Sir Ivan Neill, KBE, PC (1 July 1906 — 7 November 2001), was a British Army officer and Unionist politician from Northern Ireland.
Sir Ivan Neill | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland | |
| In office 1969–1972 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | James Chichester-Clark Brian Faulkner |
| Preceded by | Sir Norman Stronge |
| Succeeded by | Parliament prorogued |
| Minister for Development | |
| In office 19 December 1968 – 3 March 1969 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Terence O'Neill |
| Preceded by | William Fitzsimmons |
| Succeeded by | William Long |
| Leader of the House of Commons | |
| In office 1964–1965 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Terence O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | Brian Faulkner |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 22 July 1964 – 2 April 1965 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Terence O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Jack Andrews |
| Succeeded by | Herbert Kirk |
| Minister of Education | |
| In office 12 March 1962 – 22 July 1964 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | The 1st Viscount Brookeborough |
| Preceded by | William May |
| Succeeded by | Herbert Kirk |
| Minister of Labour | |
| In office 12 January 1950 – 12 March 1962 | |
| Monarchs | George VI Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Sir Basil Brooke |
| Preceded by | Harry Midgley |
| Succeeded by | Herbert Kirk |
| Member of Parliament for Ballynafeigh | |
| In office 1949–1972 | |
| Preceded by | Frederick Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Parliament prorogued |
| Majority | 3,848 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 July 1906 Belfast, Ireland |
| Died | 7 November 2001 (aged 95) Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Spouse | Margaret |
| Alma mater | The Queen's University of Belfast |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Economist, Army officer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Royal Engineers |
Early life
editBorn in Belfast, Ireland, Neill studied at Ravenscroft National School and Shaftesbury Tutorial College before receiving a BSc in Economics from Queen's University, Belfast.[1] He ran a firm of building contractors in east Belfast[2] before joining the Royal Engineers as an officer in 1939. He served with the military until 1946, by which time he held the rank of major.[1]
Political activity
editIn 1946, Neill was elected to Belfast Corporation as an Ulster Unionist Party member, and two years later, he became an alderman, serving until 1950. At the 1949 Northern Ireland general election, he was elected for Belfast Ballynafeigh. In January 1950, he was made Minister of Labour, and was appointed to the Privy Council of Northern Ireland.[1] In this post, he sometimes spoke against his Government's policy – for example, against the 1956 Rent Bill which permitted landlords to increase rents in order to improve properties, while in 1958 he was rebuked for making a critical speech on economic policy.[3]
He held the post until 1962, when he became Minister of Education, then in 1964 he moved to become Minister of Finance and Leader of the House of Commons.[1] He was stripped of the Leadership of the House the following spring, and resigned from the Government in April,[4] feeling that he was being marginalised in favour of William Craig.[3]
In 1964, Neill again took a seat as an alderman on Belfast Corporation, this time serving for six years. In December 1968, he returned to the Government as Minister of Development, then in March 1969, he was elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons.[1]
The Official Irish Republican Army attempted to kidnap Neill from his house near Rostrevor, in October 1971. They were unsuccessful, but in December, his house was burnt down in an arson attack.[2]
The Parliament was prorogued in 1972. In March 1973, the British Government published its plans to replace the Parliament with the Northern Ireland Assembly. Neill resigned as a Member of Parliament and as Speaker. He was not replaced, and was therefore the last Speaker of the Parliament of Northern Ireland. He received a knighthood and withdrew from politics.[2] A Northern Ireland Order in Council grants him an annuity of £2,260 from 1 April 1973 for Neill's remaining life.[5]
Personal life
editNeill was married to Margaret with whom he had no children.
In 1995, Neill wrote an autobiography, Church and State. In this, he called on unionists to put aside their differences.[2][3]
He was a frequent visitor to his local Baptist Church.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons
- ^ a b c d "Obituary – Sir Ivan Neill", Belfast Telegraph, 7 November 2001
- ^ a b c Graham Walker, A History of the Ulster Unionist Party
- ^ Michael Kennedy, Division and Consensus
- ^ Statutory Instrument 1973 No. 1321 (section 2) The Mr. Speaker Neill's Retirement (Northern Ireland) Order 1973 (Coming into force 3 August 1973)