Captain William Joseph Long OBE (23 April 1922 – 10 February 2008) was a Unionist politician. Long was a moderate Unionist who became MP for Ards in 1962, becoming Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, with special responsibility for fisheries. Long proved loyal to O'Neill and was rewarded in 1966 with promotion to Minister for Education. He promoted educational integration and tried to work with the People’s Democracy movement before hardening his views somewhat.
The Nationalist Party in Northern Ireland was a continuation of the Irish Nationalist Party, formed in support of Home Rule in 1874. By 1965, it was a loose conglomeration of groups with Eddie McAteer as leader. Many of the elected MPs did not take their seats. To the end of the 1960s, the party lost electoral support and split with some members going on to be part of the new Social Democratic Labour Party (SDLP).