Neville Martin

John Wesley Neville Martin (1916-17 April 1966) was a Northern Irish politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland for the Ulster Unionist Party.

Biography

Martin was educated at a grammar school before becoming the director of a sack company that was based in both Belfast and Manchester.[1] He was also a founder member of the Belfast Rotary Club.[1]

Politics

He was elected Member of Parliament for Belfast Woodvale in a by-election in 1955 following Robert Harcourt's appointment to the Senate of Northern Ireland. He lost his seat in the 1958 general election when Northern Ireland Labour Party candidate Billy Boyd defeated him.[1] After his defeat Martin suggested that the close ties between the Ulster Unionist Party and the Conservative Party were counterproductive as they were driving some working-class people who would otherwise identify as Unionist away from the party.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
  2. ^ Graham Walker, A History of the Ulster Unionist Party: Protest, Pragmatism and Pessimism, Manchester University Press, 2004, p. 139
Parliament of Northern Ireland
Preceded by
Robert Harcourt
Member of Parliament for Belfast Woodvale
1955 - 1958
Succeeded by
Billy Boyd