Norman Porter

For the poet and activist born Norman Porter, see J. J. Jameson.

Norman Porter (12 February 1919 – 12 March 1991^[1]) was a loyalist politician in Northern Ireland.

Born in Portsmouth in England, Porter grew up in Belfast, where he attended the Harding Memorial School.^[1]

A lay preacher, an Orangeman, an Apprentice Boy and a member of the Royal Black Institution,^[2] Porter became the leader of the National Union of Protestants in Northern Ireland in 1948.^[3] Ian Paisley was treasurer of the group, but left after Porter refused to join his new Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster. The Union disintegrated soon after.^[4] In 1953, Porter became the Director of the Evangelical Protestant Society. He also edited the Ulster Protestant newspaper,^[3] which he produced with William McConnell Wilton.^[5]

At the 1953 Northern Ireland general election, Porter was elected as an Independent Unionist MP for Belfast Clifton, standing with the slogan "For God and Ulster".^[6] He defeated Samuel Hall-Thompson, who uniquely among Ministers was not a member of the Orange Order and who had faced criticism from loyalists for appearing to compromise with the Roman Catholic Church while Minister of Education.^[7]

Porter attended the first meeting of the Ulster Protestant Action group in 1956, but he immediately withdrew.^[4] He lost his seat at the 1958 general election to Robin Kinahan.^[3] Porter was again defeated in the seat in a 1959 by-election.^[8]

Porter was an opponent of Catholicism. In a 1964 speech reported in the Belfast Newsletter, he stated: "When you become too friendly with those of different religious persuasion, you find it increasingly hard and difficult to oppose their beliefs – this leads to compromise."^[9]

In 1969, he stood in Belfast Duncairn, where sitting Ulster Unionist Party MP William Fitzsimmons' daughter had married a Roman Catholic, and Fitzsimmons had subsequently resigned from the Orange Order. Porter presented himself as a candidate whose opposition to Catholicism was in no doubt, but proved unsuccessful in the poll.^[7] He emigrated to Australia in 1970, but returned to Northern Ireland in 1982, settling in Portstewart.^[1]

Porter's son, also Norman Porter, has written several books on politics in Northern Ireland.^[2]

References

1. Bryson, Anna. "Porter, Norman". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Royal Irish Academy. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
2. Paul Bew, "Good Friday man?", Times Online
3. Michael Farrell, Northern Ireland: The Orange State
4. Clifford Smyth, Ian Paisley: Voice of Protestant Ulster, p.6
5. Clifford Smyth, Ian Paisley: Voice of Protestant Ulster, p.5
6. Graham S. Walker, A History of the Ulster Unionist Party: Protest, Pragmatism and Pessimism
7. . Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2007.
8. Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Biographies
9. John Daniel Cash, Identity, Ideology and Conflict: The Structuration of Politics in Northern Ireland

Parliament of Northern Ireland
Preceded by Samuel Hall-Thompson	Member of Parliament for Belfast Clifton 1953–1958	Succeeded by Robin Kinahan