Belfast Shankill (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

54.604°N 5.950°W / 54.604; -5.950

Belfast Shankill
Former Borough constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Belfast Shankill 1929-1969
Belfast shown within Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1972
Election methodFirst past the post

Belfast Shankill was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

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 Parliament of Northern Ireland was temporarily suspended in 1972, and then formally abolished in 1973.[1]

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.[1]

Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1929 Tommy Henderson Independent Unionist
1937 Independent Unionist Association
1940s Independent Unionist
1953 Henry Holmes Ulster Unionist
1960 Desmond Boal Ulster Unionist
1961 Independent Unionist
1961 Ulster Unionist
1970 Independent Unionist
1971 Democratic Unionist
1973 constituency abolished

Election results
General Election 1929: Belfast Shankill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Unionist Tommy Henderson 6,525 51.1
Ulster Unionist Samuel McGuffin 6,244 48.9
Majority 281 2.2
Turnout 12,769 74.8
Ind. Unionist win (new seat)
General Election 1933: Belfast Shankill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Unionist Tommy Henderson 6,451 50.5 -0.6
Ulster Unionist James Norman Fulton 6,335 49.5 +0.6
Majority 116 1.0 -1.2
Turnout 12,786 76.4 +1.6
Ind. Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1938: Belfast Shankill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Unionist Party Tommy Henderson 7,518 51.4 +0.9
Ulster Unionist James Norman Fulton 7,095 48.6 -0.9
Majority 423 2.8 N/A
Turnout 14,613 83.6 +7.2
Ind. Unionist Party gain from Ind. Unionist Swing
At the 1945 and 1949 general elections, Tommy Henderson was elected unopposed.[2]
General Election 1953: Belfast Shankill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Henry Holmes 5,485 47.3 N/A
Ind. Unionist Tommy Henderson 3,215 27.7 N/A
NI Labour Norman Branagh Fullerton 2,897 25.0 New
Majority 2,270 19.6 N/A
Turnout 11,597 65.6 N/A
Ulster Unionist gain from Ind. Unionist Swing N/A
General Election 1958: Belfast Shankill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Henry Holmes 6,411 56.2 +8.9
NI Labour Samuel Cree 4,995 43.8 +18.8
Majority 1,416 12.4 -7.2
Turnout 11,406 61.5 -4.1
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
1960 Belfast Shankill by-election[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Desmond Boal 4,320 64.2 +8.0
NI Labour Samuel Cree 2,414 35.8 -8.0
Majority 1,906 28.4 +16.0
Turnout 6,734 28.4 -33.1
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
At the 1962 Northern Ireland general election, Desmond Boal was elected unopposed.[2]
General Election 1965: Belfast Shankill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Desmond Boal 6,289 67.4 N/A
NI Labour David Overend 3,035 32.6 New
Majority 3,254 34.8 N/A
Turnout 9,324 50.5 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1969: Belfast Shankill[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Desmond Boal 6,384 49.4 -18.0
Ind. Unionist Samuel Walsh 4,545 35.2 New
NI Labour David Overend 1,997 15.4 -17.2
Majority 1,839 14.2 -20.6
Turnout 12,926 71.1 +20.6
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

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