Billy Bell (politician)

British politician (1935–2020)

For other uses, see Billy Bell (disambiguation).

Billy Bell

OBE, JP

Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Lagan Valley
In office
25 June 1998 – 7 March 2007
Preceded by| New Creation
Succeeded by| Basil McCrea
Member of Lisburn City Council
In office
17 May 1989 – 5 May 2005
Preceded by| Richard Scott
Succeeded by| Stephen Moore
Constituency| Dunmurry Cross
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for South Antrim
In office
20 October 1982 – 1986
Lord Mayor of Belfast
In office
1979–1980
Preceded by| David Cook
Succeeded by| John Carson
Member of Belfast City Council
In office
18 May 1977 – 15 May 1985
Preceded by| David Smylie
Succeeded by| District abolished
Constituency| Belfast Area E
Member of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
for Belfast North
In office
1975–1976
Personal details
Born| (1935-10-09)9 October 1935
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Died| 9 June 2020(2020-06-09) (aged 84)
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Resting place| Dundonald Cemetery
Political party| Ulster Unionist Party
Website| Profile, archive.org

William Bradshaw Bell, OBE, JP (9 October 1935 – 9 June 2020) was a Northern Irish Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) politician who served as Lord Mayor of Belfast. He was also a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for Lagan Valley from 1998 to 2007.

## Life career

[edit]

Bell served as a Councillor on Belfast City Council from 1976 to 1985 and was Lord Mayor of Belfast from 1979 to 1980. He also served on Lisburn Council (1989–2007) and was Mayor of the City of Lisburn in 2003.

He was Personal Assistant to MP Rt Hon Sir James Molyneaux from 1976 to 1997. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975–1976) for North Belfast, and to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Lagan Valley constituency in 1998 and again in 2003. In 1996 he was an unsuccessful candidate in the Northern Ireland Forum election in Lagan Valley.[1] Bell stood in the 2007 Assembly election after re-selection by his party. However, he lost his seat to fellow UUP candidate, Basil McCrea.

Bell was appointed a Justice of the peace in 1985, and was a member of the Northern Ireland Housing Council.[citation needed]

Bell died in Belfast on 9 June 2020, at the age of 84.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Northern Ireland elections
2. ^ "Obituary: UUP's Billy Bell, the first to be a mayor of two cities". Belfast Telegraph. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* NI Assembly biography, archive.org; accessed 27 February 2017.

Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention

New convention |  Member for North Belfast
1975–1976  | Convention abolished
Northern Ireland Assembly (1982)
New assembly |  MPA for South Antrim
1982–1986  | Assembly abolished
Northern Ireland Assembly
New assembly |  MLA for Lagan Valley
1998–2007  | Succeeded by

Basil McCrea

Civic offices
Preceded by

David Cook

|  Lord Mayor of Belfast
1979–1980  | Succeeded by

John Carson

Preceded by

Betty Campbell

|  Mayor of Lisburn
2002–2003  | Succeeded by

Cecil Calvert

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