Ernest Baird

Background

Baird was born in County Donegal in the Irish Free State but moved with his family to Belfast at an early age.

Career

When William Craig, the leader of Vanguard, proposed forming a coalition government with the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party, Baird led the majority of Vanguard in leaving to form the United Ulster Unionist Movement. Baird became the leader of the new grouping, which initially pursued a policy of uniting all unionist groups to form a new party. When this proved impossible, it instead constituted itself as the United Ulster Unionist Party (UUUP), again with Baird as leader.

At the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1982, he fared even less well, taking only 2,022 first preference votes.

Some time after this poor performance, the UUUP was dissolved. Baird then confined his politics to the Orange Order, while building up his "Baird"s Chemists" chain.

Achievements

• He was elected at the Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973 for Fermanagh and South Tyrone, and won a seat in the same constituency on the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention. Baird stood for the UUUP in Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the 1979 United Kingdom general election, but won only 17% of the vote, taking fourth position in the poll.

Politics

A pharmacist and political unionist, Baird became the deputy leader of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party.

Membership

1st Northern Ireland Assembly (1973–1974)]

He then became a key member of the United Unionist Action Council.