West Down (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
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54°20′38″N 6°02′28″W / 54.344°N 6.041°W
West Down | |
---|---|
Former County constituency for the Parliament of Northern Ireland | |
Former constituency | |
Created | 1929 |
Abolished | 1973 |
Election method | First past the post |
West Down was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.
Boundaries
[edit]West Down was a county constituency comprising part of western County Down. It was created 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. West Down was created by the division of Down into eight 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.
The seat included the town of Banbridge, and also certain district electoral divisions of the rural districts of Banbridge and Newry No.1.[1][2]
Politics
[edit]The seat had a substantial unionist majority and was always won by Ulster Unionist Party candidates. It was contested on three occasions by independent unionists, each of whom won over 40% of the votes cast, and once by a communist candidate.[3]
Members of Parliament
[edit]Elected | Party | Name[3] | |
---|---|---|---|
1929 | UUP | Robert McBride | |
1933 | UUP | Samuel Fryar | |
1938 | UUP | John Edgar Bailey | |
1959 | UUP | David John Little | |
1965 | UUP | John Dobson |
Election results
[edit](1921–72) |
At the 1929 Northern Ireland general election, Robert McBride was elected unopposed.[3]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UUP | Samuel Fryar | 6,168 | 55.9 | N/A | |
Ind. Unionist | J. U. Finnery | 4,863 | 44.1 | New | |
Majority | 1,305 | 11.8 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 11,031 | 70.8 | N/A | ||
UUP hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UUP | John Edgar Bailey | 7,178 | 59.8 | +3.9 | |
Ind. Unionist Party | R. J. Hale | 4,833 | 40.2 | New | |
Majority | 2,345 | 19.6 | +7.8 | ||
Turnout | 12,011 | 73.4 | +2.6 | ||
UUP hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UUP | John Edgar Bailey | 8,197 | 76.5 | +16.7 | |
Communist (NI) | S. E. Maitland | 2,524 | 23.5 | New | |
Majority | 5,673 | 53.0 | +33.4 | ||
Turnout | 10,721 | 66.3 | −7.1 | ||
UUP hold | Swing |
At the 1949, 1953 and 1958 Northern Ireland general elections, John Edgar Bailey was elected unopposed.[3]
At the 1959 by-election and the 1962 Northern Ireland general election, David John Little was elected unopposed.[3]
At the 1965 by-election and the 1965 Northern Ireland general election, John Dobson was elected unopposed.[3]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UUP | John Dobson | 7,608 | 59.3 | N/A | |
Ind. Unionist | A. W. Buller | 5,219 | 40.7 | New | |
Majority | 2,389 | 18.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 12,827 | 77.5 | N/A | ||
UUP hold | Swing | N/A |
References
[edit]- ^ Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election results: Constituency Boundaries
- ^ A list of the townlands comprising each of those divisions is in the Belfast Gazette Publication date:22 June 1923 Issue:104 Page:241 (Banbridge RD) and the Belfast Gazette Publication date:22 June 1923 Issue:104 Page:260 (Newry RD)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results: Counties: Down