Mid Ulster by-election, 1969

The Mid Ulster by-election was held on 17 April 1969, following the death of Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Mid Ulster, George Forrest. The two-way contest was unusual in featuring two women candidates.

Forrest had held the seat since 1956, initially winning it as an Independent Unionist, but joining the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) immediately on his election. The seat had been created six years earlier, and during that period had been held by two Nationalist Party members, one Sinn Féin member, and an Ulster Unionist.

At the 1966 UK general election, Forrest had achieved only a slim majority over former Sinn Féin MP Tom Mitchell, standing as an Independent Republican. It was clear that the balance between nationalist and unionist voters in the constituency was very close.

Since 1966, the political situation in Northern Ireland had changed. The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association had been formed to campaign for civil rights for nationalists. After its marches were disrupted, leading to the start of The Troubles, more radical groups such as People's Democracy organised. Among its leaders was radical student Bernadette Devlin, who stood against prominent unionist James Chichester-Clark for the South Londonderry seat in the Northern Ireland general election, 1969 in February.

A Convention of nationalists selected Devlin as their candidate to contest the Mid Ulster by-election. She was chosen as a compromise between the Sinn Féin candidate Kevin Agnew and Austin Currie of the Nationalist Party. She stood as the Unity candidate. In contrast to Mitchell's abstentionist stance, she committed to attending the British House of Commons to fight her cause.

The Ulster Unionist Party stood Anna Forrest, George Forrest's widow. Forrest did not hold any public meetings or do any electioneering work. In a brief address to electors, she stated "if elected, I will endeavour, with God's help, to strive for a more peaceful and prosperous society where all people can live in harmony and work together for the common good of all."

Results

Devlin achieved a narrow victory, becoming at twenty-one years of age the youngest ever female MP. The election also saw the highest turnout in any Westminster by-election since universal suffrage, with 91.5% of the electorate voting.

Devlin held the seat at the 1970 UK general election, and the Unity movement acquired another MP in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. However, they both lost their seats at the February 1974 UK general election.

Mid Ulster by-election, 1969
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Unity	Bernadette Devlin	33,648	53.3	N/A
	Ulster Unionist	Anna Forrest	29,437	46.7	- 5.6
Majority			4,211	6.7	+ 2.2
Turnout			63,085	91.5	+ 7.6
	Unity gain from Ulster Unionist		Swing

General Election 1966: Mid Ulster
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Ulster Unionist	George Forrest	29,728	52.3
	Independent Republican	Tom Mitchell	27,168	47.8
Majority			2,560	4.5
Turnout				83.9
	Ulster Unionist hold		Swing

References

• "Gospel of Devlin", TIME Magazine
• 1969 British Parliamentary By Elections: Result & campaign literature