John Laird, Baron Laird

John Laird, Baron Laird

John Dunn Laird, Baron Laird (born 1944) is an Ulster Unionist life peer and former chairman of the cross-border Ulster-Scots Agency.

Career

Whilst Chairman of the Ulster Young Unionist Council in 1970, he became youngest member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, after winning the seat of Belfast Saint Anne's in a by election caused by the death of his father, Dr Norman Laird OBE. He was expelled from the Ulster Unionist Parliamentary Party in January 1972 when he voted for a Democratic Unionist Party censure motion opposing a ban on certain processions planned for the 12th of July. [ [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/belfast.html Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results: Boroughs: Belfast ] ] He topped the poll in Belfast West in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973 opposed to the proposals of the former Prime Minister Brian Faulkner. He repeated this feat as an Ulster Unionist candidate in the 1975 Constitutional Convention election.

He was created a life peer in 1999 as Baron Laird, of Artigarvan in the County of Tyrone.

Ulster Scots

A proponent of the Ulster Scots language, Lord Laird wants road signs in Irish, English and Ullans on all roads in Ireland, as "parity of esteem" as signed up for under the Good Friday Agreement. Similarly, he says that the Garda Síochána should be renamed to "An Garda Síochána/Hannin Polis". [ [http://www.gaelport.com/index.php?page=clippings&id=1615&viewby=date Campaigning lord demands we mind our language] Gaelport, 9 January 2007]

Lord Laird found himself at the centre of a minor scandal in 2005, when it was revealed that while chairman of the Ulster-Scots agency, Laird had spent in excess of £2500 of public money on taxis between Belfast and Dublin. [http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ULLANS/2005-02/1107974313]

In the House of Lords

Laird has used parliamentary privilege to speak out against the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in the House of Lords. In May 2005 he claimed that Phil Flynn, an advisor to the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, was active in the IRA. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4580219.stm Privilege used to allege IRA link] , BBC News, 25 May 2005] . In December that year he said that there were 200 IRA "sleepers" in high places in the Republic of Ireland. [ [http://www.independent.ie/national-news/200-ira-moles-in-government-claims-peer-475875.html 200 IRA moles in government, claims peer] , Irish Independent, 25 December 2005 (requires registration)] In November 2007 he again used parliamentary privilege to name senior IRA members who he said were responsible for the murder of south Armagh man Paul Quinn in October. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7091827.stm Republicans 'involved in killing'] , BBC News, 13 November 2007]

2007 Election: Donegal

He announced plans to stand in Donegal North East and Donegal South West on what he termed a radical Ulster-Scots ticket. He said he intended to use the publicity platform of his candidacy to highlight what he called the double standards of the Irish Government in relation to the Ulster-Scots movement. However, after suffering a mild heart attack he did not stand. [ [http://www.u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?pt=n&id=79688 UU peer recovering from heart attack] Press Association, 20 January 2007]

ee also

* List of Northern Ireland Members of the House of Lords

References

External links

* [http://www.stratagem-ni.com/nipeers.php Stratagem profile]
* [http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/Sunday_Tribune/arts2006/jan22_Ulsters_Braveheart__SBreen.php Ulster's 'Braveheart' on rebel hunt] , Interview with the Sunday Tribune, 22 January 2006 (Newshound)


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