- Alan McFarland
Infobox Politician | name=Alan McFarland, MLA
width=
term_start=1998
term_end=
predecessor=
successor=
birth_date=birth date and age|1949|8|9|df=y
birth_place=Plumbridge ,Co Tyrone ,Northern Ireland
constituency=North Down
party=Ulster Unionist Party
office=MLA
spouse=
website= [http://www.nduup.org.uk/alanmcfarland.htm]Major Robert Alan McFarland, MLA (born9 August 1949 inPlumbridge ,County Tyrone [ [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/ni/?id=2007-09-10.4.1&s=speaker%3A13826#g4.12 Economic Development Task Force: 10 Sep 2007: Northern Ireland Assembly debates (TheyWorkForYou.com) ] ] ) is anUlster Unionist Party politician and MLA for North Down inNorthern Ireland .He attended
Rockport School nearHolywood andCampbell College in EastBelfast . After a short career in banking he was admitted to theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into theRoyal Tank Regiment in 1974. He is also a member of Mensa. [ [http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_07/mcfarland_a.htm NI Assembly] ]He retired from the
British Army in 1992 with the rank ofMajor and became a Parliamentary Assistant toJames Molyneaux , MP, and the Rev.Martin Smyth , MP. In 1995 he was selected by the Ulster Unionists to contest the North Down by-election over the favourite for the nomination,Reg Empey , but was beaten in the election by Robert McCartney. He was again beaten by McCartney in the 1997 general election by a narrower margin.In 1996 he was elected to the
Northern Ireland Forum for Political Dialogue forNorth Down and was involved in the talks process that resulted in theBelfast Agreement of 1998. He was one of three UUP members returned to the Assembly for North Down in the first elections to the body in 1998 and he retained his seat in the November 2003 elections and March 2007 elections.He was until reconstitution in 2006 one of the UUP representatives on the
Northern Ireland Policing Board .Following the resignation of
David Trimble as UUP leader in 2005 he stood as a candidate in the contest to succeed him and was narrowly beaten by SirReg Empey . [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4085738.stm BBC] ] Sir Reg appointed McFarland the party's Chief Negotiator following the election, in which role McFarland served through the period before restoration of devolution in Northern Ireland.In 2007, following the restoration of devolution the details of a row between McFarland and Empey were leaked to the press. It is believed that McFarland turned down the nomination to be Minister for Health when he discovered that Empey planned to take the UUP's other ministerial portfolio himself, insisting that the Party Leader should concentrate on rebuilding the party from outside the
Northern Ireland Executive . Empey did not back down from his stance and appointedMichael McGimpsey to the Department of Health instead. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/6573289.stm BBC report] ]References
External links
* [http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs_03/mcfarland_a.htm NI Assembly biography]
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