Belfast West (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

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

Boundaries

Belfast West was created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and contained the Court, Falls, St Anne's, St George's, Smithfield and Woodvale 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 Central, Belfast Falls, Belfast St Anne's and Belfast Woodvale.[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 West, it was not represented there.[3]

Politics

Northern Ireland 1921–1972
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Northern Ireland 1921–1972

Belfast West was a predominantly Unionist area with some pockets of Nationalist strength, electing three Unionists and one Nationalist in 1921 and one Unionists, one Independent Unionist, one Nationalist and one Labour Party member in 1925.

Members of Parliament

Election MP
(Party)
MP
(Party)
MP
(Party)
MP
(Party)
1921 William J. Twaddell
(UUP)
Robert John Lynn
(UUP)
Thomas Henry Burn
(UUP)
Joseph Devlin
(Nationalist)
1923 by Philip James Woods
Independent Unionist
1925 Billy McMullen
(Labour)

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 West (4 seats)
PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4
UUP Thomas Henry Burn 24.88 13,298      
Nationalist Joseph Devlin 19.87 10,621 10,628 10,629 10,632
UUP William Twaddell 19.30 10,316 10,558 11,509  
UUP Robert John Lynn 17.43 9,315 11,646    
Sinn Féin Denis McCullough 11.73 6,270 6,272 6,274 6,274
Sinn Féin Seán MacEntee 5.53 2,954 2,954 2,955 2,955
Belfast Labour John Hanna 0.69 367 380 380 383
Nationalist Richard Byrne 0.58 311 323 323 323
Electorate: 57,914   Valid: 53,452   Quota: 10,691   Turnout: 92.3%

    Devlin did not take his seat.

    Twaddell was assassinated on 22 May 1922:

    1923 Belfast West by-election
    Party Candidate Votes % ±
    Independent Unionist Philip James Woods 25,761 55.3
    UUP Joseph Davison 19,360 41.6
    Majority 7,859
    Turnout 46,597 69.3 -23.0
    Independent Unionist gain from UUP Swing
    1925 General Election: Belfast West (4 seats)
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count 1Count 2Count 3Count 4Count 5Count 6
    Nationalist Joseph Devlin 35.48 17,558          
    Independent Unionist Philip James Woods 19.40 9,599 11,071        
    UUP Robert John Lynn 16.92 8,371 8,507 8,599 10,437    
    UUP Thomas Henry Burn 9.80 4,808 4,878 4,921 5,989 6,509 6,515
    Republican J. McConville 6.78 3,146 4,456 4,511 4,545 4,552  
    UUP R. Dickson 6.33 3,133 3,438 3,623      
    NI Labour Billy McMullen 5.80 2,869 7,237 7,795 8,002 8,015 10,345
    Electorate: 65,550   Valid: 49,484   Quota: 9,897   Turnout: 75.5%

      Devlin did not take his seat.

      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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