James Stewart (Irish politician)

James Stewart (23 November 1934–26 January 2013), known as Jimmy Stewart was an Irish communist activist.

Stewart was born in Ballymena to a Protestant family, and studied at the Ballymena Academy.^[1] He also became a Queen's Scout and took an interest in his Scottish heritage. He trained as a teacher at a college in Stranmillis, and there met active communist Edwina Menzies, the two marrying in 1954.^[2]

In 1955, Stewart joined the Communist Party of Northern Ireland, initially while teaching at Hemsworth Square School and then Somerdale School on the Shankill Road.^[2] He and Menzies attended the World Youth Festival in 1957,^[2] and in the same year he became general secretary of the party's youth section.^[3] He rapidly became a key figure in the party, editing Unity, its newspaper, completing the drafting of the party's programme, Ireland's Path to Socialism,^[2] and becoming its Deputy General Secretary in 1964.^[3]

The Communist Party of Northern Ireland merged into the Communist Party of Ireland in 1970, and Stewart left teaching to become a full-time party worker, remaining Deputy General Secretary of the new group.^[3] In this role, he was active in the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, Belfast Trades Council and the Connolly Association.^[2] He stood in the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973 in Belfast West, but took last place with only 123 votes,^[4] and also came bottom of the poll for Belfast City Council at the 1977, 1981 and 1985 local elections.^[5][6]

Stewart rose to become general secretary of the party in 1984, serving until 2001, when he instead became its chairman.^[3]

References

1. ↑ "Top Irish communist Jimmy Stewart dies", Belfast Telegraph, 29 January 2013
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Lynda Walker, "Obituary James Stewart: Always working for unity", Morning Star, 25 February 2013
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Stewart Jimmy", Compendium of Communist Biography
4. ↑ "West Belfast 1973-82", Northern Ireland Elections
5. ↑ "The Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Belfast", Northern Ireland Elections
6. ↑ "Local Government Elections 1985 - 1989: Belfast", Northern Ireland Elections