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Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Belfast South is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.
districts of Balmoral
, Laganbank
and Pottinger
and also contains part of the district of Castlereagh.
.
The four wards which the Boundary Commission proposed to add to the constituency from Castlereagh have almost exactly the same composition in terms of community background as the existing constituency.
At the boundary commission local enquiry which took place in September 2005 the proposal to add the wards of Cregagh and Wynchurch to South Belfast proved hugely controversial, being strongly opposed by the DUP but supported by the Ulster Unionists. It was also one of the issues which generated the most negative comments in the written submissions with a petition representing half of Cregagh's residents opposing its move for example.
Alliance put forth two proposals: one for a three-seat Belfast which would abolish this seat, and a four-seat solution in which Hillfoot and Moneyreagh would join South Belfast instead of Cregagh/Wynchurch. They were supported on the latter issue by the DUP. SDLP&Sinn Féin were generally supportive of the commissions proposals, although Sinn Féin in their written representation suggested moving Ballymacarrett ward from East to South Belfast.
Following the local enquiries, the Boundary Commission proposed retaining the Cregagh ward in East Belfast while transferring instead the Hillfoot ward. These proposals were submitted as final recommendations and were put into force through the passing of the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituencies Order in 2008.
, has proposed abolishing the seat and dividing it between expanded Belfast South West and South East, and Strangford seats.
, who famously defied a ban on Orange marches, and Thomas Sloan
, founder of the Independent Orange Order
.
Belfast South, centred on the River Lagan
contains some of Belfast's most exclusive residential districts as well as Queen's University Belfast, and the overall tenor of the constituency is middle-class - young, trendy and cosmopolitan towards the city centre
, with Northern Ireland's biggest concentrations of both students and ethnic minorities, and settled and prosperous further out. Despite this, significant pockets of inner-city working class areas such as the Markets and a number of isolated suburban estates are in the constituency.
There has been particularly rapid demographic change in Belfast South over the past 20 years, change which seems to be continuing.
Belfast South traditionally had a unionist majority though the nationalist
vote is considerable. There have also been strong votes for other parties such as the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
, the Conservatives
and the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
. The seat has also seen a steady series of candidates backed by groups who aspire to support the British Labour Party
despite its prior ban on membership and organisation in Northern Ireland, though their results have been minimal. Until the 1990's the main focus of attention has been on contests between unionist candidates.
In the February 1974 general election
the seat was won by Robert Bradford
of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
on a united anti-Sunningdale Agreement
slate with the Ulster Unionist Party
and the Democratic Unionist Party
. He defeated Rafton Pounder
, the sitting Unionist MP who defended his seat as a bum-Assembly republicans. Bradford held the seat for the next seven years, though in February 1978 he and the rump of Vanguard reunited with the Ulster Unionists. At the end of 1981 Bradford was assassinated by the IRA
in a Belfast community centre while hosting a political surgery
.
The subsequent by-election garnered much interest as it was expected that the Democratic Unionist Party
would take the seat, building on their steady rise which had seen them gain both Belfast North and Belfast East at the previous general election
. However in the event the DUP came third, behind the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
and the UUP's candidate, Martin Smyth
won the seat, holding it until 2005. The by-election was extremely significant at the time in that it was the first at which the DUP tide ebbed.
In the 2001 general election
less than 50% of voters voted for unionist parties for the first time in its history, but this has been attributed to a collapse in the vote for the small Progressive Unionist Party
as well as to Smyth's fierce opposition to the Good Friday Agreement which is estimated to have sent many pro-Agreement unionist voters to vote tactically for the Social Democratic and Labour Party
.
In January 2005 Smyth announced that he would be retiring at the 2005 general election, raising speculation both as to whom the Ulster Unionists would field in succession to him and what effect a different candidate would have upon their share of the vote. The UUP selected Assembly member Michael McGimpsey
, albeit with a highly controversial and bitter selection. The aftermath saw McGimpsey repudiated by many prominent local and national Ulster Unionists, including both Smyth and former UUP leader James Molyneaux
. The DUP selected Jimmy Spratt
and offered an electoral pact to the UUP that would give each party a free run at one out of South Belfast and Fermanagh and South Tyrone
. This offer was rejected by the UUP.
In the event, the DUP and UUP both fielded candidates which split the vote, while the nationalist vote mainly went for the SDLP over Sinn Féin
, with the result that the SDLP took the seat despite a majority of votes cast for unionist candidates.
In 2010, Sinn Féin opted not to stand against the SDLP in order to avoid splitting the nationalist vote. This effort was successful as the SDLP won the seat with a majority of 6,000. This was also the seat in which the Alliance Party had their second-best showing, polling 15% of the votes.
since the 2005 general election
is Alasdair McDonnell
of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
. He succeeded the Rev Martin Smyth
of the Ulster Unionist Party
, who had sat for the seat from a by-election in 1982
until retiring at the 2005 election.
.
Boundaries
The seat was created in 1922 when, as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut. The seat is centred on the Belfast City CouncilBelfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
districts of Balmoral
Balmoral (District Electoral Area)
Balmoral is the most southern of nine district electoral areas in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The district elects six members to Belfast City Council and contains the wards of Blackstaff; Finaghy; Malone; Musgrave; Upper Malone and Windsor...
, Laganbank
Laganbank (District Electoral Area)
Laganbank is one of the nine district electoral areas in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Located in the south of the city, the district elects five members to Belfast City Council and contains the wards of Ballynafeigh; Botanic; Shaftesbury; Stranmillis and Rosetta...
and Pottinger
Pottinger (District Electoral Area)
Pottinger is one of the nine district electoral areas in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Located in the east of the city, the district elects six members to Belfast City Council and contains the wards of Ballymacarrett; Bloomfield; Orangefield; Ravenhill; The Mount and Woodstock.The wards of Ravenhill...
and also contains part of the district of Castlereagh.
Boundary changes
In 2004, the Boundary Commission proposed alterations for the boundaries of constituencies in Northern Ireland. Belfast South currently has one of the smallest electorates of any constituency in Northern Ireland. While some suggested abolishing the seat and cutting Belfast down to three constituencies, others argued that the geography and natural ties in Belfast made this unwieldy. The Boundary Commission proposals eschew this suggestion and instead proposed to expand Belfast South further into Castlereagh, taking in areas currently contained in both Strangford and Belfast EastBelfast East (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast East is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Naomi Long of the Alliance Party, elected in 2010...
.
The four wards which the Boundary Commission proposed to add to the constituency from Castlereagh have almost exactly the same composition in terms of community background as the existing constituency.
At the boundary commission local enquiry which took place in September 2005 the proposal to add the wards of Cregagh and Wynchurch to South Belfast proved hugely controversial, being strongly opposed by the DUP but supported by the Ulster Unionists. It was also one of the issues which generated the most negative comments in the written submissions with a petition representing half of Cregagh's residents opposing its move for example.
Alliance put forth two proposals: one for a three-seat Belfast which would abolish this seat, and a four-seat solution in which Hillfoot and Moneyreagh would join South Belfast instead of Cregagh/Wynchurch. They were supported on the latter issue by the DUP. SDLP&Sinn Féin were generally supportive of the commissions proposals, although Sinn Féin in their written representation suggested moving Ballymacarrett ward from East to South Belfast.
Following the local enquiries, the Boundary Commission proposed retaining the Cregagh ward in East Belfast while transferring instead the Hillfoot ward. These proposals were submitted as final recommendations and were put into force through the passing of the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituencies Order in 2008.
Proposed boundary changes
The current Boundary Commission, which is to finish its review by 2013Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies
The Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, also known as the 2013 Review, is an ongoing process by which parliamentary constituencies to the British House of Commons will be reformed, to comply with the revised rules for the number and size of constituencies introduced by the...
, has proposed abolishing the seat and dividing it between expanded Belfast South West and South East, and Strangford seats.
History
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Belfast South tended to elect 'rebel unionists' such as William JohnstonWilliam Johnston (Irish politician)
William Johnston was a nineteenth century Irish politician and member of the Orange Order. He is noted for his opposition to the Party Emblems Act and Party Processions Act, which banned Orange marches ....
, who famously defied a ban on Orange marches, and Thomas Sloan
Thomas Sloan
Thomas Henry Sloan was an Irish and British politician and founder of the Independent Orange Order. He represented the Belfast South constituency as an Independent Unionist at the Westminster parliament from 1902 to 1910....
, founder of the Independent Orange Order
Independent Orange Order
The Independent Loyal Orange Institution is an off-shoot of the Orange Institution, a Protestant fraternal organisation based in Northern Ireland.-Foundation:...
.
Belfast South, centred on the River Lagan
River Lagan
The River Lagan is a major river in Northern Ireland which runs 40 miles from the Slieve Croob mountain in County Down to Belfast where it enters Belfast Lough, an inlet of the Irish Sea. The River Lagan forms much of the border between County Antrim and County Down. It rises as a tiny fast...
contains some of Belfast's most exclusive residential districts as well as Queen's University Belfast, and the overall tenor of the constituency is middle-class - young, trendy and cosmopolitan towards the city centre
Belfast City Centre
Belfast city centre is the central business district of Belfast, Northern Ireland.The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter...
, with Northern Ireland's biggest concentrations of both students and ethnic minorities, and settled and prosperous further out. Despite this, significant pockets of inner-city working class areas such as the Markets and a number of isolated suburban estates are in the constituency.
There has been particularly rapid demographic change in Belfast South over the past 20 years, change which seems to be continuing.
Belfast South traditionally had a unionist majority though the nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
vote is considerable. There have also been strong votes for other parties such as the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
, the Conservatives
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
and the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
The Northern Ireland Women's Coalition was a minor political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1996 by Catholic academic Monica McWilliams and Protestant social worker Pearl Sagar to contest the elections to the Northern Ireland Forum, the body for all-party talks which led to the...
. The seat has also seen a steady series of candidates backed by groups who aspire to support the British Labour Party
Labour - Federation of Labour Groups
Labour – Federation of Labour Groups is the formally registered name of a collection of political organisations in Northern Ireland who aspire to become part of the Labour Party of Great Britain.-Background:...
despite its prior ban on membership and organisation in Northern Ireland, though their results have been minimal. Until the 1990's the main focus of attention has been on contests between unionist candidates.
In the February 1974 general election
United Kingdom general election, February 1974
The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,...
the seat was won by Robert Bradford
Robert Bradford (NI politician)
Robert Jonathan Bradford MP was a Vanguard Unionist and Ulster Unionist Member of Parliament for the Belfast South constituency in Northern Ireland until he was killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on 14 November 1981....
of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
The Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party , informally known as Ulster Vanguard, was a unionist political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1973 and 1978...
on a united anti-Sunningdale Agreement
Sunningdale Agreement
The Sunningdale Agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland. The Agreement was signed at the Civil Service College in Sunningdale Park located in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on 9 December 1973.Unionist opposition, violence and...
slate with the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster 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...
and the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
. He defeated Rafton Pounder
Rafton Pounder
Rafton John Pounder was a Pro-Assembly Unionist and Conservative Party politician and in Northern Ireland.Born at Ballynahatty, Belfast, the son of Cuthbert Pounder, Rafton Pounder was educated at Charterhouse and at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of the Conservative...
, the sitting Unionist MP who defended his seat as a bum-Assembly republicans. Bradford held the seat for the next seven years, though in February 1978 he and the rump of Vanguard reunited with the Ulster Unionists. At the end of 1981 Bradford was assassinated by the IRA
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
in a Belfast community centre while hosting a political surgery
Surgery (politics)
A political surgery or clinic is a term used to describe a series of one-to-one meetings. A Member of Parliament may have with his or her constituents, at which a constituent may raise issues of local concern...
.
The subsequent by-election garnered much interest as it was expected that the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
would take the seat, building on their steady rise which had seen them gain both Belfast North and Belfast East at the previous general election
United Kingdom general election, 1979
The United Kingdom general election of 1979 was held on 3 May 1979 to elect 635 members to the British House of Commons. The Conservative Party, led by Margaret Thatcher ousted the incumbent Labour government of James Callaghan with a parliamentary majority of 43 seats...
. However in the event the DUP came third, behind the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland is a liberal and nonsectarian political party in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall, with eight seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly and one in the House of Commons....
and the UUP's candidate, Martin Smyth
Martin Smyth
Reverend William Martin Smyth is a Northern Irish unionist politician, and was Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast South from 1982-2005...
won the seat, holding it until 2005. The by-election was extremely significant at the time in that it was the first at which the DUP tide ebbed.
In the 2001 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2001
The United Kingdom general election, 2001 was held on Thursday 7 June 2001 to elect 659 members to the British House of Commons. It was dubbed "the quiet landslide" by the media, as the Labour Party was re-elected with another landslide result and only suffered a net loss of 6 seats...
less than 50% of voters voted for unionist parties for the first time in its history, but this has been attributed to a collapse in the vote for the small Progressive Unionist Party
Progressive Unionist Party
The Progressive Unionist Party is a small unionist political party in Northern Ireland. It was formed from the Independent Unionist Group operating in the Shankill area of Belfast, becoming the PUP in 1979...
as well as to Smyth's fierce opposition to the Good Friday Agreement which is estimated to have sent many pro-Agreement unionist voters to vote tactically for the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
.
In January 2005 Smyth announced that he would be retiring at the 2005 general election, raising speculation both as to whom the Ulster Unionists would field in succession to him and what effect a different candidate would have upon their share of the vote. The UUP selected Assembly member Michael McGimpsey
Michael McGimpsey
Michael McGimpsey MLA is an Ulster Unionist Party Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast South who has twice served in the Northern Ireland Executive...
, albeit with a highly controversial and bitter selection. The aftermath saw McGimpsey repudiated by many prominent local and national Ulster Unionists, including both Smyth and former UUP leader James Molyneaux
James Molyneaux
James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC is a Northern Irish Unionist politician and was leader of the Ulster Unionist Party from 1979 to 1995. He was a leading member and sometime Vice-President of the Conservative Monday Club...
. The DUP selected Jimmy Spratt
Jimmy Spratt
Jimmy Spratt is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland.In 2007, he was elected as a Democratic Unionist Party member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Belfast. He chairs the Assembly and Executive Review Committee, is one of the DUP representatives on the Northern Ireland Policing...
and offered an electoral pact to the UUP that would give each party a free run at one out of South Belfast and Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)
Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a Parliamentary constituency in the British House of Commons. The current MP for the constituency is Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin....
. This offer was rejected by the UUP.
In the event, the DUP and UUP both fielded candidates which split the vote, while the nationalist vote mainly went for the SDLP over Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, with the result that the SDLP took the seat despite a majority of votes cast for unionist candidates.
In 2010, Sinn Féin opted not to stand against the SDLP in order to avoid splitting the nationalist vote. This effort was successful as the SDLP won the seat with a majority of 6,000. This was also the seat in which the Alliance Party had their second-best showing, polling 15% of the votes.
Members of Parliament
The Member of ParliamentMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
since the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
is Alasdair McDonnell
Alasdair McDonnell
Dr Alasdair McDonnell is an Irish politician, Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and both a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and a Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Belfast. On 5 November, 2011, he was elected as the new leader of the SDLP.-Early...
of the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
. He succeeded the Rev Martin Smyth
Martin Smyth
Reverend William Martin Smyth is a Northern Irish unionist politician, and was Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast South from 1982-2005...
of the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster 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...
, who had sat for the seat from a by-election in 1982
Belfast South by-election, 1982
The Belfast South by-election was held on 4 March 1982 following the death of Robert Bradford, Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast South....
until retiring at the 2005 election.
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 United Kingdom general election, 1885 -Seats summary:-See also:*List of MPs elected in the United Kingdom general election, 1885*Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885–1918*Representation of the People Act 1884*Redistribution of Seats Act 1885-References:... |
William Johnston William Johnston (Irish politician) William Johnston was a nineteenth century Irish politician and member of the Orange Order. He is noted for his opposition to the Party Emblems Act and Party Processions Act, which banned Orange marches .... |
Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|
| 1902 | Thomas Henry Sloan | 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.... |
|
| 1910 United Kingdom general election, 1910 There were two general elections held in the United Kingdom in 1910:*United Kingdom general election, January 1910 was held from 15 January – 10 February 1910.... |
James Chambers | Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
|
| 1917 | William Arthur Lindsay | Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
|
| 1918 United Kingdom general election, 1918 The United Kingdom general election of 1918 was the first to be held after the Representation of the People Act 1918, which meant it was the first United Kingdom general election in which nearly all adult men and some women could vote. Polling was held on 14 December 1918, although the count did... |
constituency abolished | ||
| 1922 United Kingdom general election, 1922 The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John... |
constituency recreated | ||
| 1922 United Kingdom general election, 1922 The United Kingdom general election of 1922 was held on 15 November 1922. It was the first election held after most of the Irish counties left the United Kingdom to form the Irish Free State, and was won by Andrew Bonar Law's Conservatives, who gained an overall majority over Labour, led by John... |
Thomas Moles Thomas Moles Thomas Moles was an Ulster Unionist politician. Born in Belfast, Ireland in 1871, he was educated at the Collegiate School, Ballymena.... |
Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
|
| 1929 United Kingdom general election, 1929 -Seats summary:-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987*-External links:***... |
William John Stewart | Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
|
| 1938 | Progressive Unionist Ulster Progressive Unionist Association The Ulster Progressive Unionist Association was a political group which was founded in 1938 and was active in Northern Ireland for a few years thereafter.... |
||
| 1945 United Kingdom general election, 1945 The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to... |
Conolly Hugh Gage Conolly Hugh Gage Conolly Hugh Gage was a British politician and lawyer.A nephew of Denis Henry, Conolly Gage was educated at Repton School and Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. He was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple in 1930, and built up a London practice... |
Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
|
| 1952 Belfast South by-election, 1952 The Belfast South by-election, 1952 was held following the resignation of Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament, Hugh Gage.-History:... |
David Campbell David Campbell (South Belfast MP) Sir David Callender Campbell was an Ulster Unionist politician in Northern Ireland. He was elected Member of Parliament for Belfast South in a 1952 by-election, and served until his death in 1963... |
Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
|
| 1963 Belfast South by-election, 1963 The Belfast South by-election of 22 October 1963 was held after the death of Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament Sir David Campbell on 12 June the same year. The seat was retained by the Ulster Unionists.-Results:-References:***... |
Rafton Pounder Rafton Pounder Rafton John Pounder was a Pro-Assembly Unionist and Conservative Party politician and in Northern Ireland.Born at Ballynahatty, Belfast, the son of Cuthbert Pounder, Rafton Pounder was educated at Charterhouse and at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was Chairman of the Conservative... |
Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
|
| 1974 United Kingdom general election, February 1974 The United Kingdom's general election of February 1974 was held on the 28th of that month. It was the first of two United Kingdom general elections held that year, and the first election since the Second World War not to produce an overall majority in the House of Commons for the winning party,... |
Robert Bradford | Vanguard Progressive Unionist Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party The Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party , informally known as Ulster Vanguard, was a unionist political party which existed in Northern Ireland between 1973 and 1978... |
|
| 1977 | Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
||
| 1982 Belfast South by-election, 1982 The Belfast South by-election was held on 4 March 1982 following the death of Robert Bradford, Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast South.... |
Martin Smyth Martin Smyth Reverend William Martin Smyth is a Northern Irish unionist politician, and was Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast South from 1982-2005... |
Ulster Unionist Ulster 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... |
|
| 2005 United Kingdom general election, 2005 The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160.... |
Alasdair McDonnell Alasdair McDonnell Dr Alasdair McDonnell is an Irish politician, Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and both a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and a Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Belfast. On 5 November, 2011, he was elected as the new leader of the SDLP.-Early... |
Social Democratic and Labour Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom... |
|
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
1997 Changes are compared to the 1992 notional results shown below.Elections in the 1980s
Note: The by-election was caused by the decision of all Unionist MPs to resign their seats and seek re-election on a platform of opposition to the Anglo-Irish AgreementAnglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
.
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
Sources
- BBC News, Election 2005
- BBC News, Vote 2001
- Guardian Unlimited Politics
- http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/ (Election results from 1951 to the present)
- F. W. S. CraigF. W. S. CraigFrederick Walter Scott Craig was a Scottish psephologist and compiler of the standard reference books covering United Kingdom Parliamentary election results. He originally worked in public relations, compiling election results in his spare time which were published by the Scottish Unionist Party...
, British Parliamentary Election Results 1918 - 1949 - F. W. S. CraigF. W. S. CraigFrederick Walter Scott Craig was a Scottish psephologist and compiler of the standard reference books covering United Kingdom Parliamentary election results. He originally worked in public relations, compiling election results in his spare time which were published by the Scottish Unionist Party...
, British Parliamentary Election Results 1950 - 1970 - The Liberal Year Book For 1917, Liberal Publication Department
- The Constitutional Year Book For 1912, Conservative Central Office
- The Constitutional Year Book For 1894, Conservative Central Office