John Hunter is a former Northern Irish unionist politician. Political career An active member of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Hunter wrote A Brief History of the Ulster Unionist Council in 1993.Richard English, Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, p.444 Hunter was close to David Trimble and, unenthusiastic about Jim Molyneaux's leadership of the party, he backed Trimble's successful candidacy in the September 1995 leadership election.Graham Walker, A History of the Ulster Unionist Party, p.250 However, he rapidly became unhappy with Trimble's willingness to reconsider the party's views on the Irish republican movement.Dean Godson, Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism, p.168 He accompanied Trimble to a meeting with John Major in June 1996, at which Major announced that he intended to ask George J. Mitchell to chair talks relating to the Northern Ireland peace process.Dean Godson, Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism, p.221
While Hunter occasionally attended the talks, which led to the Good Friday Agreement, he did not form part of the main talks team.Dean Godson, Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism, p.298 He was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum in South Antrim."1996 Forum Elections: Candidates in South Antrim ", Northern Ireland Elections He opposed the Agreement, and although he was selected as a party candidate for the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election,David McKittrick, "Splits open among Ulster Unionists", The Independent, 28 May 1998 he was not elected."South Antrim", Northern Ireland Elections
Hunter was suggested as a possible UUP candidate in the 2000 South Antrim by-election,John Mullin, "Death of MP splits Ulster Unionists over byelection", The Guardian, 28 April 2000 but the party instead stood David Burnside.
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