Belfast Woodvale (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

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Coordinates: 54°36′36″N 5°57′47″W / 54.610°N 5.963°W / 54.610; -5.963

Belfast Woodvale
Former Borough Constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Belfast (Northern Ireland Parliament constituencies).svg
Belfast shown within Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1972
Election methodFirst past the post

Belfast Woodvale was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries[]

Belfast Woodvale was a borough constituency comprising part of western Belfast. 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 Woodvale was created by the division of Belfast West 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.[1]

Politics[]

The seat was strongly Unionist, but there was a strong local labour movement, and for much of its history, the seat was held by the Northern Ireland Labour Party or independent Unionists.[1]

Members of Parliament[]

Election Member Party
1929 John William Nixon Independent Unionist
1950(b) Robert Harcourt Ulster Unionist
1955(b) Neville Martin Ulster Unionist
1958 Billy Boyd Northern Ireland Labour Party
1965 John McQuade Ulster Unionist Party
1970 Independent Unionist
1971 Democratic Unionist Party
1973 constituency abolished

Election results[]

(1921–72)
Politics of Northern Ireland
The Ulster Banner
Government
Parliament
1921, 1925, 1929, 1933
1938, 1945, 1949, 1953
1958, 1962, 1965, 1969
Senate
Elections
1921, 1925, 1929, 1933
1938, 1945, 1949, 1953
1958, 1962, 1965, 1969
By-elections
See also
  • Other countries
General Election 1929: Belfast Woodvale[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind U John William Nixon 9,904 58.4
UUP William Beattie 6,465 41.6
Majority 2,629 16.8
Turnout 16,369 75.2
Ind U win (new seat)
General Election 1933: Belfast Woodvale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind U John William Nixon 8,709 56.6 -1.8
UUP Alexander Dalzell 6,676 43.4 +1.8
Majority 2,033 13.2 -13.6
Turnout 15,385 76.4 +0.8
Ind U hold Swing
General Election 1938: Belfast Woodvale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind U John William Nixon 9,335 59.0 +2.4
UUP John William Dickson 6,479 41.0 -2.4
Majority 2,856 18.0 +4.8
Turnout 15,814 79.5 +3.1
Ind U hold Swing
General Election 1945: Belfast Woodvale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind U John William Nixon 9,274 66.4 +7.4
UUP Samuel Lyness Megraw 4,686 33.6 -7.4
Majority 4,588 32.8 +14.8
Turnout 13,960 69.3 -10.2
Ind U hold Swing
At the 1949 Northern Ireland general election, John William Nixon was elected unopposed.
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Robert Harcourt 3,939 33.1 N/A
Ind U Robert Hill 3,529 29.7 New
NI Labour Charles Hull 2,893 29.7 New
Ind U David H. Walker 1,533 12.9 New
Majority 410 3.4 N/A
Turnout 11,894 57.9 N/A
UUP gain from Ind U Swing N/A
General Election 1953: Belfast Woodvale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Robert Harcourt 6,085 40.1 N/A
Ind U James Brennan Docherty 5,786 38.2 New
NI Labour Billy Boyd 3,286 21.7 N/A
Majority 299 1.9 N/A
Turnout 15,157 69.3 N/A
UUP gain from Ind U Swing N/A
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Neville Martin 5,609 52.0 +11.9
NI Labour Billy Boyd 5,173 48.0 +26.3
Majority 436 4.0 +2.1
Turnout 10,782 50.0 -19.3
UUP hold Swing N/A
General Election 1958: Belfast Woodvale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
NI Labour Billy Boyd 7,529 50.3 +28.6
UUP Neville Martin 7,449 49.7 +9.6
Majority 80 0.6 N/A
Turnout 14,978 71.8 +2.5
NI Labour gain from UUP Swing N/A
General Election 1962: Belfast Woodvale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
NI Labour Billy Boyd 8,389 57.4 +7.1
UUP James Frazer Kerr 6,232 42.6 -7.1
Majority 2,157 14.8 +14.2
Turnout 14,621 71.9 +0.1
NI Labour hold Swing N/A
General Election 1965: Belfast Woodvale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP John McQuade 6,791 57.3 +14.7
NI Labour Billy Boyd 5,067 42.7 -14.7
Majority 1,724 14.6 N/A
Turnout 11,858 57.3 -14.6
UUP gain from NI Labour Swing N/A
General Election 1969: Belfast Woodvale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP John McQuade 7,209 50.7 -6.6
NI Labour Billy Boyd 3,878 26.9 -15.8
Ind U Leslie Bell 3,231 22.4 New
Majority 3,331 23.8 +9.2
Turnout 14,318 71.6 +14.3
UUP hold Swing N/A

References[]

  1. ^ a b The Northern Ireland House of Commons, 1921-1972, Northern Ireland Elections
  2. ^ Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Boroughs: Belfast
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