About Me
I’m William Quill, from Bray, Co. Wicklow in Ireland. I am currently studying for a PhD in History on Edmund Burke and his view of empire in Trinity College, Dublin. This posts on this blog were mainly written for here, with the odd few as noted originally published elsewhere. Unless stated, any views expressed are my own only.
I am an active member of Fine Gael, the largest party in the country, which is moderately conservative, and has since March 2011 led a coalition government with Labour. I served on the National Executive of Young Fine Gael as Director of Policy from November 2010 to February 2012.
Politically, I consider myself liberal, in that I think that individuals thrive best in societies whose institutions allow both social plurality and diversity and have the right incentives for innovation and enterprise.
At an international level, while not uncritical of the European Union, the way from here will have to be within its framework. I campaigned for the Lisbon Treaty in 2008, with the Alliance for Europe, and more heavily in 2009, with Ireland for Europe, when I worked in the campaign offices.
In college, I served as a committee member and then for a year and a half as Correspondence Secretary of the College Historical Society, the oldest undergraduate debating society in the world. My role there was to organize weekly debates on a range of subjects.
I was previously a member of the Progressive Democrats, a liberal party founded in 1985, similar to the FDP in Germany. I joined in 2005, and at the 2007 election the party was reduced from eight to two seats. In November 2008, I supported a motion proposed by the leadership to disband the party.
I am gay and issues relating to the advance of equality in this area are of particular importance to me.
I can be contacted at williamquill@ gmail.com.
