West Down (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

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West Down
Former County constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1972
Election method First past the post

West Down was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries

West Down was a county constituency comprising part of western County Down. It was created 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. West Down was created by the division of Down into eight 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.

The seat included the town of Banbridge, and also certain district electoral divisions of the rural districts of Banbridge and Newry No.1. [1] [2]

Politics

The seat had a substantial unionist majority and was always won by Ulster Unionist Party candidates. It was contested on three occasions by independent unionists, each of whom won over 40% of the votes cast, and once by a communist candidate. [3]

Members of Parliament

ElectedPartyName [3]
1929 Ulster Unionist Robert McBride
1933 Ulster Unionist Samuel Fryar
1938 Ulster Unionist John Edgar Bailey
1959 Ulster Unionist David John Little
1965 Ulster Unionist John Dobson

Election results

At the 1929 Northern Ireland general election, Robert McBride was elected unopposed. [3]

General Election 1933: West Down [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ulster Unionist Samuel Fryar 6,168 55.9 N/A
Ind. Unionist J. U. Finnery4,86344.1New
Majority1,30511.8N/A
Turnout 11,03170.8N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 1938: West Down [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ulster Unionist John Edgar Bailey 7,178 59.8 +3.9
Ind. Unionist Party R. J. Hale4,83340.2New
Majority2,34519.6+7.8
Turnout 12,01173.4+2.6
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 1945: West Down [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ulster Unionist John Edgar Bailey 8,197 76.5 +16.7
Communist (NI) S. E. Maitland2,52423.5New
Majority5,67353.0+33.4
Turnout 10,72166.3-7.1
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

At the 1949, 1953 and 1958 Northern Ireland general elections, John Edgar Bailey was elected unopposed. [3]

At the 1959 by-election and the 1962 Northern Ireland general election, David John Little was elected unopposed. [3]

At the 1965 by-election and the 1965 Northern Ireland general election, John Dobson was elected unopposed. [3]

General Election 1969: West Down [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Ulster Unionist John Dobson 7,608 59.3 N/A
Ind. Unionist A. W. Buller5,21940.7New
Majority2,38918.6N/A
Turnout 12,82777.5N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

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References

  1. Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election results: Constituency Boundaries
  2. A list of the townlands comprising each of those divisions is in the Belfast Gazette Publication date:22 June 1923 Issue:104 Page:241 (Banbridge RD) and the Belfast Gazette Publication date:22 June 1923 Issue:104 Page:260 (Newry RD)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results: Counties: Down