003
| Party | Candidate | 1st Pref | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster Unionist | Jeffrey Donaldson | 14,104 | Elected | |
| DUP | Edwin Poots | 5,175 | Elected | |
| Alliance | Seamus Close | 4,408 | Elected | |
| DUP | Andrew Hunter | 3,300 | Not Elected | |
| Sinn Féin | Paul Butler | 3,242 | Not Elected | |
| SDLP | Patricia Lewsley* | 3,133 | Elected | |
| Ulster Unionist | Billy Bell | 2,782 | Elected | |
| Independent | Ivan Davis | 2,223 | Not elected | |
| Ulster Unionist | Norah Beare | 1,508 | Elected | |
| Ulster Unionist | Jim Kirkpatrick | 675 | Not elected | |
| NI Conservatives | Joanne Johnston | 395 | Not elected | |
| PUP | Andrew Park | 212 | Not elected | |
| Workers' Party | Frances McCarthy | 97 | Not elected | |
- Patricia Lewsley was appointed as Children's Commissioner and was replaced as an MLA by Marietta Farrell
Results of the election to the Northern Irish Assembly, Lagan Valley, 2007
Butler became the first Sinn Féin member for Lagan Valley in the Northern Irish Assembly. He won the SDLP seat previously held by Patricia Lewsley and subsequently Marietta Farrell. Butler was the only nationalist elected in the six-seater constituency.
| Party | Candidate | 1st Pref | Result | Count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUP | Jeffrey Donaldson | 9,793 | Elected | 1 | |
| Sinn Féin | Paul Butler | 5,098 | Elected | 6 | |
| Ulster Unionist | Basil McCrea | 4,031 | Elected | 7 | |
| Alliance | Trevor Lunn | 3,765 | Elected | 7 | |
| DUP | Jonathan Craig | 3,471 | Elected | 8 | |
| DUP | Edwin Poots | 3,457 | Elected | 9 | |
| DUP | Paul Givan | 3,377 | Not elected | 9 | |
| SDLP | Marietta Farrell | 2,839 | Not elected | 5 | |
| Ulster Unionist | Billy Bell | 2,599 | Not elected | 6 | |
| Ulster Unionist | Ronnie Crawford | 1,147 | Not elected | 4 | |
| Green | Michael Rogan | 922 | Not elected | 4 | |
| UK Unionist | Robert McCartney | 853 | Not elected | 3 | |
| NI Conservatives | Neil Johnston | 387 | Not elected | 2 | |
| Workers' Party | John Magee | 83 | Not elected | 2 | |
Notes and references
- ^ Microsoft Word – PC1928.doc Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Lagan Valley: Sinn Féin secure first seat". The Belfast Telegraph. 9 March 2007.
- ^ "Lagan Valley: Election results". BBC. 9 March 2007.
- ^ "Hansard – UK Parliament". Hansard. 10 June 1998. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.
- ^ "'Truly historic' change of direction". BBC News. 28 January 2007.
- ^ "Ard Fheis speech by Paul Butler, Sinn Féin councillor on Lisburn City Council". Sinn Féin. 10 March 2007. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012.
- ^ "Candidate Profile – Paul Butler". The Guardian. UK. 10 March 2007.
- ^ "Lagan Valley election history". Ark. 10 March 2007.
- ^ Breslin, John (23 October 2023). "Former Sinn Féin MLA calls on his party and SDLP to stand aside in Lagan Valley in general election". The Irish News. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
- ^ Baker, Pete. "Slugger O'Toole - SF MLA Paul Butler to stand down". Slugger O'Toole. Retrieved 29 August 2012.