George Forrest (Northern Ireland politician) facts for kids

George Forrest (born 26 October 1921 – died 10 December 1968) was a politician from Northern Ireland. He was a unionist, which means he supported Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area called Mid Ulster from 1956 until he passed away. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's main law-making body, the UK Parliament. George Forrest was the son of Joseph Forrest, who lived in Cookstown, County Tyrone.

George Forrest's Political Journey

George Forrest first became an MP in 1956 during a special election called a by-election. This election happened because the two MPs before him were not allowed to hold their seats.

Becoming an MP

When he was first elected, George Forrest was an independent politician. This means he did not belong to a specific political party. However, he soon joined the Ulster Unionist Party. This party wanted Northern Ireland to stay part of the United Kingdom. He was very successful and won his seat in three more general elections.

Supporting New Ideas

George Forrest became a strong supporter of Terence O'Neill, who was the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland at the time. A Prime Minister is the leader of the government. O'Neill had new, more open ideas for Northern Ireland. Because George Forrest supported these ideas, some people who disagreed with O'Neill's policies became very unhappy with him. In 1967, during a public event, he faced a difficult situation with some people who opposed his views.

After His Death

George Forrest passed away in 1968 when he was 47 years old. After his death, his wife, Anna, was chosen to try and win his seat in another by-election. However, the election was won by Bernadette Devlin, who became the new MP for Mid Ulster.