FORMER MP WAS BITTERLY OPPOSED TO AGREEMENT
Former MP was bitterly opposed to Agreement
BY ALAN RODGERS
a. rodgers@ulsterherald. com
THE man who vowed that he would never hack the Good Friday Agreement had an eventful career in politics for almost three decades.
William Thompson's opposition to the 1998 accord was never in any doubt. But his tenure as an MP was due to the nationalist rivalry which developed prior to the 1997 General Election.
At the subsequent vote, the Ulster Unionist politician, who also served as an Omagh councillor, topped the poll with over 16,000 votes. However, the tally was far below the combined vote of some 28,000 achieved by Sinn Fein's Pat Doherty and Joe Byrne of the SDLP.
The death at the weekend of Mr Thompson, who was born in October 1939, marked the ending of another link with a tumultuous period in politics in the north.
He had also served as a member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in 1975. That body was set up by the Labour Government to look at constitutional issues.
Mr Thompson also served as a UUP member in the 1973 and 1982 Assemblies, and stood for election as an MP for the Mid-Ulster Constituency at the 1983 General election when he came fourth in the poll.
All that changed four years later when he became the first MP for the newly created West Tyrone, a position which he held until being defeated in the 2001 election.
He was MP duiing a dark period for the area as a result of the 1998 Omagh Bomb.
A TV repair man, he helped run Donaghanie Post Office with his wife Violet and was prominent in Orange Order circles holding a number of senior positions.
Speaking this week, Mr Thompson's Minister at Omagh Methodist Church, Rev John Sweeney, described the former MP as a man of 'great principle'.
"His religious stance was strongly theological, he was deeply read theologically in both the Old Testament and New Testament as well as in church history," he said.
"He was a leader in the church and as a pastoral visitor went to see a number of families as well as our senior citizens regularly and looked after their welfare.
"In his role as lay preacher, he regularly preached when we did not have the staff. Without these services, the work would have been very much more difficult."
Following his defeat in the 2001 election, Mr Thompson's direct involvement in local politics effectively ended.
He died aged 71 following an illness and was laid to rest at Cappagh Parish Churchyard following a funeral service at Omagh Methodist Church earlier this week.
He is survived by his wife Violet and children, Wilma, Elaine and Paul.#
BY ALAN RODGERS
a. rodgers@ulsterherald. com
THE man who vowed that he would never hack the Good Friday Agreement had an eventful career in politics for almost three decades.
William Thompson's opposition to the 1998 accord was never in any doubt. But his tenure as an MP was due to the nationalist rivalry which developed prior to the 1997 General Election.
At the subsequent vote, the Ulster Unionist politician, who also served as an Omagh councillor, topped the poll with over 16,000 votes. However, the tally was far below the combined vote of some 28,000 achieved by Sinn Fein's Pat Doherty and Joe Byrne of the SDLP.
The death at the weekend of Mr Thompson, who was born in October 1939, marked the ending of another link with a tumultuous period in politics in the north.
He had also served as a member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in 1975. That body was set up by the Labour Government to look at constitutional issues.
Mr Thompson also served as a UUP member in the 1973 and 1982 Assemblies, and stood for election as an MP for the Mid-Ulster Constituency at the 1983 General election when he came fourth in the poll.
All that changed four years later when he became the first MP for the newly created West Tyrone, a position which he held until being defeated in the 2001 election.
He was MP duiing a dark period for the area as a result of the 1998 Omagh Bomb.
A TV repair man, he helped run Donaghanie Post Office with his wife Violet and was prominent in Orange Order circles holding a number of senior positions.
Speaking this week, Mr Thompson's Minister at Omagh Methodist Church, Rev John Sweeney, described the former MP as a man of 'great principle'.
"His religious stance was strongly theological, he was deeply read theologically in both the Old Testament and New Testament as well as in church history," he said.
"He was a leader in the church and as a pastoral visitor went to see a number of families as well as our senior citizens regularly and looked after their welfare.
"In his role as lay preacher, he regularly preached when we did not have the staff. Without these services, the work would have been very much more difficult."
Following his defeat in the 2001 election, Mr Thompson's direct involvement in local politics effectively ended.
He died aged 71 following an illness and was laid to rest at Cappagh Parish Churchyard following a funeral service at Omagh Methodist Church earlier this week.
He is survived by his wife Violet and children, Wilma, Elaine and Paul.#
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/2018
Published Date: 16-Dec-10
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