William Neville John Thornton (born 1939 or 1940), known as Neville Thornton, is a former Northern Irish unionist politician.
Background Thornton studied at Portora Royal School and Stranmillis College, before becoming a teacher. He also became the vice-president of the Fermanagh Young Unionist Association, and represented Northern Ireland in the Observer Mace debating competition.The Times Guide to the House of Commons: 1970, p.217
At the 1970 general election, Thornton stood for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in Mid Ulster, but was narrowly defeated by Bernadette Devlin. He stood again at the February 1974 general election, in support of the Northern Ireland Assembly, but came bottom of the poll."Mid-Ulster 1973-1982", Northern Ireland Elections He became a full-time organiser for the UUP, but, increasingly at odds with the direction of the party, he resigned in 1974 to join the newly founded Unionist Party of Northern Ireland.Richard Deutsch and Vivien Magowan, Northern Ireland: 1968-74, a chronology of events, Vol. 3, p.4
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