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Thomas Robinson (Northern Ireland politician)

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Thomas Robinson
Member of Larne Borough Council
In office
15 May 1985 – 7 June 2001
Preceded bySeat created
Succeeded byWinston Fulton
ConstituencyCoast Road
In office
18 May 1977 – 15 May 1985
Preceded byD. Harper
Succeeded bySeat abolished
ConstituencyLarne Area A
Member of the Northern Ireland Forum
for East Antrim
In office
30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998
Preceded byForum created
Succeeded byForum dissolved
Personal details
Born1950 - 1951
Larne, Northern Ireland
Political partyTUV (2007 - present)
Ulster Unionist (1977 - 2003)
Other political
affiliations
UK Unionist (2003 - 2007)
Independent Unionist (2005)

Thomas Daniel Robinson (born 1950 or 1951), known as Tom Robinson, is a former Northern Irish unionist politician who was a Larne Borough Councillor for the Larne Area A DEA from 1977 to 1985, and then for the Coast Road DEA from 1985 to 2001, representing the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) on both occasions.

Background

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Robinson worked as an Independent Financial Advisor.[1] He joined the Ulster Unionist Party, and was elected to Larne Borough Council at the 1977 Northern Ireland local elections. He held his seat in 1981,[2] and was elected Deputy Mayor of Larne in 1982, then Mayor in 1983.[3]

Robinson was elected for the Coast Road district at the local 1985, 1989,[4] 1993 and 1997 local elections.[5] He was also elected to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996, representing East Antrim.[6]

By 2000, Robinson had become a prominent critic of UUP leader David Trimble.[7] He lost his council seat in 2001,[5] and subsequently defected to the UK Unionist Party (UKUP).[8] He stood for this new party at the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election,[8] but took only 1.8% of the vote and was not elected.[6]

Robinson stood again for Larne Borough Council at the 2005 local elections, this time as an independent candidate,[9] but took only 57 votes and was again unsuccessful.[5] He also failed to win a seat at the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election, standing again for the UKUP,[6] and subsequently joined the Traditional Unionist Voice party.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "IoUME Larne District Policing Partnership - Policing Board Announces Independent Members", Northern Ireland Policing Board, 4 May 2003
  2. ^ "The Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Larne", Northern Ireland Elections
  3. ^ "1983", Larne Times, 16 June 2009
  4. ^ "Local Government Elections 1985 - 1989: Larne", Northern Ireland Elections
  5. ^ a b c "Larne Borough Council Elections 1993-2011", Northern Ireland Elections
  6. ^ a b c "East Antrim", Northern Ireland Elections
  7. ^ David Cracknell and Alan Murray, "Trimble fails to see off Unionist critics", Daily Telegraph, 8 October 2000
  8. ^ a b "UKUP committed to post-election talks", RTÉ, 13 November 2003
  9. ^ "29 seek office in what could be the last Larne Borough Council", Larne Times, 15 April 2005
  10. ^ "TUV vow to bring down Stormont Executive", Belfast Telegraph, 9 November 2009
Civic offices
Preceded by Mayor of Larne
1983–1984
Succeeded by
Northern Ireland Forum
New forum Member for East Antrim
1996–1998
Forum dissolved