Ivan Davis (politician)

Ivan Davis (16 April 1937 – 13 March 2020) was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.

Ivan Davis
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley
In office 25 June 1998 – 26 November 2003
Preceded by	New Creation
Succeeded by	Norah Beare
Personal details
Born	(1937-04-16)16 April 1937 Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Died	13 March 2020(2020-03-13) (aged 82)
Political party	Ulster Unionist Party
Other organisations	Orange Order member, Apprentice Boys member, Lisburn Citizens Advice Bureau member, Lisburn Sports Advisory Council member, Partnership of Peace & Reconciliation Committee member, Lisburn Swimming Club vice-president, Lisburn Amateur Boxing Club vice-president

Born in Lisburn, Davis was elected to Lisburn Borough Council in 1973, representing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). He was also elected to represent South Antrim at the 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election.

In 1987, Davis resigned from the DUP and instead joined the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). Under this new party label, he served as Mayor of Lisburn from 1991 – 93. He was also elected for Lagan Valley at the Northern Ireland Forum election in 1996 (with Jeffrey Donaldson and David Campbell), and narrowly held this seat at the 1998 Assembly election. During the course of the Assembly, he became UUP chief whip.

Lagan Valley UUP controversially did not select Davis as a candidate for the 2003 Assembly election,[1] so he resigned and stood instead as an independent Unionist.[2] He received 2,223 first-preference votes, but this did not prove sufficient to see him elected despite polling more first preferences than one successful candidate.[3]

Despite this, Davis continued to sit as a UUP member, and leader of the UUP group, on Lisburn City Council until 2011.[4]

He died on 13 March 2020, aged 82.[5][6]

References

1. BBC report
2. UTV report Archived 15 February 2005 at the Wayback Machine
3. ARK
4. Lisburn City Council Elections 1993 - 2011
5. "Ivan Davis: Tributes pour in for 'man of the people'". The News Letter. Belfast. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
6. "Former Mayor of Lisburn Ivan Davis dies at the age of 82". Belfast Telegraph. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.

Bibliography

• Biography – Ivan Davis, Northern Ireland Assembly

Northern Ireland Forum
New forum	Member for Lagan Valley 1996–1998	Forum dissolved
Northern Ireland Assembly (1982)
New assembly	MPA for South Antrim 1982–1986	Assembly abolished
Northern Ireland Assembly
New assembly	MLA for Lagan Valley 1998–2003	Succeeded by Norah Beare
Civic offices
Unknown	Mayor of Lisburn 1991–1993	Succeeded by Seamus Close