Billy Bell (politician)

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

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. 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.

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

External links

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