Thomas Robinson (Northern Ireland politician)

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.

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)

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