David Kerr (Northern Irish politician) facts for kids

David Thomas Kerr, born in 1957, is a politician from Northern Ireland. He is known for his work with several political groups. Currently, he is the Chairman of the National Liberal Party. He also led a group called Third Way for many years.

About David Kerr

Early Life

David Kerr was born in Belfast, which is the capital city of Northern Ireland. In 2005, he lived in the Shankill Road area of the city.

Starting in Politics

Kerr began his political journey in 1986. He joined a group called the National Front (NF). At that time, the party had different groups with different ideas. Kerr supported one of these groups.

He ran for a local council position in Newtownabbey Borough Council twice while with the NF. He also led a local group called the North Belfast Independent Unionist Association. Here, he started to develop his ideas about Ulster nationalism. This idea is about Northern Ireland becoming an independent country.

Kerr often wrote about Ulster nationalism in Nationalism Today. This was a magazine that shared the party's ideas. Because of his writings, Ulster nationalism became a policy for his part of the NF. This was different from the NF's earlier ideas, which supported staying loyal to the United Kingdom.

Leading the Third Way

In 1989, Kerr and others decided to end the National Front. The next year, in 1990, he helped start a new group called Third Way. Today, the Third Way works as a "think-tank." This means it researches and develops ideas about politics.

Kerr is also the main leader of the National Liberal Party (NLP). This party grew out of the Third Way. He also leads the Ulster Third Way. This group is the Northern Ireland part of the Third Way. It focuses strongly on the idea of Northern Ireland becoming independent.

In the 2001 United Kingdom general election, Kerr ran for election in the West Belfast area. He was a Third Way candidate but received 116 votes. This was a very small share of the total votes. He also writes regularly for different publications from his party.

Supporting Ulster Independence

As mentioned, David Kerr has always supported an independent Northern Ireland. He is the editor of a publication called Ulster Nation. This is currently the only magazine that supports this idea.

In 1994, Kerr ran in the European elections. He called himself 'Independent Ulster'. It was unusual because two other candidates also supported independence. This meant the votes for independence were split among them. Kerr received 578 votes in this election.

After this election, a meeting was held for groups who wanted independence. Kerr agreed to work with other independence supporters. He later appeared on the candidate list for the Ulster Independence Movement. This was for elections in 1996 and 1998. However, he was not elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Kerr has also written a book about W. F. McCoy. McCoy was an important person who first supported Ulster nationalism.

Running in the 2005 Election

In the 2005 United Kingdom general election, Kerr ran for election again. He stood in the East Antrim area. This time, he was a candidate for the Vote For Yourself Party. He received 147 votes.

Even though he ran for this party, Kerr remained a member of the Third Way. He said he ran for the Vote For Yourself Party because they supported using referendums. A referendum is when people vote directly on a policy or law. He explained that he wanted to promote the idea of "Direct democracy." This means people have a more direct say in how they are governed.

Other Interests

David Kerr used to write a regular column called 'Kerr's Corner'. It appeared in local newspapers in Carrickfergus and North Belfast. In his free time, he enjoys cycling. The Third Way's website says he is very interested in environmental issues and housing.