Belfast Shankill (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Northern Ireland Parliament constituency infobox
Name = Belfast Shankill


Belfast=yes
Type = Borough
Start = 1929
End = 1972
EM = First past the post

Belfast Shankill was a constituency of the Northern Ireland Parliament.

Boundaries

Belfast Shankill was a borough constituency comprising part of northern 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 Shankill was created by the division of Belfast North into four new constituencies. It survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament, until the Northern Ireland Parliament was prorogued in 1972 and formally abolished in 1973. [http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/hnihoc.htm The Northern Ireland House of Commons, 1921-1972] , Northern Ireland Elections]

Politics

In common with other seats in North Belfast, the seat had little nationalist presence. The seat was strongly Unionist, but there was some labour movement strength. For the first twenty-four years of its existence, the seat was held by an independent Unionist.

Members of Parliament

*1929 - 1953: Tommy Henderson, Independent Unionist (1929 - 30s); Independent Unionist Association (1930s - 40s); Independent Unionist (1940s - 1955)
*1955 - 1960: Henry Holmes, Ulster Unionist Party
*1960 - 1972: Desmond Boal, Ulster Unionist Party (1960 - 61); Independent Unionist (1961); Ulster Unionist Party (1961 - 70); Independent Unionist (1970 - 71); Democratic Unionist Party (1971 - 72)

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Tommy Henderson
votes = 6,525
percentage = 51.1
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Samuel McGuffin
votes = 6,244
percentage = 48.9
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 281
percentage = 2.2
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 74.8
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Independent Unionist
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Tommy Henderson
votes = 6,451
percentage = 50.5
change = -0.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = J. N. Fulton
votes = 6,335
percentage = 49.5
change = +0.6Election box majority
votes = 116
percentage = 1.0
change = -1.2Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 76.4
change = +1.6Election box hold with party link
winner = Independent Unionist
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist Association
candidate = Tommy Henderson
votes = 7,518
percentage = 51.4
change = +0.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = J. N. Fulton
votes = 7,095
percentage = 48.6
change = -0.9Election box majority
votes = 423
percentage = 2.8
change = +1.8Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 83.6
change = +7.2Election box gain with party link
winner = Independent Unionist Association
loser = Independent Unionist
swing =

:At the 1945 and 1949 general elections, Tommy Henderson was elected unopposed.

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Henry Holmes
votes = 5,485
percentage = 47.3
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = Tommy Henderson
votes = 3,215
percentage = 27.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = N. B. Fullerton
votes = 2,897
percentage = 25.0
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 2,270
percentage = 19.6
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 65.6
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
loser = Independent Unionist
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Henry Holmes
votes = 6,411
percentage = 56.2
change = +8.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Samuel Cree
votes = 4,995
percentage = 43.8
change = +18.0Election box majority
votes = 1,416
percentage = 12.4
change = -7.2Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 61.5
change = -4.1Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Desmond Boal
votes = 4,320
percentage = 64.2
change = +8.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Samuel Cree
votes = 2,414
percentage = 35.8
change = -8.0Election box majority
votes = 1,906
percentage = 28.4
change = +16.0Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 28.4
change = -33.1Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

:At the Northern Ireland general election, 1962, Desmond Boal was elected unopposed.

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Desmond Boal
votes = 6,289
percentage = 67.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = D. A. Overend
votes = 3,035
percentage = 32.6
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 3,254
percentage = 34.8
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 50.5
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Desmond Boal
votes = 6,384
percentage = 49.4
change = -18.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = S. H. Walsh
votes = 4,545
percentage = 35.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = D. A. Overend
votes = 1,997
percentage = 15.4
change = -17.2Election box majority
votes = 1,839
percentage = 14.2
change = -20.6Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 71.1
change = +20.6Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

References