William Stewart (Belfast South MP)

{{other people|William Stewart}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Use Hiberno-English|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = William Stewart | honorific_suffix = | image = | constituency_MP = Belfast South | parliament = | majority = | term_start = 30 May 1929 | term_end = 15 June 1945 | predecessor = Thomas Moles | successor = Conolly Gage | birth_date = 1868 | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|1946|05|14|1868|||df=yes}} | death_place = | resting_place = | birth_name = | party = Ulster Unionist Party | other_party = | spouse = | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | cabinet = | committees = | portfolio = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''William John Stewart''' (1868 – 14 May 1946) was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland who formed a Progressive Unionist Association to protest "autocratic" tendencies in the Unionist government and its lack of action on unemployment.

==Life== Stewart studied at Queen's College, Belfast and became managing director at Stewart and Partners, Ltd. In 1919 he was an Independent Unionist candidate. He was elected as Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast South at the 1929 general election. He was returned unopposed in 1931 and 1935. and was an MP to 1945.<ref>{{cite book|last=Harbinson|first=John F.|title=The Ulster Unionist Party, 1882–1973|year=1973|publisher=Blackstaff Press|location=Belfast|isbn=0856400769|page=[https://archive.org/details/ulsterunionistpa00john_0/page/181 181]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/ulsterunionistpa00john_0/page/181}}</ref>

Accusing the Unionist government of displaying "autocratic" tendencies, in April 1937 he formed the Justice for Ulster Committee which proposed limiting office in government to eight years or two parliaments.<ref name="Courtney2">{{cite book|last1=Courtney|first1=Roger|title=Dissenting Voices: Rediscovering the Irish Progressive Presbyterian Tradition|date=2013|publisher=Ulster Historical Foundation|isbn=9781909556065|location=Belfast|pages=286}}</ref>

In August 1937 he founded the Ulster Progressive Unionist Party. It called for greater action on unemployment and for bringing Northern Ireland up to British standards on housing and social services. Progressive Unionist candidates opposed UUP candidates in elections, but Stewart continued to take the Conservative and Unionist whip at Westminster.<ref name="Courtney2"/>

Stewart retired from Parliament at the 1945 general election and died the following year, aged 77.

== References == * {{cite book |last=Craig |first=F. W. S. |authorlink= F. W. S. Craig |title=British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 |orig-year=1969 |edition= 3rd |year=1983 |publisher= Parliamentary Research Services |location=Chichester |isbn= 0-900178-06-X}} *{{Rayment-hc|date=March 2012}}

==Notes== {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{Hansard-contribs | mr-william-stewart | William Stewart }}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|uk}} {{succession box | title = Member of Parliament for Belfast South | years = 1929–1945 | before = Thomas Moles | after = Conolly Gage }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, William John}} Category:1868 births Category:1946 deaths Category:Ulster Unionist Party MPs Category:Leaders of political parties in Northern Ireland Category:Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Belfast constituencies (since 1922) Category:UK MPs 1929–1931 Category:UK MPs 1931–1935 Category:UK MPs 1935–1945