 A Roman Catholic of Irish descent, in 1949 Timmons voted against the Ireland Bill which gave the Parliament of Northern Ireland a veto against the end of partition.His rebellious tendencies eased later in the 1950s, although in 1957 he joined a group calling for no retreat on the policy of nationalisation.He played his part in ensuring that the contract for the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 liner went to the Clyde shipyards rather than the Tyne.