Walter Millar
{{Short description|Northern Irish unionist politician}}
{{distinguish|Walter Miller (disambiguation){{!}}Walter Miller}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Walter Millar
|office = Member of Cookstown District Council
|constituency = Drum Manor
|term_start = 15 May 1985
|term_end = 19 May 1993
|predecessor = Seat created
|successor = William Cuddy
|birth_date =
|birth_place = Newmills, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
|party = TUV (2007 - 2019)
DUP (before 1993)
|otherparty = UKUP (2007)
Ulster Independence (1993 - 1996)
}}
Walter Millar is a Northern Irish unionist politician.
Early years
Millar grew up on a farm in Newmills, County Tyrone. He became the founding secretary of the Newmills Apprentice Boys in 1982."[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/northern_ireland/8629438.stm Election 2010 : Northern Ireland candidates (TUV)]", BBC News
Early career
He was elected to Cookstown District Council for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) at the 1985 local elections, and held his seat in 1989."[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/85-89lgcookstown.htm Local Government Elections 1985 -1989: Cookstown], Northern Ireland Elections For part of this period, he served as vice-chairman of the council.
Millar resigned from the DUP in the mid-1990s, joining the Ulster Independence Movement.George Harding, "[http://www.newsletter.co.uk/community/letters/comments_bear_little_significance_1_1853898 Comments bear little significance]", Belfast Newsletter, 16 May 2007. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006095411/http://www.newsletter.co.uk/community/letters/comments_bear_little_significance_1_1853898|date=2012-10-06}} He stood for his new party in Mid Ulster at the 1996 elections to the Northern Ireland Forum, but his list only took 263 votes, and he was not elected."[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/96mu.htm 1996 Forum Elections: Candidates in Mid Ulster]", Northern Ireland Elections He also failed to be elected from his fourth place on the party's regional list."[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/96cands.htm The 1996 Forum Elections: Regional List of Candidates]", Northern Ireland Elections
Career
Millar was also a leading figure in the Tyrone Orange Order, and rose to become Deputy Grand Master to Joel Patton. Like Patton, he was a leading figure in the Spirit of Drumcree group, and the two were compelled to leave the Order in 1998.Eric P. Kaufmann, The Orange Order, pp.168-199
Opposing the St Andrews Agreement, Millar joined the UK Unionist Party, and stood in Mid Ulster again at the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election."[http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/billy_kennedy_s_election_predictions_start_today_1_1843393 Billy Kennedy's election predictions start today] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006095507/http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/billy_kennedy_s_election_predictions_start_today_1_1843393 |date=6 October 2012 }}", Belfast Newsletter, 5 March 2007 In one of the party's better results, he took 2.7% of the votes cast."[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/amu.htm Mid Ulster]", Northern Ireland Elections The party disbanded soon afterwards, and Millar became the founding Mid Ulster Chairman of Traditional Unionist Voice. He stood in the Westminster constituency of Mid Ulster at the 2010 general election, holding his deposit, taking fifth place and 7.3% of the votes cast."[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/710.stm Election 2010: Mid Ulster]", BBC News The following year, he stood in the equivalent constituency at the Assembly election, and received 4.7% of the vote."[http://www.u.tv/election2011/Constituency.aspx?id=14 Your Constituency - Mid Ulster]", UTV He also stood for the TUV in Cookstown at the 2011 local elections, but came bottom of the poll, with 461 votes."[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/lgcookstown.htm Cookstown District Council Elections 1993-2011]", Northern Ireland Elections
The TUV decided to support an Independent Unionist unity candidate, Nigel Lutton, at the 2013 Mid Ulster by-election and Millar was among those who signed Lutton's nomination papers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tuv.org.uk/press-releases/view/1765/mid-ulster-tuv-chair-signs-lutton%27s-nomination-papers |title=Mid Ulster TUV Chair Signs Lutton's Nomination Papers | - Traditional Unionist Voice |access-date=22 February 2013 |archive-date=24 April 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130424002726/http://www.tuv.org.uk/press-releases/view/1765/mid-ulster-tuv-chair-signs-lutton's-nomination-papers |url-status=dead }}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Millar, Walter}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Members of Cookstown District Council
Category:Democratic Unionist Party councillors
Category:People from County Tyrone
Category:Traditional Unionist Voice politicians