Queen's University of Belfast (UK Parliament constituency)

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Queen's University, Belfast
University constituency
Created: 1918
Abolished: 1950
Type: House of Commons

Queen's University of Belfast was a university constituency in both the United Kingdom Parliament (from 1918 until 1950) and the Parliament of Northern Ireland (from 1921 until 1969).

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

The constituency was not a physical area but was rather elected by the graduates of the Queen's University of Belfast.

The constituency returned one member to Westminster and four to Stormont, with the latter elected by Single Transferable Vote.

[edit] Westminster elections

[edit] MPs from 1918 until 1950

[edit] Politics and History of the constituency

University constituencies had existed in the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors since 1603 and in 1918 Queen's was enfranchised as such. When the Parliament of Northern Ireland was established, the same franchise was preserved - see Queen's University of Belfast (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency).

As with most other Northern Ireland seats in this period, the electorate was heavily inclined towards the Ulster Unionists, with no contests for the Westminster seat taking place at all in the interwar years.

In the late 1940s legislation was passed to abolish the university constituencies at Westminster.

[edit] Election results

General Election, 1945: Queen's University of Belfast
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Douglas Lloyd Savory 1,923 72.5 N/A
Independent Thomas Cusack 728 27.5 N/A
Majority 1,195 45.1 N/A
Turnout 51.6 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

At the Queen's University of Belfast by-election, 1940, Douglas Lloyd Savory was elected unopposed.

At the 1923, 1924, 1929, 1931 and 1935 UK general elections, Thomas Sinclair was elected unopposed.

At the 1922 UK general election, William Whitla was elected unopposed.

General Election, 1918: Queen's University of Belfast
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Whitla 1,487 92.7 N/A
Sinn Féin Sean Dolan 118 7.4 N/A
Majority 1,369 85.3 N/A
Turnout N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A

[edit] See also