Belfast South (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Belfast South was a borough constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1929. It returned four MPs, using proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

Belfast South
Former Borough Constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Belfast South shown within Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1921
Abolished1929
Election methodSingle transferable vote

Boundaries

Belfast South was created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and contained the Cromac, Ormeau and Windsor wards of the County Borough of Belfast. The House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929 divided the constituency into four constituencies elected under first past the post: Belfast Ballynafeigh, Belfast Cromac, Belfast Willowfield and Belfast Windsor.[1]

Second Dáil

In May 1921, Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the self-declared Irish Republic run by Sinn Féin, passed a resolution declaring that elections to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland would be used as the election for the Second Dáil.[2] All those elected were on the roll of the Second Dáil, but as no Sinn Féin MP was elected for Belfast South, it was not represented there.[3]

Politics

Belfast South was a strongly Unionist area, returning four Unionists in 1921 and 3 Unionists and 1 Independent Unionist MP in 1925. Even following its abolition, Ballynafeigh, Cromac, and Windsor only ever elected Unionist MPs.

MPs
Election Member
(Party)		 Member
(Party)		 Member
(Party)		 Member
(Party)
MPs
(1921)		 Thomas Moles
(Ulster Unionist Party)		 Hugh Pollock
(Ulster Unionist Party)		 Julia McMordie
(Ulster Unionist Party)		 Crawford McCullagh
(Ulster Unionist Party)
MPs
(1925)		 Arthur Black
(Ulster Unionist Party)		 Philip James Woods
(Independent Unionist)
MPs
(1925 by-election)		 Anthony Babington
(Ulster Unionist Party)

Election results
Northern Ireland 1921–1972
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Northern Ireland 1921–1972
24 May 1921 General Election: Belfast South (4 seats)
PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3
UUP Thomas Moles 42.5 17,248    
UUP Hugh Pollock 15.6 6,334 11,866  
UUP Crawford McCullagh 12.5 5,068 7,679  
Sinn Féin Dermot Barnes 6.7 2,719 2,720 2,721
UUP Julia McMordie 5.9 2,372 4,197 8,784
Nationalist B. McCoy 4.2 1,688 1,690 1,693
Belfast Labour James Baird 2.2 875 891 905
Electorate: 40,566   Valid: 36,304   Quota: 7,261   Turnout: 89.5%
    1925 General Election: Belfast South (4 seats)
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5
    Independent Unionist Philip James Woods 20.5 8,814        
    UUP Thomas Moles 18.0 7,756        
    UUP Hugh Pollock 9.9 4,291 4,816 5,961    
    Town Tenants Association William Magill 7.7 3,320 5,382 5,436 5,442 5,573
    UUP Arthur Black 7.4 3,176 3,440 3,821 3,892 5,710
    UUP Crawford McCullagh 4.0 1,707 1,857 2,220 2,291  
    Electorate: 43,164   Valid: 29,064   Quota: 5,813   Turnout: 67.3%

      Woods declined the seat, having also been elected for Belfast West.

      1925 Belfast South by-election
      Party Candidate Votes % ±
      UUP Anthony Babington 18,857 41.6 68.0
      NI Labour G. M. Donaldson 8,856 55.3 32.0
      Majority 10,001 36.1
      Turnout 27,713 64.2 -3.1
      UUP hold Swing

      References
      1. Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election results: Constituency Boundaries
      2. "Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 10 May 1921 - PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT. - ELECTIONS". Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
      3. "APPENDIX 19 DÁIL ÉIREANN". Houses of the Oireachtas. 16 August 1921. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
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