Belfast St Anne's (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 54°35′13″N 5°57′22″W / 54.587°N 5.956°W

Belfast St Anne's
Former Borough constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland

Former constituency
Created 1929
Abolished 1972
Election method First past the post

Belfast St Anne's was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries

Belfast St Anne's was a borough constituency comprising part of south-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 St Anne's 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]

The constituency contained areas between the current Lisburn Road and Falls Road and consisted of the former St George's ward and most of the former St Anne's ward - although unusually it did not include the eponymous cathedral which was in Belfast Central.

The constituency is now part of Belfast South and Belfast West.

Politics

The constituency was solidly unionist and always elected Ulster Unionist Party Members of Parliament, but was usually contested by labour movement candidates who sometimes polled well.[1]

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1929 James Hanna McCormick Ulster Unionist Party
1938 Edmond Warnock Ulster Unionist Party
1969 Norman Laird Ulster Unionist Party
1970(b) John Laird Ulster Unionist Party
1973 Constituency abolished

Election results

Northern Ireland 1921–72
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General Election 1929: Belfast St Anne's[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP James Hanna McCormick 6,686 47.2 N/A
Independent Unionist Philip James Woods 5,273 37.2 N/A
Local Option Emily Moffat Clow 2,209 15.6 N/A
Majority 1,413 10.0 N/A
Turnout 71.5 N/A
UUP hold Swing N/A
General Election 1933: Belfast St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP James Hanna McCormick 9,533 71.6 +23.4
NI Labour William John Donaldson 3,790 28.4 N/A
Majority 5,743 43.2 +33.2
Turnout 59.3 -12.2
UUP hold Swing N/A
General Election 1938: Belfast St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Edmond Warnock 11,183 68.4 -3.2
Progressive Unionist J. D. Wallace 5,172 31.6 N/A
Majority 6,011 36.8 -7.4
Turnout 66.7 +7.4
UUP hold Swing N/A
General Election 1945: Belfast St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Edmond Warnock 10,119 56.9 -11.5
NI Labour Joseph Lowden 7,674 43.1 N/A
Majority 2,445 13.8 -23.0
Turnout 66.7 0.0
UUP hold Swing N/A
General Election 1949: Belfast St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Edmond Warnock 15,312 76.1 +19.2
NI Labour Robert S. Thompson 4,811 23.9 -19.2
Majority 10,501 52.2 +38.4
Turnout 75.4 +8.7
UUP hold Swing N/A
At the 1953 and 1958 general elections, Edmond Warnock was elected unopposed.
General Election 1945: Belfast St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Edmond Warnock 10,119 56.9 -11.5
NI Labour Joseph Lowden 7,674 43.1 N/A
Majority 2,445 13.8 -23.0
Turnout 66.7 0.0
UUP hold Swing N/A
General Election 1962: Belfast St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Edmond Warnock 8,940 60.6 N/A
NI Labour A. Holmes 5,807 39.4 N/A
Majority 3,133 21.2 N/A
Turnout 64.8 N/A
UUP hold Swing N/A
General Election 1965: Belfast St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Edmond Warnock 7,316 62.9 + 2.3
NI Labour Billy Blease 4,312 37.1 - 2.3
Majority 3,004 25.8 + 4.6
Turnout 53.3 -11.5
UUP hold Swing
General Election 1969: Belfast St Anne's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Norman Laird 7,126 53.0 - 9.9
Independent Unionist William McKee 4,183 31.1 N/A
National Democrats John D. Murphy 2,136 15.9 N/A
Majority 2,943 21.9 - 3.9
Turnout 70.6 + 17.3
UUP hold Swing
Belfast St Anne's by-election, 1970
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP John Laird 8,204 68.8 + 15.8
SDLP Gerald Malachy Lavery 2,881 24.2 N/A
NI Labour William Ritchie 836 7.0 N/A
Majority 5,323 44.6 + 22.7
Turnout 59.0 - 11.6
UUP hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Northern Ireland House of Commons, 1921-1972, Northern Ireland Elections
  2. ↑ Northern Ireland Parliamentary Elections Results: Boroughs: Belfast