David McClarty (23 February 1951 – 18 April 2014) was an
Independent Unionist
Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism in the United Kingdom, British unionism (not to be confused with trade unionism).
It is most popularly asso ...
politician from
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, who served as a
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs; ga, Comhaltaí den Tionól Reachtach; sco-ulster, Laa-Makkan Forgaitherars) are representatives elected by the voters to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
About
The Northern Ireland Assembly has 90 ...
Coleraine
Coleraine ( ; from ga, Cúil Rathain , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern ...
and was educated at
Coleraine Academical Institution
Coleraine Academical Institution (CAI and styled locally as Coleraine Inst) was a voluntary grammar school for boys in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Coleraine Academical Institution occupied a site on the Castlerock Road, ...
and
Magee College
The Ulster University Magee campus is one of the four campuses of Ulster University. It is located in Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland and opened in 1865 as a Presbyterian Christian arts and Seminary, theological college. Since 1953, i ...
. McClarty was first elected to
Coleraine Borough Council
Coleraine Borough Council was a local council mainly in County Londonderry and partly in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. It merged with Ballymoney Borough Council, Limavady Borough Council and Moyle District Council in May 2015 under local g ...
in 1989, and held the post of
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
from 1993 to 1995.
Assembly career
Until 1 January 2011 he was an
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the I ...
East Londonderry East Londonderry or East Derry can refer to:
* The eastern part of County Londonderry
* The eastern part of the city of Derry
* East Londonderry (Assembly constituency)
* East Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)
East Londonderry is a par ...
and was the Ulster Unionist Party’s chief whip at the Assembly but since then, vowed to fight future elections as an independent. On 8 May 2007, he was elected as one of the three Deputy Speakers of the Assembly.
McClarty served on the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee and the Environment Committee in the Assembly from 1998 to 2002.
Party allegiance
He was one of a number of high-profile Ulster Unionist moderates who left the party along with Harry Hamilton and
Paula Bradshaw
Paula Jane Bradshaw (born 1 November 1972) is an Alliance Party of Northern Ireland politician. She has been a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for South Belfast since the 2016 election.
Early life and career
Bradshaw atte ...
, both of whom joined the
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), or simply Alliance, is a liberal and centrist political party in Northern Ireland. As of the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, it is the third-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, ...
, and
Trevor Ringland
Trevor Maxwell Ringland, (born 13 November 1959) is a Northern Irish solicitor, former rugby union player and politician. From June 2013 to July 2014, he served as Co-Chairman of the NI Conservatives. After attending Larne Grammar School, he r ...
, who joined the NI Conservatives.
McClarty appeared to dismiss speculation about switching to the Alliance by saying, "It has been suggested that, with my moderate views, I should go Alliance like Harry Hamilton in Upper Bann. But Alliance are lukewarm on the union, and I will be fighting as an Independent Unionist." He retained his seat in the Assembly in the 2011 election.
There was speculation that McClarty would rejoin the UUP after
Mike Nesbitt
Michael Nesbitt, MLA (born 11 May 1957) is a British politician and former broadcasterTom Elliott's departure and Nesbitt's subsequent election, McClarty said "I still have an interest in the wellbeing of the party." He went on to indicate that, as a sign of respect for those who voted for him as an independent candidate, he would not rejoin the UUP before the next election.
In early 2013, McClarty was in talks with John McCallister and
Basil McCrea
Basil McCrea (born 13 November 1959) is a former Northern Irish politician. He was the party leader of NI21 from 2013 until it disbanded in 2016. He was also a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley from 2007 to 2016.
...
, who were both elected as MLAs for the UUP but left the party in February 2013. The three were considering registering as an informal grouping within the Assembly. (McCallister and McCrea went on to form
NI21
NI21 was a short-lived political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 2013 by ex-Ulster Unionist Party MLAs Basil McCrea and John McCallister. Although it explicitly supported Northern Ireland staying part of the United Kingdom (i.e. ...
later in the year.)
Personal life
He was made a
Freeman
Freeman, free men, or variant, may refer to:
* a member of the Third Estate in medieval society (commoners), see estates of the realm
* Freeman, an apprentice who has been granted freedom of the company, was a rank within Livery companies
* Free ...
of the City of London in 1994. He was married to Norma.
He was a well known fixture for local theatre lovers with a long history of performing in various musicals fo Ballywillan Drama Group
Death
McClarty died on 18 April 2014 following an illness. He had been suffering from cancer for some time beforehand.