James McClure (Unionist politician)

William James McClure MBE (15 June 1926 – 3 August 2014) was a Northern Irish unionist politician, based in Coleraine, who served as President of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

McClure was also a Coleraine Borough Councillor from 1977 to 2014.

Political career
McClure was first elected in 1975 to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention representing Londonderry. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1982 for the same constituency. In 1977, he was elected to Coleraine Borough Council, representing the Area C District. serving as Mayor from 1983–84, and from 1997–99, and as Deputy Mayor from 1982–83, 1985–93, and 2004–05. He served on the Coleraine Policing and Community Safety Partnership.

McClure remained a councillor until the reform of local government in 2014, which saw Coleraine Borough Council merge with the Limavady, Ballymoney and Moyle boroughs to create the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

Personal life and death
McClure was a fundamentalist Protestant and a member of the Independent Orange Order. He was an opponent of commercial trading, gambling and football games being played on Sundays, arguing that "the Christian Sabbath is a day for God not for gambling. It is a day for worshipping the Saviour, not for sport."

McClure died on 3 August 2014 at the age of 88.