Michael O'Halloran (British politician) facts for kids

Michael Joseph O'Halloran (born August 20, 1933 – died November 29, 1999) was a British politician. He was born in County Clare, Ireland. At 15, in 1948, he moved to London because he needed a job. He worked on the railway for many years. Later, he decided to get involved in politics.

Michael O'Halloran's Early Political Life

Michael O'Halloran became a candidate for the Labour Party. In 1969, he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP). This happened in a special election called a by-election for the area of Islington North. He took over from the previous MP, Gerry Reynolds, who had passed away.

Before becoming an MP, Michael O'Halloran was a secretary for the local Labour Party group in Islington North. Some people questioned how he was chosen as the candidate. They looked into his connections with a local building company and the Irish community in the area. Michael O'Halloran was a strong Catholic in his beliefs. He often talked about his experiences as a railway worker when discussing transport issues in Parliament.

Challenges and Changes in the Labour Party

In 1976, a member of the local party, Keith Veness, was temporarily removed. This was because he said that O'Halloran was too influenced by Irish Catholic ideas. However, Keith Veness was later allowed back into the party.

In 1977, Michael O'Halloran faced some difficult situations. His office was entered by activists. He said he was pushed to the ground during this event. In the same year, the Labour government was having trouble keeping its majority in Parliament. Michael O'Halloran threatened to resign if certain issues within his local party were not sorted out.

Moving to a New Political Party

Because of pressure from some members in his local party, Michael O'Halloran decided to leave the Labour Party. In 1981, he joined a new party called the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Many other Labour MPs also joined this new party at the time.

However, in 1983, the SDP chose a different person, John Grant, to be their candidate for Islington North. John Grant was already an MP for a nearby area, Islington Central, which was going to be removed due to boundary changes.

Standing as an Independent Candidate

Because the SDP chose someone else, Michael O'Halloran left the SDP. He decided to run as an Independent Labour candidate in the 1983 general election. This meant he was not officially supported by any major party.

In that election, the official Labour Party candidate, Jeremy Corbyn, won the seat. Jeremy Corbyn later became the leader of the Labour Party. Michael O'Halloran came in fourth place in the election, getting 11% of the votes. John Grant, the SDP candidate, finished in third place.

Retirement and Later Life

After the 1983 election, Michael O'Halloran retired from politics. He moved to County Wexford in Ireland with his wife. He lived there until he passed away at the age of 66.