William Bleakes

William Bleakes
Mayor of Lisburn
In office
1988–1989
Member of Lisburn Borough Council
In office
15 May 1985 – 7 June 2001
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byJames Baird
ConstituencyDownshire
In office
18 May 1977 – 15 May 1985
Preceded byIvan McKeever
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
ConstituencyLisburn Area B
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for
North Down
In office
1982–1986
Preceded byAssembly re-established
Succeeded byAssembly dissolved
Personal details
Born1933 (1933)
Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Died (aged 88)
Lisburn, Northern Ireland
Political partyIndependent Unionist (1998–2001)
NI Conservative (1989–1998)
Other political
affiliations		Ulster Unionist (1981–1989)
United Ulster Unionist (until 1981)

William George Bleakes (1933 – 17 October 2021) was a Northern Irish unionist politician who served as Mayor of Lisburn from 1988 to 1989, as well as a Lisburn Borough Councillor from 1977 to 2001.

Additionally, Bleakes was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for North Down from 1982 until 1986.

Career

Bleakes was first elected to Lisburn Borough Council in 1977 as a United Ulster Unionist Party (UUUP) councillor for 'Area B' (equivalent to the current 'Downshire' electoral area.) [1] With the UUUP in decline, he switched to the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and was returned to Lisburn Council in 1981 for that party. In 1982 he contested the North Down Assembly constituency, which then included parts of Lisburn. He won the last seat, just six votes ahead of his nearest challenger, the closest margin of the election. He continued to serve as a UUP local councillor, serving as Mayor of Lisburn in 1988–89[2] before joining the Conservative Party. He was re-elected as a Conservative councillor in 1993 and 1997.

Bleakes stood unsuccessfully in the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election in Lagan Valley. He then left the Conservatives to sit as an independent Unionist. However, a change in electoral legislation meant that he was unable to run under that label in 2001 and he lost his seat standing as an Independent.

Death

Bleakes died in Lisburn on 17 October 2021, at the age of 88.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ Local Government Elections 1973 - 1981: Lisburn
  2. ^ F.A.C.T. | Families Achieving Change Together | John Warnock
  3. ^ Cochrane, Amy (19 October 2021). "Veteran unionist Billy Bleakes, former Lisburn mayor, has died aged 88". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  4. ^ "William George (Billy) Bleakes". Funeral Times. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
Northern Ireland Assembly (1982)
New assembly MPA for North Down
1982–1986 		Assembly abolished
Civic offices
Unknown Mayor of Lisburn
1988–1989 		Unknown