David Brewster LL.B., (1964 – 20 January 2021)[1][2] was an Ulster unionist politician, community activist and historian from Limavady, County Londonderry.

Brewster came to prominence in the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) as a close associate of David Trimble. Unenthusiastic about Jim Molyneaux's leadership of the party, Brewster backed Trimble's successful candidacy in the September 1995 leadership election.[3] Brewster was already the Secretary of the East Londonderry Association of the party, and Trimble assisted him in winning election as one of the party's honorary secretaries in 1996.[4] Brewster claimed that Trimble also offered to help him take over as the Member of Parliament for East Londonderry from William Ross, a leading figure in the UUP but a critic of Trimble. However, Brewster did not want the role,[4] and instead won a seat in the equivalent constituency on the Northern Ireland Forum.[5] He worked with Peter King and Dean Godson on the UUP's "Strand I" team at the talks which led to the Good Friday Agreement.[6]

Brewster was also active in the Orange Order and, like most UUP members who were prominent Orangemen, he became critical of Trimble's leadership, and opposed the Good Friday Agreement.[7] He joined the oppositionist Union First Group, and left the party in 2003 to join the rival Democratic Unionist Party.[4]

Outside politics, Brewster worked as a solicitor and had his own practice in his hometown of Limavady[8] and served as president of the Roe Valley Chamber of Commerce from 2013-2016. He was also vice chairman of Limavady United Football Club and President of the William F. Massey Foundation.[9][10]

References

  1. ↑ "Funeral for much-admired lawyer David Brewster 'would seen town at a standstill in normal times'". www.newsletter.co.uk. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "Tributes paid to popular Limavady solicitor David Brewster who died suddenly". belfasttelegraph. Archived from the original on 4 March 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Graham Walker, A History of the Ulster Unionist Party, p.250
  4. 1 2 3 Dean Godson, Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism, p.184
  5. ↑ "East Londonderry Archived 11 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine", Northern Ireland Elections
  6. ↑ Dean Godson, Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism, p.298
  7. ↑ Henry Patterson and Eric P. Kaufmann, Unionism and Orangeism in Northern Ireland Since 1945, p.233
  8. ↑ David R. Brewster, http://www.drbrewster.co.uk/ Archived 9 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ↑ George Jones and David Sharrock, "QCs in Ulster no longer pledge to serve Queen Archived 8 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine", The Daily Telegraph, 28 June 2000
  10. ↑ "David Brewster". Twitter. Archived from the original on 25 February 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
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