Alan Kane (politician)

Alan Kane is a former Democratic Unionist Party politician, barrister [ [http://www.atholbooks.org/review/ed_comment_4.php From Irish Political Review - July Editorial Commentary ] ] and Queen's Counsel [ [http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?pt=n&id=82250 ::: u.tv ::: ] ] from Northern Ireland.

Kane made his political debut in 1981, topping the council poll in Cookstown Town and was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly the following year for Mid Ulster.

Kane was opposed to any form of compromise with Irish Nationalist parties, attacking the Social Democratic and Labour Party as "republicans and subversives" NI Assembly, 15 November 1983, vol 7, p914] and stating that Catholics "support the IRA to a large extent." NI Assembly, 7 December 1982, vol 4, p338]

In 1985, he became involved in the controversy over re-routing of Orange Order marches through Nationalist areas in Cookstown, stating that one of the most senior Royal Ulster Constabulary officers, Leo Dolan, "as a Roman Catholic and former neighbour of Owen Carron's family is no friend of the Protestant people." [ NI Assembly, 28 May 1985, vol 15, p397]

Kane quit the DUP in 1992 in protest at the party's decision to become involved in a talks process which also involved the Irish government, and stepped down from Cookstown council the following year.

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