{{Short description|Northern Irish politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Joe Hendron | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = 150px | alt = | caption = | office = Member of the Legislative Assembly<br />for Belfast West | assembly = | majority = | term_start = 25 June 1998 | term_end = 26 November 2003 | predecessor = Office Created | successor = Diane Dodds | term_start1 = 20 October 1982 | term_end1 = 1986 | predecessor1 = ''Assembly re-established'' | successor1 = ''Assembly abolished'' | office2 = Member of Parliament <br /> for Belfast West | parliament2 = | majority2 = | term_start2 = 9 April 1992 | term_end2 = 8 April 1997 | predecessor2 = Gerry Adams | successor2 = Gerry Adams | office3 = Member of the Northern Ireland Forum <br /> for Belfast West | term_start3 = 30 May 1996 | term_end3 = 25 April 1998 | predecessor3 = ''Forum created'' | successor3 = ''Forum dissolved'' | office4 = Member of <br/> Belfast City Council | constituency4 = Lower Falls | term_start4 = 15 May 1985 | term_end4 = 19 May 1993 | predecessor4 = ''District created'' | successor4 = Patsy McGeown | constituency5 = Belfast Area D | term_start5 = 20 May 1981 | term_end5 = 15 May 1985 | predecessor5 = Liam Hunter | successor5 = ''District abolished'' | office6 = Member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention <br /> for Belfast West | term_start6 = 1975 | term_end6 = 1976 | predecessor6 = ''Convention created'' | successor6 = ''Convention dissolved'' | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1932|11|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland | death_date = | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = | party = SDLP | other_party = | spouse = Sally | relations = | children = 4 | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = Physician | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | signature_alt = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Joseph Gerard Hendron''' (born 12 November 1932) is a Northern Ireland politician, a member of the centre-left Irish nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).<ref name="whoswho">{{cite web |title=Hendron, Joseph Gerard, (born 12 Nov. 1932), Member (SDLP) Belfast West, Northern Ireland Assembly, 1998–2003 |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U19831 |website=WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO |year=2007 |access-date=14 May 2021 |language=en |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u19831}}</ref>
==Background== Hendron, also a local GP physician for 40 years, was first elected as a political representative of Belfast West in 1975 to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention. He was later elected to Belfast City Council in 1981 and in 1982 to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Hendron was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast West between April 1992 and May 1997 in the UK Parliament in London. He had taken the seat from Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams at his third attempt with a majority of 1%. He became the only nationalist MP to defeat Adams. The seat had previously been held for the SDLP by Gerry Fitt (later Lord Fitt) until 1983. Hendron attracted unprecedented cross-community support from Nationalists and Unionists in the constituency. This was the only example where an SDLP candidate received a high enough number of Unionist votes in Belfast West to help unseat a Sinn Féin candidate. Adams regained the seat at the next election in May 1997.
In 1996, Hendron was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum and in 1998 to the newly reconvened Northern Ireland Assembly. However, he lost his seat in the 2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election to a member of Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party.
He was appointed a member of the Northern Ireland Parades Commission in 2005.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4486088.stm. Appointments made to parades body]{{dead link|date=September 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, BBC News, 30 November 2005, accessed 12 February 2012</ref> He retired from this role in December 2010.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12039483 New Parades Commission for Northern Ireland appointed], BBC News, 20 December 2010, accessed 12 February 2012</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100926084113/http://www.paradescommission.org/the-parades-commission/commission-members/?id=4] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20100218125151/http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/members/biogs/jhendron.htm]
==Bibliography== *[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199293/cmhansrd/1992-06-18/Debate-7.html Maiden Speech : House of Commons – 18 June 1992]
{{S-start}} {{s-par|ni/cc}} {{s-new | Convention}} {{s-ttl | title = Member for West Belfast | years = 1975–1976 }} {{s-non | reason = Convention dissolved }} {{s-par|ni/ass82}} {{s-new | assembly}} {{s-ttl | title = MPA for West Belfast | years = 1982–1986 }} {{s-non | reason = Assembly abolished }} {{s-par|uk}} {{Succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Belfast West | before = Gerry Adams | after = Gerry Adams | years = 1992–1997 }} {{s-par|ni/for}} {{s-new | Forum}} {{s-ttl | title = Member for West Belfast | years = 1996–1998 }} {{s-non | reason = Forum dissolved }} {{s-par|ni/ass}} {{s-new | assembly}} {{s-ttl | title = MLA for Belfast West | years = 1998–2003 }} {{s-aft | after = Diane Dodds }} {{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hendron, Joe}} Category:1932 births Category:Living people Category:Social Democratic and Labour Party MLAs Category:Members of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention Category:Northern Ireland MPAs 1982–1986 Category:Members of the Northern Ireland Forum Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 1998–2003 Category:UK MPs 1992–1997 Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Belfast constituencies (since 1922) Category:Members of Belfast City Council Category:Social Democratic and Labour Party MPs (UK)