Jump to content

Paul Butler (politician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paul Butler
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Lagan Valley
In office
7 March 2007 – 5 May 2011
Preceded byMarietta Farrell
Succeeded byBrenda Hale
Member of
Lisburn City Council
In office
21 May 1997 – 5 May 2011
Preceded byPatrick Rice
Succeeded byDavid Bell
ConstituencyDunmurry Cross
Personal details
BornLisburn, Northern Ireland
Political partySinn Féin
WebsiteSinn Féin

Paul Butler (Irish: Pól de Buitléir[1]) is an Irish republican politician in Northern Ireland. He is a former member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and served 15 years in prison after being convicted of murdering a police officer. He served as a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley from 2007 to 2011.[2][3]

Involvement in the Troubles

[edit]

In 1974 (aged 17) Butler confessed to, and was convicted of, the murder of 50-year-old reserve Royal Ulster Constabulary officer John Rodgers. Rogers was murdered in an IRA gun attack near the Glen Inn in Glengormley. Butler was given a life sentence, for which he spent 15 years in jail.[4][5]

Lisburn City Council

[edit]

Paul Butler was the leader of the Sinn Féin group on the Lisburn City Council. The party held four seats on the council at the time, making it the third party and the largest nationalist party. Butler had a served as a Councillor for Lisburn City Council from 1997 until 2011 and was a member of their Strategic Policy, Planning and Finance Committees.[6][7] Butler campaigned 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 successfully campaigned for the town to gain city status.[citation needed]

Westminster elections

[edit]

Butler stood in the UK general elections in 2001 and 2005 in the Lagan Valley constituency but was not elected.[8]

In October 2023, he called on Sinn Féin and the SDLP to not stand a candidate in Lagan Valley in the 2024 general election.[9]

Standing down

[edit]

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

[edit]

Results of the election to the Northern Irish Assembly, Lagan Valley, 2003

[edit]
Party Candidate 1st Pref Result
UUP 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
UUP Billy Bell 2,782 Elected
Independent Ivan Davis 2,223 Not elected
UUP Norah Beare 1,508 Elected
UUP 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

[edit]

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
UUP 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
UUP Billy Bell 2,599 Not elected 6
UUP 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

[edit]
  1. ^ Microsoft Word – PC1928.doc Archived 17 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Lagan Valley: Sinn Féin secure first seat". The Belfast Telegraph. 9 March 2007.
  3. ^ "Lagan Valley: Election results". BBC. 9 March 2007.
  4. ^ "Hansard – UK Parliament". Hansard. 10 June 1998. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.
  5. ^ Thompson, David (19 June 2024). "Police killer Ex-MLA endorses Alliance Lagan Valley candidate in general election after Sinn Fein pulls out of race".
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "Candidate Profile – Paul Butler". The Guardian. UK. 10 March 2007.
  8. ^ "Lagan Valley election history". Ark. 10 March 2007.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Baker, Pete. "Slugger O'Toole - SF MLA Paul Butler to stand down". Slugger O'Toole. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Preceded by MLA for Lagan Valley
2007–2011
Succeeded by