The Martin Smyth reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Martin Smyth

Reverend Martin Smyth (born June 15, 1931) is a Northern Ireland unionist politician, and member of Parliament for Belfast South. He is a member of the Ulster Unionist Party, who has resigned the party whip.

He used to be Grand Master of the Orange Order, and has been MP for the seat since a 1982 by-election caused by the death of Robert Bradford. He was one of the MPs to resign their seats in 1985 in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement. He challenged for the party leadership in 1995 after Jim Molyneaux stood down, but lost to David Trimble.

He is seen as anti-Good Friday Agreement, but not as anti as some, and was in 1993 condemned by the Democratic Unionist Party for suggesting that talks with Sinn Fein might be possible. He challenged David Trimble for the party leadership in 2000, but lost. In 2003 he, along with David Burnside and Jeffrey Donaldson, resigned the party whip. He attempted to dissuade Donaldson from resigning from the party entirely.

Preceded by: Peter Robinson 1985

Steward of the Manor of Northstead 1985

Followed by: Cecil Walker 1985

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