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William Neville John Thornton (born 1939 or 1940), known as Neville Thornton, is a former Northern Irish unionist politician.

Background

Thornton studied at Portora Royal School and Stranmillis College, before becoming a teacher. He also became the vice-president of the Fermanagh Young Unionist Association, and represented Northern Ireland in the Observer Mace debating competition.

At the 1970 general election, Thornton stood for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in Mid Ulster, but was narrowly defeated by Bernadette Devlin. He stood again at the February 1974 general election, in support of the Northern Ireland Assembly, but came bottom of the poll. He became a full-time organiser for the UUP, but, increasingly at odds with the direction of the party, he resigned in 1974 to join the newly founded Unionist Party of Northern Ireland.

References

1. ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons: 1970, p.217
2. "Mid-Ulster 1973-1982", Northern Ireland Elections
3. Richard Deutsch and Vivien Magowan, Northern Ireland: 1968-74, a chronology of events, Vol. 3, p.4

• 1930s births
• Living people
• People educated at Portora Royal School
• Politicians from County Fermanagh
• Ulster Unionist Party politicians
• Unionist Party of Northern Ireland politicians
• Alumni of Stranmillis University College