John McQuade

Who was John McQuade?

John McQuade, known as Johnny McQuade, was a Northern Ireland politician. He was a professional boxer under the name of Jack Higgins.

After military service during which he served in Dunkirk and in Burma, he was a member of Belfast City Council from 1955 to 1972. He was a Unionist Member of the Stormont Parliament for Belfast Woodvale from 1965 to 28 March 1972 when he resigned in protest at the prorogation of the Parliament.

He resigned from the Ulster Unionist Party and subsequently joined the Democratic Unionist Party in Oct 1971. In February 1972, in response to the escalating violence in Northern Ireland, he called for the British security forces to take over the town of Newry and for the border with the Republic of Ireland to be closed, stating his belief that the Roman Catholic Church controlled the government of the Republic of Ireland.

He contested the February and October 1974 Westminster elections unsuccessfully for Belfast West. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Belfast North from 1979 to 1983, when he retired. He died on the 19 November 1984.