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Patrick Norton (Irish politician)

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Patrick Norton
Senator
In office
5 November 1969 – 1 June 1973
ConstituencyAdministrative Panel
Teachta Dála
In office
April 1965 – June 1969
ConstituencyKildare
Personal details
Born1928 (age 95–96)
County Kildare, Ireland
Political party
Parent

Patrick Norton (born 1928) is an Irish former politician. He first stood for election at the Kildare by-election on 19 February 1964 but he was not elected.[1] The by-election was caused by the death of his father William Norton, former Tánaiste and Labour Party leader from 1932 to 1960. Patrick Norton was elected to Dáil Éireann as a Labour Party Teachta Dála (TD) for the Kildare constituency at the 1965 general election.[2][1]

A businessman and property owner, with no previous record of party activism, he strongly opposed Labour's ideological swing to the left in the mid-1960s under Brendan Corish's leadership. After being attacked at the party conference regarding a court case condemning houses that he owned, he left the party in December 1967, insisting it had been captured by "a small but vocal group of fellow travellers".[3]

In February 1969, he joined Fianna Fáil.[2][4] On joining, he accused Labour of embracing "Cuban socialism".[3][5] He stood as a Fianna Fáil candidate at the 1969 general election but lost his seat.[1] He was subsequently elected to the 12th Seanad on the Administrative Panel as a Fianna Fáil senator. He also stood as a Fianna Fáil candidate at the 1973 general election for the Dublin South-East constituency but was not elected.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Patrick Norton". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Patrick Norton". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  3. ^ a b White, Lawrence William. "Norton, William Joseph". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  4. ^ Sheahan, Fionnán (4 December 2013). "Political defections through the ages, at home and abroad". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  5. ^ Gallagher, Michael (1982). The Irish Labour Party in Transition 1957-82 (PDF). Manchester University Press.