Gerry Fitt
| The Lord Fitt of Bell's Hill | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party |
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In office August 1970 – 1979 |
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| Deputy | John Hume |
| Preceded by | New Post |
| Succeeded by | John Hume |
| Member of Parliament for West Belfast |
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In office 31 March 1966 – 9 June 1983 |
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| Preceded by | James Kilfedder |
| Succeeded by | Gerry Adams |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
9 April 1926 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Died | 26 August 2005 (aged 79) London, England |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Political party | SDLP (1970–2005) |
| Other political affiliations |
Dock Labour Party (1950s) Labour Party (Ireland) (to 1964) Republican Labour Party (1964–70) |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Fitt |
| Children | 6 |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch | Merchant Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–1953 |
| Battles/wars | World War Two |
Gerard Fitt, Baron Fitt (9 April 1926 – 26 August 2005) was a politician in Northern Ireland. He was a founder and the first leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), a social democratic and Irish nationalist party.
Fitt was born in Belfast and educated at a local Christian Brothers school. He served in the Merchant Navy as a stoker until 1953. He joined in 1941 during World War II serving on convoy duty. He witnessed the sinking of HMS Bluebell from which there was one survivor. His elder brother Geordie, an Irish Guardsman, was killed at the Battle of Normandy.
Living in the nationalist Beechmount neighbourhood of the Falls, he stood for the Falls as a candidate for the Dock Labour Party in a city council by-election in 1956, but lost to Paddy Devlin of the Irish Labour Party, who would later be his close ally. In 1958, he was elected to Belfast City Council as a member of the Irish Labour Party.
In 1962, he won a Stormont seat from the Ulster Unionist Party, becoming the only Irish Labour member. Two years later, he left Irish Labour and joined with Harry Diamond, the sole Socialist Republican Party Stormont MP, to form the Republican Labour Party. At the 1966 general election, Fitt won the Belfast West seat in the Westminster parliament.
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