University constituency

Last updated February 03, 2025

A university constituency is a constituency, used in elections to a legislature, that represents the members of one or more universities rather than residents of a geographical area. These may or may not involve plural voting, in which voters are eligible to vote in or as part of this entity and their home area's geographical constituency.

When James VI inherited the English throne in 1603, the system was adopted by the Parliament of England. The system was continued in the Parliament of Great Britain (from 1707 to 1800) and the United Kingdom Parliament, until 1950. It was also used in the Parliament of Ireland, in the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1613 to 1800, and in the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1936.

Such constituencies have also existed in Japan and in some countries of the British Empire such as India.

At present there are four instances in two countries of university constituencies: two in Seanad Éireann (the upper—and in general less powerful—house of the legislature of the Republic of Ireland) and two in the Senate of Rwanda.

Summary

Constituency	Parliament	Years	No. of representatives
Cambridge University	England	1603–1707	2
	Great Britain	1707–1800	2
	United Kingdom	1801–1950	2
Oxford University	England	1603–1707	2
	Great Britain	1707–1800	2
	United Kingdom	1801–1950	2
Dublin University	Ireland	1613–1800	2
	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland	1801–1922	1 (1801–1832) 2 (1832–1922)
	Irish Republic	1918–1922	2 (1918–1921) 4 (1921–1922)
	Southern Ireland (UK)	1921–1922	4
	Irish Free State	1922–1937	3
	Republic of Ireland (Seanad Éireann)	1938–present	3
Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities	United Kingdom	1868–1918	1 between
Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities	United Kingdom	1868–1918	1 between
London University	United Kingdom	1868–1950	1
Combined English Universities	United Kingdom	1918–1950	2 between
Combined Scottish Universities	United Kingdom	1918–1950	3 between
National University of Ireland	United Kingdom	1918–1922	1
	Irish Republic	1918–1922	1 (1918–1921) 4 (1921–1922)
	Southern Ireland (UK)	1921–1922	4
	Irish Free State	1922–1937	3
	Republic of Ireland (Seanad Éireann)	1938–present	3
Queen's University of Belfast	United Kingdom	1918–1950	1
Queen's University of Belfast	Irish Republic	1918–1921	1
University of Wales	United Kingdom	1918–1950	1
Queen's University of Belfast (NI)	Northern Ireland (UK)	1921–1969	4
Queen's University of Belfast (NI)	Irish Republic	1921–1922	4

As shown, at Westminster (in the English then successor British parliaments) 4 seats were incepted in 1603 and the final total, 12, were abolished in 1950.

The Northern Irish body was the last in the UK to abolish such seats: it abolished its four for Queens, Belfast in 1969.

Six such seats continue in Seanad Éireann, the upper chamber of the Oireachtas (legislature of the Republic of Ireland). They are the sole directly elected members of the Seanad, with the remainder of the seats being elected by a combination of members of Oireachtas, incoming TDs and outgoing Senators, and local councillors, along with 11 members appointed by the Taoiseach.^[1]

Historical representation by party (UK)

A cell marked → has a different colour background to the preceding cell and denotes an incumbent who defected or won a re-election for another party.

1885 to 1918

Conservative Irish Unionist Liberal Liberal Unionist

Constituency	1885	1886	87	88	90	91	1892	95	96	99	00	03	1906	Jan 1910	11	12	14	16	17
Cambridge University	Raikes					Jebb							Butcher		Larmor
Cambridge University	Hope		Stokes				Gorst						Rawlinson
London University	Lubbock	→									Foster	→	Magnus			→
Oxford University	Talbot													Cecil
Oxford University	Mowbray									Anson						→	Prothero
Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities	Macdonald			Darling	Pearson				Priestley		Tuke			Finlay		→		Johnston	Cheyne
Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities	Campbell												Craik
Dublin University	Holmes		Madden				Carson
Dublin University	Plunket						→	Lecky				Campbell							Samuels

1918 to 1950

Some of these seats were filled through STV.^[2]

Christian Pacifist Coalition Liberal (1918–22) / National Liberal (1922–23) Conservative Independent Independent Conservative Independent Liberal Independent Progressive Independent Unionist Labour Liberal National Government National Labour National Liberal (1931–68) Sinn Féin Ulster Unionist

Constituency (UK)	1918	19	1922	1923	24	1924	26	27	1929	1931	34	35	1935	36	37	38	40	43	45	1945	46
Cambridge University	Rawlinson						Withers										Hill			Harris
Cambridge University	Larmor		J. Butler	G. Butler					Wilson			Pickthorn
Combined English Universities	Fisher			→			Hopkinson		Rathbone												Strauss
Combined English Universities	Conway									Craddock					Harvey					Lindsay
Oxford University	Cecil														Salter
Oxford University	Prothero	Oman											Herbert
London University	Magnus		Russell-Wells			Graham-Little				→
University of Wales	J. Lewis		T. Lewis	Davies	→	Evans												Gruffydd
Combined Scottish Universities	Cheyne		Berry							Skelton				MacDonald		Anderson
	Cowan		→								Morrison	→							Boyd-Orr		Elliot
	Craik							Buchan				Kerr
Queen's University of Belfast	Whitla			Sinclair													Savory
Dublin University	Woods		See Ireland section below
Dublin University	Samuels	Jellett	See Ireland section below
National University of Ireland	MacNeill		See Ireland section below

Historical representation by party (Ireland)

A cell marked → has a different colour background to the preceding cell and denotes an incumbent who defected or won a re-election for another party.

Dáil Éireann

Independent Unionist Sinn Féin Ulster Unionist Cumann na nGaedheal Independent Fianna Fáil Ceann Comhairle

Constituency	1918	19	1921	1922	1923	Jun 1927	Sep 1927	1932	1933	33
Queen's University of Belfast	Whitla		Campbell	Not represented in Irish Free State Dáils
			Robb	Not represented in Irish Free State Dáils
			Johnstone	Not represented in Irish Free State Dáils
			Morrison	Not represented in Irish Free State Dáils
Dublin University	Woods		Alton	→
	Samuels	Jellett	Craig	→						Rowlette
			Thrift	→
			Fitzgibbon	→
National University of Ireland	MacNeill		→	McGilligan
			English	Magennis	→	Clery	Tierney	Maguire
			Hayes		→	→			Concannon
			Stockley

Seanad Éireann

Independent Fianna Fáil Labour Fine Gael Human Dignity Alliance

Constituency	1938	1943	1944	47	1948	1951	52	53	1954	1957	60	1961	1965	1969	70	1973	1977	79	1981	1982	1983	1987	1989	1993	1997	2002	2007	09	2011	2016	18
Dublin University	Alton	Kingsmill Moore		Bigger		Budd	Jessop		Sheehy-Skeffington			J. Ross	Sheehy-Skeffington		West				S. Ross										Barrett	Ruane
	Rowlette		Johnston		Stanford									Robinson								→	Hederman	Henry			Bacik	→
	Johnston	Fearon									Jessop					Browne	C. C. O'Brien	McGuinness		West	McGuinness	Norris
National University of Ireland	Barniville											Ó Conalláin		Horgan			Hussey		→	Dooge		O'Toole							Crown	McDowell
	Tierney		M.J. Ryan	G. O'Brien									Alton			Martin			L. Ryan	B. Ryan				Lee	B. Ryan	→	Mullen				→
	Concannon							Cunningham	McHugh	Quinlan							Murphy				M. D. Higgins	Murphy	Quinn							A. M. Higgins

United Kingdom

King James VI of Scotland, on ascending the English throne, brought to the English Parliament a practice which endured in the Scottish Parliament of allowing the universities to elect members. The king believed that the universities were often affected by the decisions of Parliament, and ought therefore to have representation in it. James gave the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford two seats each from 1603. On the formal Union (1707), Scottish universities lost their representatives as none were appointed to the Parliament of Great Britain (at Westminster). The voters were the graduates of the university, whether they were resident or not;^[3] they could vote for the university seats in addition to any other vote that they might have^{[ citation needed ]}.

After the Act of Union 1800 with Ireland, the University of Dublin (Trinity College), which had elected two MPs to the Parliament of Ireland since 1613, was allowed one member from 1801 and two from 1832.

In 1868, three new one-member seats were created: University of London; Glasgow and Aberdeen universities combined; and St Andrews and Edinburgh universities combined.

In 1918, the Queen's University of Belfast and the National University of Ireland each received seats. Both these, as well as the University of Dublin, also received four seats in the devolved Stormont parliament and the Southern Ireland parliament respectively that were established in 1920 and first used in elections in 1921. Also in 1918, the Scottish universities switched to all electing three members jointly (see Combined Scottish Universities).

In 1918, all the other English universities (i.e. except for Cambridge, Oxford and London) were enfranchised as a single constituency with two seats, as Combined English Universities. They were Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield. Reading was added in August 1928. The University of Wales also received one seat in 1918.

1918 also saw the introduction of the Single Transferable Vote for university constituencies.

Abolition

The Labour government in 1930 attempted to abolish the university constituencies but was defeated in the House of Commons. Although the members for the university constituencies were usually Conservatives, in the later years independent candidates began to win many of the seats. The Labour government finally abolished the university constituencies via the Representation of the People Act 1948, with effect from the dissolution of Parliament in 1950, along with all other examples of plural voting.^[4]

The Queen's University, Belfast constituency survived in the Parliament of Northern Ireland until it was abolished in 1968 (with effect from the dissolution of Parliament in 1969) by the Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1968 (c. 20 (N.I.)).^[5] This was one of several measures by the then Northern Ireland Prime Minister Terence O'Neill to reform elements of the election franchise and deal with many long-standing civil rights grievances.^{[ citation needed ]}

Notable members for these constituencies

The members for the university constituencies include many notable statesmen: William Pitt the Younger and Lord Palmerston both served as MPs for Cambridge University, and Robert Peel and William Ewart Gladstone each served as MP for Oxford University for portions of their careers. In his last years Ramsay MacDonald was MP for Combined Scottish Universities after losing his previous seat in the 1935 general election. Many criticised this, as he had previously sought to abolish the seats whilst Labour prime minister and many now felt the seats were being used to provide a failed politician with a seat he could not find elsewhere.

The humorist and law reform activist A. P. Herbert sat as an independent member for Oxford University from 1935 to 1950. He described the counting of the votes at the 1935 election in a chapter entitled 'P.R.': Or, Standing for Oxford in his 1936 book Mild and Bitter .^[6]

India

India had university constituencies before independence, but these were abolished with the adoption of the modern Constitution of India. Nevertheless, today the President of India has the authority to appoint not more than twelve scientists, artists, or other persons who have special knowledge in similar fields, to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house in the Parliament of India. Currently, the upper houses of the state legislatures in the six states that have them have graduates' constituencies, that elect one-twelfth of their members. Each graduates' constituency is defined geographically rather than by university; graduates of any approved Indian university may choose to register in the graduates' constituency of their place of residence instead of registering in the ordinary constituency.^{[ citation needed ]}

Ireland

There are two university constituencies in Seanad Éireann, with graduates of the Dublin University and National University of Ireland entitled to elect three Senators each. Only graduates who are Irish citizens are entitled to vote in these elections. There is no residency requirement so those qualifying who are resident outside the State may vote. Elections are conducted under the single transferable vote and by postal ballot.^[7]

When the Irish Free State seceded from the UK in 1922, its new lower house of parliament, the Free State Dáil, had three seats each for the two university constituencies. However, under the Electoral Act 1923 voters registered in a university constituency were not permitted to also vote in a geographical one. Both university constituencies were ultimately abolished by the Constitution (Amendment No. 23) Act 1936 and the Electoral (University Constituencies) Act 1936, which took effect on the dissolution of the Dáil in 1937. These two constituencies were recreated in Seanad Éireann under the Constitution of Ireland adopted in 1937, with the first Seanad election in 1938.^[8]

Some politicians have called for university representation to be abolished, on the ground that it is unacceptable that possession of a degree should confer greater electoral rights than those available to other voters. An example of this view can be found in the Green Party submission on Seanad reform in 2004.^[9]

Other countries

Australia: the electoral district of University of Sydney returned one member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly between 1876 and 1880. It was abolished one year after the second member elected, Edmund Barton, took his seat. Graduates of the University of Sydney wore academic gowns while voting.^[10]
Rwanda: Two members of the Senate of Rwanda are elected by the staff of universities.^{[ citation needed ]}
Thirteen Colonies : The College of William & Mary held a seat in the House of Burgesses of the Virginia Colony in 1693, and was supported by taxes on tobacco and furs. This seat was revoked after the House of Burgesses became the House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia within the newly independent United States of America.^[11]
Bavaria: From 1946 to 1999, the Bavarian upper house, the Bavarian Senate had reserved three seats to universities and colleges.

Related Research Articles

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References

↑ "Seanad". Citizens Information.
↑ "The history of university representation". Wonkhe. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
↑ Ratcliffe, Mike. "The history of university representation". Wonkhe. Wonkhe Ltd. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
↑ Registrar General (1954). The Registrar General's Statistical Review of England and Wales For the Five Years 1946-1950. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. p. 175.
↑ "Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1968". legislation.gov.uk. 28 November 1968. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
↑ Herbert, A. P. (1936). "XV: 'PR': Or, Standing for Oxford". Mild and Bitter. London: Methuen. ISBN 9780755151578. OCLC 559753655.
↑ Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, s. 22: Method of voting ( No. 30 of 1937, s. 22 ). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas .Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2023-01-07.
↑ "Seanad100 | Members of the First Seanad". Houses of the Oireachtas. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
↑ "Seanad Reform". Green Party. 11 January 2006. Archived from the original on 11 January 2006.
↑ Thorpe, Will (15 October 2024). "Parliament and the University". Honi Soit. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
↑ Adams, Herbert B. (1887). The College of William and Mary, with Suggestions for the National Promotion of Higher Education. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. pp. 15, 28.

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[1] "Seanad". Citizens Information.

[2] "The history of university representation". Wonkhe. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2021.

[3] Ratcliffe, Mike. "The history of university representation". Wonkhe. Wonkhe Ltd. Retrieved 7 August 2021.

[4] Registrar General (1954). The Registrar General's Statistical Review of England and Wales For the Five Years 1946-1950. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. p. 175.

[5] "Electoral Law Act (Northern Ireland) 1968". legislation.gov.uk. 28 November 1968. Retrieved 19 January 2018.

[6] Herbert, A. P. (1936). "XV: 'PR': Or, Standing for Oxford". Mild and Bitter. London: Methuen. ISBN 9780755151578. OCLC 559753655.

[7] Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, s. 22: Method of voting ( No. 30 of 1937, s. 22 ). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas .Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2023-01-07.

[8] "Seanad100 | Members of the First Seanad". Houses of the Oireachtas. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.

[9] "Seanad Reform". Green Party. 11 January 2006. Archived from the original on 11 January 2006.

[10] Thorpe, Will (15 October 2024). "Parliament and the University". Honi Soit. Retrieved 29 October 2024.

[11] Adams, Herbert B. (1887). The College of William and Mary, with Suggestions for the National Promotion of Higher Education. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office. pp. 15, 28.

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