William Grant

Who was William Grant?

Rt. Hon. William Grant was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.

Born in Belfast, Grant worked as a shipwright and was a founder member of the Ulster Unionist Labour Association. He was also a founder member of the Ulster Volunteer Force. He was elected to the Northern Ireland House of Commons as an Ulster Unionist Party member for Belfast North in 1929, then winning Belfast Duncairn in 1929, holding this until his death.

Grant became Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour in 1938, then Minister of Public Security in 1941. As a cabinet post, this carried with it membership of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland. He was then appointed Minister of Labour from 1943 until 1944 and briefly in 1945, and also served as Minister of Health and Local Government from 1944 until his death.