1949 Northern Ireland general election

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1949 Northern Ireland general election
Ulster Banner.svg
  1945 19 February 1949 1953  

All 52 seats to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
27 seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Sir Basil Brooke, 10 February 1941.png No image wide.svg No image wide.svg
Leader Basil Brooke James McSparran Hugh Downey
Party Ulster Unionist Nationalist NI Labour
Leader since1 May 194315 November 194515 November 1945
Leader's seat Lisnaskea Mourne Belfast Dock (defeated)
Last election33 seats, 50.4%9 seats, 9.1%2 seats, 18.5%
Seats won37 [u 1] 9 [n 1] 0
Seat changeIncrease2.svg4Decrease2.svg1Decrease2.svg2
Popular vote237,411101,44526,831
Percentage62.7%26.8%7.1%
SwingIncrease2.svg12.3%Increase2.svg17.6%Decrease2.svg11.4%

1949 Northern Ireland Assembly Election Results Map.svg
Election results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Basil Brooke
Ulster Unionist

Prime Minister after election

Basil Brooke
Ulster Unionist

The 1949 Northern Ireland general election was held on 19 February 1949. The election became known as the Chapel-gate election because collections were held at churches in the Republic of Ireland to support the Nationalist Party campaign. [1] [2]

Contents

The election was held just after the Republic of Ireland's declaration of a republic. The Unionists were able to use their majority in the Parliament of Northern Ireland to schedule the election at a time when many Protestants felt uneasy about events taking place south of the border, and as a result might be more likely to vote Unionist than for Labour candidates. This appears to have been borne out in the collapse of the Labour vote; the party lost all of its seats in the Commons, and would not return to the Parliament until 1958.

20 MPs were elected unopposed, most of them Ulster Unionists.

Results

37924
UUPNationalistIUOth
1949 Northern Ireland general election
Northern Irish general election 1949.svg
PartyCandidatesVotes
StoodElectedGainedUnseatedNet % of total %No.Net %
  Ulster Unionist 463740+471.262.7237,411+12.3
  Nationalist 1790 1 -117.326.8101,445+17.6
  NI Labour 9002-27.126,831-11.4
  Independent Labour 4 1 1 1 01.92.17,970-0.7
  Ind. Unionist 320003.80.62,150-4.4
  Independent 220003.80.52,028+0.2
  Communist (NI) 1 00000.2623-2.6
  Socialist Republican 1 1 0001.90.00-1.5

All parties shown. The only Socialist Republican Party candidate was elected unopposed. Electorate 846,719 (477,354 in contested seats); Turnout 79.3% (378,458).

Votes summary

Popular vote
Ulster Unionist
62.73%
Nationalist Party
26.80%
Labour
7.10%
Independent Labour
2.11%
Independent Unionist
0.57%
Communist
0.16%
Independent
0.54%

Seats summary

Parliamentary seats
Ulster Unionist
71.15%
Nationalist Party
17.31%
Independent Unionist
3.85%
Independent Labour
1.92%
Socialist Republican
1.92%
Independent
3.85%

Contested seats

Only 32 of the 52 seats (62%) were actually contested.

1949 Northern Ireland general election (contested seats)
PartyPopular voteCandidates
Votes%StoodElected%
Ulster Unionist 237,41162.7322371.9
Nationalist 101,44526.815721.9
Labour 26,8317.190
Ind. Labour 7,9702.130
Ind. Unionist 2,1500.610
Independent 2,0280.5226.3
Communist 6230.210
Total378,45879.36332

Uncontested seats

In 20 of the 52 seats (38%), only one candidate stood and they were elected unopposed without any votes cast. The vast majority of the MPs elected without a contest were Ulster Unionists.

1949 Northern Ireland general election (uncontested seats)
Party Popular vote Candidates
Votes % Stood Elected %
Ulster Unionist Unopposed141470.0
Nationalist Unopposed2 2 10.0
Ind. Unionist Unopposed2 2 10.0
Ind. Labour Unopposed1 1 5.0
Socialist Republican Unopposed1 1 5.0
Total 20 20 100

See also

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References

  1. Armitage, Darryl (24 May 2021). "THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Duty of every loyalist to vote warns Ulster's Minister of Labour". News Letter. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  2. "The Anti-Partition League and 'The Chapel Gate Election' 1949". BBC. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  1. Includes 14 members elected unopposed.
  1. Includes 2 members elected unopposed.