Thomas Buchanan (Unionist politician)

Thomas Buchanan MLA
Buchanan in 2021
Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for West Tyrone
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 November 2003
Preceded by	Oliver Gibson
Personal details
Born	(1963-06-30) 30 June 1963 Drumquin, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Nationality	British
Political party	Democratic Unionist Party
Occupation	Contractor

Thomas Buchanan MLA (born 30 July 1963) is a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician, serving as a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) for West Tyrone since 2003. Buchanan is the DUP Spokesperson for Victims Rights and Groups Liaison. He is also one of the DUP's members of the Northern Ireland Policing Board.

Background

He was educated at Langfield Primary School, Castlederg Secondary School, and at Omagh Technical College. In 1993 he was elected to Omagh District Council and became its youngest member and in 2004 was voted Vice Chairman. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2003 being the only member from the DUP for West Tyrone until the 2007 election when he was joined by Allan Bresland who is originally from Donemana and is a member of Strabane District Council.

In July 2010, he complained about a display of bunting inside an Omagh bank that celebrated a success by the Tyrone GAA team. The bank had been sponsoring the Ulster Championship. Buchanan accused the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) of being a political and Irish republican organisation.

On 25 October 2013 Buchanan told school children attending a public event that homosexuality is an 'abomination'.

Buchanan believes in creationism. In September 2016 he supported an event promoting the teaching of creationism in every school, stating that "I’m someone who believes in creationism and that the world was spoken into existence in six days by His power".