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Ernest Baird (1930 – September 2003) was a Northern Irish pharmacist and unionist politician.
Ernest Baird | |
|---|---|
| Leader of the United Ulster Unionist Party | |
| In office 1975 – May 1984 | |
| Deputy | Reg Empey |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Deputy leader of the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party | |
| In office 1973–1975 | |
| Leader | William Craig |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention for Fermanagh and South Tyrone | |
| In office 1975–1976 | |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone | |
| In office 1973–1974 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1930 County Donegal, Ireland |
| Died | September 2003 |
| Political party | United Ulster Unionist Party (1975 - 1984) |
| Other political affiliations | Ulster Vanguard (before 1975) |
Background
editEarly life
editBaird was born in County Donegal in the Irish Free State but moved with his family to Belfast at an early age.[1]
Career
editA pharmacist and political unionist, Baird became the deputy leader of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party. He was elected at the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, and won a seat in the same constituency on the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention.
When William Craig, the leader of Vanguard, proposed forming a coalition government with the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party, Baird led the majority of Vanguard in leaving to form the United Ulster Unionist Movement.
Baird became the leader of the new grouping, which initially pursued a policy of uniting all unionist groups to form a new party. When this proved impossible, it instead constituted itself as the United Ulster Unionist Party (UUUP), again with Baird as the leader. He then became a key member of the United Unionist Action Council
Baird stood for the UUUP in Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the 1979 general election, but won only 17% of the vote, taking fourth position in the poll. At the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election, he fared even less well, taking only 2,022 first preference votes.
Sometime after this poor performance, the UUUP was dissolved. Baird then confined his politics to the Orange Order, while building up his "Baird's Chemists" chain that became one of Northern Ireland's leading chemists chain, before being bought over in 2011.
References
edit- ^ "Meath Peace Group Public Talks 1993 - 2010 » Parading Disputes - Is There a Better Future?". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2020.