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William Hull (born 1912, date of death unknown^[1]) was a loyalist activist in Northern Ireland. Hull was a leading figure in political, paramilitary and trade union circles during the early years of the Troubles. He is most remembered for being the leader of the Loyalist Association of Workers, a loyalist trade union-styled movement that briefly enjoyed a mass membership before fading.

Early years

A native of Belfast, Hull came from the Shankill Road, a staunchly loyalist and working class area in the west of the city.^[2] Hull was well known for his heavy build, and he was said to weigh as much as twenty stone.^[3] He was a member of the Orange Order.^[4]

Hull worked at the Harland & Wolff engine shop in Belfast, and became the convenor of shop stewards there.^[2] A supporter of working class and trade union politics, Hull became a member of the Northern Ireland Labour Party in 1948. He maintained his membership of the party until the early 1970s, when he resigned in protest at the Northern Ireland policy of the Harold Wilson government and the British Labour Party.^[1]

Loyalist activism

Hull was also active in loyalist paramilitarism and around 1970 he helped to establish the Workers' Committee for the Defence of the Constitution (WCDC), a loyalist trade union of which he was joint leader along with Hugh Petrie of Short Brothers.^[5] In February 1971, he led a march of 9,000 shipyard workers to demand the introduction of internment in the aftermath of the 1971 Scottish soldiers' killings.^[1] Hull's march was one of the major factors in the resignation of James Chichester-Clark as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.^[1]

In 1971 he founded the Loyalist Association of Workers (LAW), which campaigned against the abolition of the Parliament of Northern Ireland and which replaced the earlier WCDC. He felt that the LAW could harness the "power of the [loyalist] grass roots", which he felt had been taken for granted by unionist politicians up to that point.^[6] The group, which combined an interest in working class issues with an anti-Catholic agenda and support for inequality, has been characterised by David McKittrick as presenting a syncretic form of "sectarian socialism".^[7] Hull warned of the results of a British abandonment of Northern Ireland: "If we're sold down the drain, there wouldn't be a civil war. There would be armed rebellion against the government of Britain."^[8] The group claimed as many as 100,000 members at its peak and Hull helped to organise a 48-hour strike as a response to the introduction of direct rule.^[1] This however was to prove the zenith of the LAW for Hull disagreed with other leading figures over strategy soon afterwards and the movement collapsed, with the bulk of the membership decamping to the Ulster Workers' Council.^[1]

UDA

In 1971 Hull had co-operated closely with Jim Anderson in helping to organise a local "defence association" of vigilantes in the mid-Shankill area.^[3] This group was swiftly merged with a number of similar like-minded groups to form the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and from 1972 to 1973 Hull would serve as a member of the UDA's Inner Council, the name given to a group of prominent members who met regularly to decide the direction of the movement.^[9] Hull was prominent in the early years of the UDA and in 1972 was one of three members, along with Tommy Herron and Davy Fogel, to meet Secretary of State for Northern Ireland William Whitelaw at Parliament Buildings to discuss the growing problem of violence at interface areas in Belfast.^[10] In November of the same year he also accompanied Herron on a trip to Canada where the pair hoped to present the loyalist case and develop links with groups representing Northern Irish emigrants.^[11]

Political career

In 1972, Hull was a prominent founder-member of the Ulster Vanguard.^[9] With William Craig confirmed as leader, Hull became one of his most prominent and visible lieutenants alongside the Reverend Martin Smyth and Captain Austin Ardill.^[12] He subsequently stood for its successor, the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party in North Belfast at the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election, but took only 852 votes and was not elected.^[13] Along with Herron, Bill Snoddy and Tommy Lyttle, Hull's performance represented a near total routing for the Vanguard's UDA candidates, although Glenn Barr was elected in Derry to prevent a total wipeout.^[14] The trade union backgrounds of Hull and Barr had helped to persuade Craig to include the word "Progressive" in his party's name in the first place.^[15]

Following his own disappointing showing, Hull contemplated turning the LAW into a new, working class loyalist party, but this was fiercely opposed by Vanguard leader William Craig.^[16] This suggestion, along with Hull's background in the Northern Ireland Labour Party began to see his credentials as a loyalist questioned and his support erode.^[16] The LAW collapsed, with many of its members forming the Ulster Workers Council.^[9]

Later years

In 1974, Hull was shot and injured in an attack which Conflict Archive on the Internet states was carried out by other loyalist paramilitaries, possibly the Ulster Volunteer Force.^[17] Henry McDonald and Jim Cusack however state that the shooting was the work of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who wanted to take down two high-profile UDA members, even if they had little involvement in the group's military activities.^[18] Steve Bruce also states that it was the work of IRA members from Ardoyne, although a false claim was made to the BBC that it had been carried out by the Ulster Young Militants.^[19] Hull had been in the Crumlin Road glazier shop belonging to Jim Anderson when a gunman entered and shot both men.^[18]

By the time of this attack, Hull's role with the UDA had diminished considerably.^[18] With the LAW having also disappeared, Hull would play little role in public life from then on.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f WD Flackes & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968–1993, Blackstaff Press, 1994, p. 185
^ ^a ^b Jim Cusack & Henry McDonald, UVF, Poolbeg, 1997, p. 107
^ ^a ^b Henry McDonald & Jim Cusack, UDA – Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror, Penguin Ireland, 2004, p. 19
^ Tim Pat Coogan, The Troubles, Hutchinson, 1995, p. 140
^ Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations: parties, groups and movements of the 20th century, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000, p. 265
^ Peter Taylor, Loyalists, Bloomsbury, 2000, pp. 120–121
^ David McKittrick, "The Class Structure of Unionism", The Crane Bag, Vol. 4, No. 2, The Northern Issue (1980/1981), pp. 28–33
^ Mansbach, Richard (1973), Northern Ireland: Half a Century of Partition, Facts on File, Inc, New York, pg 196, ISBN 0-87196-182-2
^ ^a ^b ^c Michael Farrell, Northern Ireland: The Orange State
^ McDonald & Cusack, UDA, p. 30
^ McDonald & Cusack, UDA, p. 39
^ J. Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army: The IRA, Transaction Publishers, 1997, p. 387
^ North Belfast 1973–1982, Northern Ireland Elections
^ McDonald & Cusack, UDA, p. 66
^ Dean Godson, Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism, HarperCollins UK, 2004, p. 38
^ ^a ^b Paul Bew & Gordon Gillespie, Northern Ireland A Chronology of the Troubles 1968–1999, Gill & Macmillan, 1999, p. 60
^ A Chronology of the Conflict – 1974, CAIN Web Service
^ ^a ^b ^c McDonald & Cusack, UDA, p. 90
^ Steve Bruce, The Red Hand, Oxford University Press, 1992, p. 102

[Flackes-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f WD Flackes & Sydney Elliott, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968–1993, Blackstaff Press, 1994, p. 185

[UVF-2] Jim Cusack & Henry McDonald, UVF, Poolbeg, 1997, p. 107

[UDA19-3] Henry McDonald & Jim Cusack, UDA – Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror, Penguin Ireland, 2004, p. 19

[4] Tim Pat Coogan, The Troubles, Hutchinson, 1995, p. 140

[5] Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations: parties, groups and movements of the 20th century, Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000, p. 265

[6] Peter Taylor, Loyalists, Bloomsbury, 2000, pp. 120–121

[7] David McKittrick, "The Class Structure of Unionism", The Crane Bag, Vol. 4, No. 2, The Northern Issue (1980/1981), pp. 28–33

[8] Mansbach, Richard (1973), Northern Ireland: Half a Century of Partition, Facts on File, Inc, New York, pg 196, ISBN 0-87196-182-2

[farrell-9] Michael Farrell, Northern Ireland: The Orange State

[10] McDonald & Cusack, UDA, p. 30

[11] McDonald & Cusack, UDA, p. 39

[12] J. Bowyer Bell, The Secret Army: The IRA, Transaction Publishers, 1997, p. 387

[13] North Belfast 1973–1982, Northern Ireland Elections

[14] McDonald & Cusack, UDA, p. 66

[15] Dean Godson, Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism, HarperCollins UK, 2004, p. 38

[Bew-16] Paul Bew & Gordon Gillespie, Northern Ireland A Chronology of the Troubles 1968–1999, Gill & Macmillan, 1999, p. 60

[17] A Chronology of the Conflict – 1974, CAIN Web Service

[UDA90-18] McDonald & Cusack, UDA, p. 90

[19] Steve Bruce, The Red Hand, Oxford University Press, 1992, p. 102

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+{{Short description|Northern Irish loyalist activist}}
-'''Billy Hull''' (born 1912) was a [[Ulster loyalism|loyalist]] activist in [[Northern Ireland]].
+{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
+'''William Hull''' (born 1912, date of death unknown<ref name="Flackes">WD Flackes & Sydney Elliott, ''Northern Ireland: A Political Directory 1968–1993'', Blackstaff Press, 1994, p. 185</ref>) was a [[Ulster loyalism|loyalist]] activist in [[Northern Ireland]]. Hull was a leading figure in political, paramilitary and trade union circles during the early years of [[the Troubles]]. He is most remembered for being the leader of the [[Loyalist Association of Workers]], a loyalist trade union-styled movement that briefly enjoyed a mass membership before fading.
+==Early years==
-Hull worked at the [[Harland and Wolff]] engine shop in [[Belfast]], and became the convenor of [[shop steward]]s there.  He joined the [[Northern Ireland Labour Party]], but resigned in 1969 in protest at the Northern Ireland policy of the [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]].  In February 1971, he led a march of 4,000 shipyard workers to demand the introduction of [[internment]].  Instead, he founded the [[Loyalist Association of Workers]] (LAW), which campaigned against the abolition of the [[Parliament of Northern Ireland]].  From 1972 - 73, he was a member of the inner council of the [[paramilitary]] [[Ulster Defence Association]], and also in 1972, he was a prominent founder member of [[Ulster Vanguard]].<ref name="farrell">[[Michael Farrell (activist)|Michael Farrell]], ''Northern Ireland: The Orange State''</ref>
+A native of [[Belfast]], Hull came from the [[Shankill Road]], a staunchly loyalist and working class area in the west of the city.<ref name="UVF">Jim Cusack & Henry McDonald, ''UVF'', Poolbeg, 1997, p. 107</ref> Hull was well known for his heavy build, and he was said to weigh as much as twenty stone.<ref name="UDA19"/> He was a member of the [[Orange Order]].<ref>[[Tim Pat Coogan]], ''The Troubles'', Hutchinson, 1995, p. 140</ref>
+Hull worked at the [[Harland & Wolff]] engine shop in [[Belfast]], and became the convenor of [[shop steward]]s there.<ref name="UVF"/> A supporter of working class and trade union politics, Hull became a member of the [[Northern Ireland Labour Party]] in 1948. He maintained his membership of the party until the early 1970s, when he resigned in protest at the Northern Ireland policy of the [[Harold Wilson]] government and the [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]].<ref name="Flackes"/>
-Hull stood for the [[Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party]] in [[North Belfast (Assembly constituency)|North Belfast]] at the [[Northern Ireland Assembly election, 1973]], but took only 852 votes and was not elected.<ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/cnb.htm North Belfast 1973-1982], Northern Ireland Elections</ref>  He contemplated turning the LAW into a new, [[working class]] loyalist party, but this was fiercely opposed by Vanguard leader [[William Craig (politician)|William Craig]].  The LAW collapsed, many of its members forming the [[Ulster Workers Council]].<ref name="farrell" />  In 1974, Hull was shot and injured in an attack by other Loyalist paramilitaries, possibly the [[Ulster Volunteer Force]].<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch74.htm A Chronology of the Conflict - 1974], CAIN Web Service</ref>
+==Loyalist activism==
+Hull was also active in loyalist paramilitarism and around 1970 he helped to establish the Workers' Committee for the Defence of the Constitution (WCDC), a loyalist trade union of which he was joint leader along with Hugh Petrie of [[Short Brothers]].<ref>Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations: parties, groups and movements of the 20th century'', Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000, p. 265</ref> In February 1971, he led a march of 9,000 shipyard workers to demand the introduction of [[internment]] in the aftermath of the [[1971 Scottish soldiers' killings]].<ref name="Flackes"/> Hull's march was one of the major factors in the resignation of [[James Chichester-Clark]] as [[Prime Minister of Northern Ireland]].<ref name="Flackes"/>
+In 1971 he founded the [[Loyalist Association of Workers]] (LAW), which campaigned against the abolition of the [[Parliament of Northern Ireland]] and which replaced the earlier WCDC. He felt that the LAW could harness the "power of the [loyalist] grass roots", which he felt had been taken for granted by unionist politicians up to that point.<ref>Peter Taylor, ''Loyalists'', Bloomsbury, 2000, pp. 120–121</ref> The group, which combined an interest in working class issues with an [[anti-Catholic]] agenda and support for inequality, has been characterised by [[David McKittrick]] as presenting a [[Syncretic politics|syncretic]] form of "[[sectarianism|sectarian]] socialism".<ref>David McKittrick, "The Class Structure of Unionism", ''The Crane Bag'', Vol. 4, No. 2, The Northern Issue (1980/1981), pp. 28–33</ref> Hull warned of the results of a British abandonment of Northern Ireland: "If we're sold down the drain, there wouldn't be a civil war. There would be armed rebellion against the government of Britain."<ref>Mansbach, Richard (1973), ''Northern Ireland: Half a Century of Partition'', Facts on File, Inc, New York, pg 196, ISBN 0-87196-182-2</ref> The group claimed as many as 100,000 members at its peak and Hull helped to organise a 48-hour strike as a response to the introduction of direct rule.<ref name="Flackes"/> This however was to prove the zenith of the LAW for Hull disagreed with other leading figures over strategy soon afterwards and the movement collapsed, with the bulk of the membership decamping to the [[Ulster Workers' Council]].<ref name="Flackes"/>
+===UDA===
+In 1971 Hull had co-operated closely with [[Jim Anderson (loyalist)|Jim Anderson]] in helping to organise a local "defence association" of vigilantes in the mid-Shankill area.<ref name="UDA19">Henry McDonald & Jim Cusack, ''UDA – Inside the Heart of Loyalist Terror'', Penguin Ireland, 2004, p. 19</ref> This group was swiftly merged with a number of similar like-minded groups to form the [[Ulster Defence Association]] (UDA) and from 1972 to 1973 Hull would serve as a member of the UDA's Inner Council, the name given to a group of prominent members who met regularly to decide the direction of the movement.<ref name="farrell">[[Michael Farrell (activist)|Michael Farrell]], ''Northern Ireland: The Orange State''</ref> Hull was prominent in the early years of the UDA and in 1972 was one of three members, along with [[Tommy Herron]] and [[Davy Fogel]], to meet [[Secretary of State for Northern Ireland]] [[William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw|William Whitelaw]] at [[Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)|Parliament Buildings]] to discuss the growing problem of violence at [[interface area]]s in Belfast.<ref>McDonald & Cusack, ''UDA'', p. 30</ref> In November of the same year he also accompanied Herron on a trip to Canada where the pair hoped to present the loyalist case and develop links with groups representing Northern Irish emigrants.<ref>McDonald & Cusack, ''UDA'', p. 39</ref>
+==Political career==
+In 1972, Hull was a prominent founder-member of the Ulster Vanguard.<ref name="farrell"/> With [[William Craig (Northern Ireland politician)|William Craig]] confirmed as leader, Hull became one of his most prominent and visible lieutenants alongside the Reverend [[Martin Smyth]] and Captain [[Austin Ardill]].<ref>J. Bowyer Bell, ''The Secret Army: The IRA'', Transaction Publishers, 1997, p. 387</ref> He subsequently stood for its successor, the [[Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party]] in [[North Belfast (Assembly constituency)|North Belfast]] at the [[1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election]], but took only 852 votes and was not elected.<ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/cnb.htm North Belfast 1973–1982], Northern Ireland Elections</ref> Along with Herron, Bill Snoddy and [[Tommy Lyttle]], Hull's performance represented a near total routing for the Vanguard's UDA candidates, although [[Glenn Barr]] was elected in [[Derry]] to prevent a total wipeout.<ref>McDonald & Cusack, ''UDA'', p. 66</ref> The trade union backgrounds of Hull and Barr had helped to persuade Craig to include the word "Progressive" in his party's name in the first place.<ref>Dean Godson, ''Himself Alone: David Trimble and the Ordeal of Unionism'', HarperCollins UK, 2004, p. 38</ref>
+Following his own disappointing showing, Hull contemplated turning the LAW into a new, working class loyalist party, but this was fiercely opposed by Vanguard leader [[William Craig (Northern Ireland politician)|William Craig]].<ref name="Bew">Paul Bew & Gordon Gillespie, Northern Ireland A Chronology of the Troubles 1968–1999, Gill & Macmillan, 1999, p. 60</ref> This suggestion, along with Hull's background in the Northern Ireland Labour Party began to see his credentials as a loyalist questioned and his support erode.<ref name="Bew"/> The LAW collapsed, with many of its members forming the [[Ulster Workers Council]].<ref name="farrell"/>
+==Later years==
+In 1974, Hull was shot and injured in an attack which [[Conflict Archive on the Internet]] states was carried out by other loyalist paramilitaries, possibly the [[Ulster Volunteer Force]].<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch74.htm A Chronology of the Conflict – 1974], CAIN Web Service</ref> [[Henry McDonald (writer)|Henry McDonald]] and Jim Cusack however state that the shooting was the work of the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] who wanted to take down two high-profile UDA members, even if they had little involvement in the group's military activities.<ref name="UDA90">McDonald & Cusack, ''UDA'', p. 90</ref> Steve Bruce also states that it was the work of IRA members from [[Ardoyne]], although a false claim was made to the [[BBC]] that it had been carried out by the [[Ulster Young Militants]].<ref>Steve Bruce, ''The Red Hand'', Oxford University Press, 1992, p. 102</ref> Hull had been in the [[Crumlin Road]] glazier shop belonging to Jim Anderson when a gunman entered and shot both men.<ref name="UDA90"/>
+By the time of this attack, Hull's role with the UDA had diminished considerably.<ref name="UDA90"/> With the LAW having also disappeared, Hull would play little role in public life from then on.
 ==References==
 <references />
+{{Ulster Defence Association}}
-{{Northern Ireland loyalist paramilitaries}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Hull, Billy
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
-| DATE OF BIRTH     =
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =
-| DATE OF DEATH     =
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hull, Billy}}
 [[Category:1912 births]]
-[[Category:Possibly living people]]
+[[Category:Year of death missing]]
+[[Category:British shooting survivors]]
+[[Category:Northern Ireland Labour Party politicians]]
+[[Category:Trade unionists from Belfast]]
 [[Category:Ulster Defence Association members]]
 [[Category:Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party politicians]]
-[[Category:Shooting survivors]]
-[[Category:British trade unionists]]

v t e Ulster Defence Association
during the Troubles
Chairmen of the UDA	Charles Harding Smith (1971-1973) Andy Tyrie (1973-1988) position abolished (1988)
East Belfast Brigade	Albert "Ginger" Baker Jimmy Birch Billy Elliot Jim "Doris Day" Gray Tommy Herron Sammy McCormick Ned McCreery Michael Stone
North Belfast Brigade	John Boreland John Bunting Sammy Duddy Tommy English Davy Payne Andre & Ihab Shoukri Jimbo Simpson
South Belfast Brigade	David Adams Joe Bratty James Craig Raymond Elder Alex Kerr Jackie McDonald John McMichael Ray Smallwoods Michael Stone
West Belfast Brigade	Johnny Adair Ken Barrett Jackie Coulter Mo Courtney James Craig Frankie Curry William "Winkie" Dodds Hester Dunn Ernie Elliott Davy Fogel Donald Hodgen Billy Hull Matt Kincaid Tommy Lyttle Kenny McClinton Sam McCrory Alan McCullough William "Bucky" McCullough Stephen "Top Gun" McKeag Billy "Twister" McQuiston James "Sham" Millar Wendy Millar Brian Nelson Charles Harding Smith Gary "Smickers" Smyth Sammy Smyth Jim Spence William Stobie "Fat" Jackie Thompson Andy Tyrie John White
South East Antrim Brigade	Joe English John Gregg
North Antrim & Londonderry Brigade	Glenn Barr Ken Kerr Torrens Knight Billy McFarland Andy Robinson
Mid-Ulster Brigade	Robert John Kerr Eddie Sayers Michael Stone
Actions	Benny's Bar bombing (1972) Top of the Hill bar shooting (1972) New Lodge Six shooting (1973) Paddy Wilson and Irene Andrews killings (1973) Murder of Ann Ogilby (1974) Dublin Airport bombing (1975) Biddy Mulligan's pub bombing (1975) Milltown Cemetery attack (1988) Sean Graham bookmakers' shooting (1992) Attack on James Murray's bookmakers (1992) Castlerock killings (1993) Greysteel massacre (1993)
Prominent victims	Paddy Wilson (1973) John Turnley (1980) Miriam Daly (1980) Ronnie Bunting (1980) James Craig (1988) Pat Finucane (1989) Gerard Casey (1989) Eddie Fullerton (1991) Ned McCreery (1992) Frankie Curry (1999)
Related articles	Combined Loyalist Military Command Loyalist Association of Workers Loyalist feud Quis separabit? Real Ulster Freedom Fighters Red Hand Defenders Shankill Defence Association Ulster Army Council Ulster Democratic Party Ulster loyalism Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee Ulster nationalism Ulster Political Research Group Ulster Workers' Council strike Ulster Young Militants Volunteer (Ulster loyalist) Woodvale Defence Association
bold indicates brigadiers