Thomas Buchanan (Unionist politician) explained

Thomas Buchanan
Honorific-Suffix:MLA
Constituency Am:West Tyrone
Assembly:Northern Ireland
Term Start:26 November 2003
Predecessor:Oliver Gibson
Office1:Member of
Omagh District Council
Constituency1:West Tyrone
Term Start1:19 May 1993
Term End1:22 May 2014
Predecessor1:Harry Cairns
Successor1:Council abolished
Birth Date:30 June 1963
Birth Place:Drumquin, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Nationality:British
Party:Democratic Unionist Party
Occupation:Contractor

Thomas Buchanan (born 30 July 1963) is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician, serving as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for West Tyrone since 2003. Buchanan is the DUP Spokesperson for Victims Rights and Groups Liaison.[1] He is also one of the DUP's members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

Background

He was educated at Langfield Primary School, Castlederg Secondary School, and at Omagh Technical College. In 1993 he was elected to Omagh District Council and became its youngest member and in 2004 was voted Vice Chairman. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2003 being the only member from the DUP for West Tyrone until the 2007 election when he was joined by Allan Bresland who is originally from Donemana and is a member of Strabane District Council.

In July 2010, he complained about a display of bunting inside an Omagh bank that celebrated a success by the Tyrone GAA team. The bank had been sponsoring the Ulster Championship. Buchanan accused the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) of being a political and Irish republican organisation.[2]

On 25 October 2013 Buchanan told school children attending a public event that homosexuality is an 'abomination'.[3]

Buchanan believes in creationism. In September 2016 he supported an event promoting the teaching of creationism in every school, stating that "I’m someone who believes in creationism and that the world was spoken into existence in six days by His power".[4] [5]

He is the DUP candidate in West Tyrone in the 2024 United Kingdom general election.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tom Buchanan MLA . 2023-11-20 . DUP . en.
  2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-10745220 "MLA hits out at Ulster Bank Omagh branch GAA display"
  3. Web site: Local politician tells school kids homosexuality is 'an abomination'.. Ulster Herald. 24 October 2013. 27 February 2015.
  4. News: From abortion to evolution: the terrifying views of the DUP you need to know. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dup-hung-parliament-results-policies-manifesto-abortion-gay-marriage-climate-change-who-are-they-a7781656.html . 7 May 2022 . subscription . live. 10 June 2017. The Independent. 9 June 2017.
  5. News: Five things you need to know about DUP politicians and science. 10 June 2017. New Scientist.
  6. News: 2024-05-29 . Gavin Robinson ratified as DUP leader and confirms party will not stand in Fermanagh-South Tyrone or North Down . 2024-06-03 . BelfastTelegraph.co.uk . en-GB . 0307-1235.