Lawrence Orr
Captain Lawrence Percy Story Orr (16 September 1918 - 11 July 1990) was an Ulster Unionist politician in Northern Ireland. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for South Down from 1950 until he retired at the October 1974 general election, preceding Enoch Powell.
Orr was chairman of the Ulster Unionist MPs in the House of Commons from 1964 to 1974 and also Imperial Grand Master of the Orange Order.
He defended the influence of Orangemen in the UUP, saying they are "neither bigoted nor uncharitable ... we do not seek to injure or upbraid a man on account of his religious opinions ... and that they treated those who differed from them with all the common courtesies of a civilised community." Orr warned members not to "follow any narrow-minded part or copy the medieval Roman church in restricting the liberty of conscience of our members."
He also resisted attempts by Westminster to interfere in Northern Ireland's affairs. He married Jean Hughes and bore five children.
References
- Times Guide to the House of Commons, February 1974
- Irish News, July 13, 1968
- News Letter
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
External links
- 1918 births
- 1990 deaths
- Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Northern Irish constituencies
- Ulster Unionist Party politicians
- UK MPs 1950–51
- UK MPs 1951–55
- UK MPs 1955–59
- UK MPs 1959–64
- UK MPs 1964–66
- UK MPs 1966–70
- UK MPs 1970–74
- UK MPs 1974
- British Life Guards officers
- East Lancashire Regiment officers
- British Army personnel of World War II
- Northern Ireland (UK) MP stubs