biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1936– )
|
| biography:
| Northern Ireland politician, born in Markethill, Armagh, SE Northern Ireland, UK. Educated at Newry and Belfast, he was a primary school headteacher before being elected to Armagh District Council (1973–86) and the Northern Ireland Assembly (1973–4). A member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, he was elected a member of the Northern Ireland Convention (1975–6) and of the Northern Ireland Forum (1983–4). He was also appointed to the Republic of Ireland Senate (1981–2), and was elected a UK MP (1986– ). An active campaigner for the peace process and supporter of the Good Friday Agreement, he was elected to the new Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998, becoming deputy first minister - a post from which he offered his resignation in 1999 over Unionist demands that decommissioning of terrorist arms should precede the establishment of an inclusive executive. He withdrew the offer following the Ulster Unionists' acceptance of a compromise solution involving the IRA in the appointment of a decommissioning spokesperson/agent. |
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