Robert Simpson (UK politician)

Robert Simpson (3 July 1923–8 April 1997), often known as Bob Simpson was a unionist politician in Northern Ireland.

Early life and education

Born in Ballymena, Simpson studied medicine at Queen's University Belfast before setting up his own practice.

Political career

He joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in 1952, and was selected as the party's candidate for Mid Antrim. He won the seat, unopposed, at the Northern Ireland general election, 1953, and held it at each election thereafter, not facing a single opponent until 1969.^[1]

A strong support of Terence O'Neill's reforms, Simpson was appointed briefly as Additional Parliamentary Secretary in the Department of the Prime Minister, and then as the first Minister for Community Relations in late 1969.^[2] He resigned from the freemasons and from the Orange Order in an attempt to appear impartial. In the role, he organised a series of dinner parties with attendees from both nationalist and unionist backgrounds, and through these developed a friendship with Seamus Heaney.^[1]

When Brian Faulkner became Prime Minister of Northern Ireland in 1971, Simpson was removed from his ministerial post and,^[1] the following year, Simpson resigned from the UUP.^[3] He spent the remainder of his life writing on medicine, agriculture and travel, developing an arboretum and organising the Ballymena Music Festival.^[1]

References

1. Roy Bradford, "Obituary: Dr Robert Simpson", The Independent, 29 April 1997
2. The Government of Northern Ireland
3. Simon Hoggart, "Another Ulster Unionist quits", The Guardian, 10 October 1972