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Belfast Clifton (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Belfast Clifton was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland
.
. It was created in 1929 when the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929
introduced first-past-the-post elections throughout Northern Ireland.
Belfast Clifton was created by the division of Belfast North
into four new constituencies. It survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament, until the Parliament of Northern Ireland
was temporarily suspended
in 1972, and then formally abolished
in 1973.
, but a variety of independent Unionist
s contested it and occasionally won, and some labour movement candidates achieved strong results.
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
.
Boundaries
Belfast Clifton was a borough constituency comprising part of northern BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. It was created in 1929 when the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929
House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929
The House of Commons Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland; its major provision was to abolish proportional representation for all future elections in Northern Ireland....
introduced first-past-the-post elections throughout Northern Ireland.
Belfast Clifton was created by the division of Belfast North
Belfast North (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Belfast North was a borough constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921 - 1929. It returned four MPs, using the single transferable vote method of proportional representation.-Boundaries:...
into four new constituencies. It survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament, until the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
was temporarily suspended
Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972
The Northern Ireland Act 1972 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced direct rule in Northern Ireland with effect from 30 March 1972....
in 1972, and then formally abolished
Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973
The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received the Royal Assent on 18 July 1973...
in 1973.
Politics
In common with other seats in North Belfast, the seat had little nationalist presence. The seat was usually held by the Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
, but a variety of independent Unionist
Independent Unionist
See also Independent .Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism, retaining the unity of the British state....
s contested it and occasionally won, and some labour movement candidates achieved strong results.
Members of Parliament
- 1929 - 53: Samuel Hall-ThompsonSamuel Hall-ThompsonLt-Col. Samuel Hall-Thompson was a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland.Hall-Thompson was born in Crawfordsburn and studied at Dulwich College. His father, Rt. Hon. Robert Thompson, DL, was also an MP...
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... - 1953 - 58: Norman PorterNorman PorterNorman Porter was a loyalist politician in Northern Ireland.A lay preacher, an Orangeman, an Apprentice Boy and a member of the Royal Black Institution, Porter became the leader of the National Union of Protestants in Northern Ireland in 1948. Ian Paisley joined the Union in about 1950, but left...
, Independent UnionistIndependent UnionistSee also Independent .Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism, retaining the unity of the British state.... - 1958 - 59: Robin KinahanRobin KinahanSir Robert George Caldwell "Robin" Kinahan was a politician, businessman and a senior member of the Orange Order in Northern Ireland. In his obituary, he was described as one of the last of the "county elite" to remain a high-ranking member of the Orange Order during the turbulent years of The...
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... - 1959 - 69: William James MorganWilliam James MorganWilliam James Morgan was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.A businessman by profession, he owned James Morgan & Sons, a transport contractors' business. He was president of the Irish Temperance Alliance and chairman of Oldpark YMCA...
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... - 1969 - 73: Lloyd Hall-ThompsonLloyd Hall-ThompsonRobert Lloyd Hall-Thompson TD , known as Lloyd Hall-Thompson, was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Belfast, Hall-Thompson was the son of Samuel Hall-Thompson, and grandson of Rt. Hon. Robert Thompson MP. He studied at Campbell College in Belfast and joined the Ulster Unionist...
, Independent UnionistIndependent UnionistSee also Independent .Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism, retaining the unity of the British state....
Election results
- At the 1929Northern Ireland general election, 1929-References:*...
and Northern Ireland general electionsNorthern Ireland general election, 1933-References:*...
, Samuel Hall-ThompsonSamuel Hall-ThompsonLt-Col. Samuel Hall-Thompson was a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland.Hall-Thompson was born in Crawfordsburn and studied at Dulwich College. His father, Rt. Hon. Robert Thompson, DL, was also an MP...
was elected unopposed.