James Alexander Speers MBE (born 20 May 1946), known as Jim Speers, is a Northern Irish farmer and former Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician, active in County Armagh.
Jim Speers | |
|---|---|
| Member of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council | |
| In office 22 May 2014 – 18 May 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Council created |
| Succeeded by | Keith Ratcliffe |
| Constituency | Cusher |
| Member of Armagh City and District Council | |
| In office 15 May 1985 – 22 May 2014 | |
| Preceded by | District created |
| Succeeded by | Council abolished |
| Constituency | The Orchard |
| In office 18 May 1977 – 20 May 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Nelson Huddleston |
| Succeeded by | District abolished |
| Constituency | Armagh Area B |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Newry and Armagh | |
| In office 30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998 | |
| Preceded by | Forum established |
| Succeeded by | Forum dissolved |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Armagh | |
| In office 1983–1986 | |
| Preceded by | Seamus Mallon |
| Succeeded by | Assembly dissolved |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 May 1946 County Armagh, Northern Ireland |
| Political party | Ulster Unionist Party |
Career
editSpeers works as a businessman and part-time farmer. He was elected to Armagh City and District Council in 1977 for the Ulster Unionist Party.[1]
He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election, but was elected to the Assembly the following year in a by-election caused by the disqualification of Seamus Mallon, a Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) member of the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly, who had been a member of Seanad Éireann at the time of his election.[2] The SDLP called on voters to boycott the election, which Speers contested as the UUP candidate. He easily beat the only other candidate, Tom French of the Workers' Party, and served on the Assembly until it was abolished in 1986.[3]
Speers contested Newry and Armagh at the 1992 United Kingdom general election, and took second place, with 36% of the vote.[4] In 1996, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum, as a UUP representative for Newry and Armagh. However, he failed to take a seat at the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election.[5]
Speers later served on the Northern Ireland Tourist Board,[1] and as of 2007[update] is the Chairperson of the UUP's Newry & Armagh Constituency Association,[6] while continuing to sit on Armagh Council.
References
edit- ^ a b "RE-APPOINTMENT TO THE NORTHERN IRELAND TOURIST BOARD", Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, 2 September 2003
- ^ Northern Ireland elections
- ^ A Chronology of the Conflict – 1983 Archived 1 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine, CAIN Web Service
- ^ Newry and Armagh, 1983–1992, Northern Ireland Elections
- ^ Newry and Armagh Archived 13 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Northern Ireland Elections
- ^ About us Archived 14 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine, Newry and Armagh Ulster Unionist Constituency Association