Articles and journals by Councillor Brian Wilson. showing life and politics in Bangor, North Down and Northern Ireland including his time on North Down Borough Council and as an MLA at Northern Ireland Assembly.
Like many others who have commented on the death of Ian Paisley I do so with very mixed emotions. I have experienced his generosity, kindness and enjoyed his sense of humour. I admire his family values and my thoughts and prayers are with Baroness Paisley and his family at this time. His greatest achievement has …
I SUPPOSE it is only with the benefit of hindsight that I can appreciate how fortunate I was to grow up in Bangor in the Sixties. It was an exciting time to be young and we enjoyed a freedom denied to our successors by the Troubles. We had just left the austere Fifties with its …
ALBERT MAGEE-Former Alliance Mayor of North Down The former mayor of North Down Albert Magee passed away last week at the age of 94. He joined the Alliance Party at its formation and was elected to the new North Down Council in 1973. He served as a councillor for the Abbey DEA for 20 …
As a former lecturer in government and as a councillor for 33 years I feel that I should comment on the proposed allowances for councillors. There is no justification for any increase. In fact a comparison with councillors with similar responsibilities in England would suggest that NI councillors are significantly overpaid. In my submission to the Councillors …
No Increase in Councillors Allowances is Justified Read More »
This weekend four hundred Friends of Saint Columbanus will be visiting Bangor to celebrate the life and works of Columbanus. This important event caused me to reflect on my interrail tour in the steps of Saint Columbanus which I undertook some years ago. I was first introduced to Saint Columbanus more than 50 years ago …
It is difficult to predict what Northern Ireland will look like in 2021. Although I do not see any political change I have serious concerns about the economic future. The Green Party supports the Good Friday Agreement and in the principle of consent. We are therefore concerned by the present stalemate at the Assembly and …
I first met Oliver Napier in 1975 when carrying out an interview for my Msc dissertation on the Alliance Party. Despite his busy schedule he was very generous with his time and talked in depth about his early years in politics from the creation of New Ulster Movement to the Sunningdale Agreement and the power-sharing …
I find it hard to believe that it is 4 years since we gathered in Ards Leisure centre to hear the returning officer announce that I had been returned as a Green Party MLA for North Down. Although this historic breakthrough came as a shock to the media I was always reasonably confident that we …
