William McCrea (politician)

Infobox MP
honorific-prefix =
name = William McCrea
honorific-suffix = MLA, MP


caption =
office=
term_start =
term_end =
leader =
predecessor =
successor =
constituency_AM2 = South Antrim
assembly2 = Northern Ireland
term_start2 = 7 March 2007
term_end2 =
majority2 =
predecessor2 =
successor2 =
constituency_MP3 = South Antrim
parliament3 =
term_start3 = 5 May 2005
term_end3 =
majority3 = 3,448 (9.1%)
predecessor3 = David Burnside
successor3 =
parliament4 =
term_start4 = 21 September 2000
term_end4 = 7 June 2001
majority4 =
predecessor4 = Clifford Forsythe
successor4 = David Burnside
constituency_MP5 = Mid Ulster
parliament5 =
term_start5 = 9 June 1983
term_end5 = 1 May 1997
majority5 =
predecessor5 = John Dunlop
successor5 = Martin McGuinness
birth_date = Birth date and age|1948|08|6|df=yes
birth_place = Stewartstown, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = British
spouse =
party = Democratic Unionist Party
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater =
occupation =
profession =
religion =


website = [http://www.dup.org.uk/WilliamMcCrea.asp William McCrea]
footnotes =

Robert Thomas William McCrea (born August 6, 1948) is a politician from Northern Ireland, and a member of the Democratic Unionist Party.

He has been a member of Magherafelt District Council since its creation in 1973 and in 1982 ran unsuccessfully for the Belfast South constituency in a by-election. He was member of Parliament for Mid Ulster from 1983 but lost this seat to Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness at the 1997 election. He took South Antrim at a by-election in 2000 caused by the death of Ulster Unionist Party MP, Clifford Forsythe, but failed to retain this seat at the 2001 election. In the 2005 election he regained the seat.

From 1998 to 2007 he was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Mid Ulster. At the 2007 election, he was elected as Assembly Member for South Antrim.

He is also the minister of Magherafelt Free Presbyterian Church and has made numerous gospel albums.

He was a member of the Shankill Defence Association and in 1971 he was convicted of riotous behaviour in Dungiven.cite book | last = Moloney | first = Ed | authorlink = Ed Moloney | title = Paisley | publisher = Poolbeg Press | date = 2008 | pages = p. 185 | isbn = 978-1842233245] cite web | title = Reg warns of violence | author = Newton Emerson | url = http://www.nuzhound.com/articles/irish_news/arts2006/aug12_Reg_warns_violence__NEmerson.php | publisher = "Irish News" | date = 12 August, 2006 | accessdate = 2007-03-25] In 1975 he led a prayer service at the paramilitary funerals of Wesley Somerville and Harris Boyle, who were responsible for the Miami Showband killings.

McCrea was criticised by nationalists when he shared a platform at a Portadown rally with the senior loyalist paramilitary Billy Wright in September 1996. [cite web | title = Election '97: Voters dream of day when hope and history rhyme | author = David McKittrick | url = http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19970423/ai_n14113046 | publisher = "The Independent" | date = 23 April, 1997 | accessdate = 2007-03-25]

References

External links

* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-3482,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: William McCrea MP]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/william_mccrea/south_antrim TheyWorkForYou.com - William McCrea MP]
* [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199900/cmhansrd/vo001025/debtext/01025-39.htm Maiden Speech : House of Commons - 25 October 2000 (South Antrim 1st term)]
* [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm050525/debtext/50525-28.htm Maiden Speech : House of Commons - 25 May 2005 (South Antrim 2nd term)]