Belfast Central (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Northern Ireland Parliament constituency infobox
Name = Belfast Central
Map2 =


Belfast=yes
Type = Borough
Start = 1929
End = 1973
EM = First past the post

Belfast Central was a constituency of the Northern Ireland Parliament.

Boundaries

Belfast Central was a borough constituency comprising part of 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 Central was created by the division of Belfast West 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]

The constituency consisted of inner city areas of Belfast equivalent to the modern areas of Unity, Brown Square, John Street and Lancaster Street. Residential redevelopment caused the electorate to fall sharply from 20,399 in 1929 to 6,384 in 1969. By the time of the dissolution of the Stormont Parliament, it had just over 2,500 voters.

The constituency is now part of Belfast North and Belfast West with most of the former seat now part of the New Lodge ward.

Politics

The constituency was one of the most staunchly nationalist in Belfast. It was initially held by Nationalist Party members, then later by a variety of labour movement activists and members of smaller nationalist parties. In 1953 a split between three Labour candidates led to the Unionist candidate finishing just 576 votes behind the victor.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Joseph Devlin
votes = 10,624
percentage = 71.8
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = D. C. Lindsay
votes = 4,163
percentage = 28.2
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 6,461
percentage = 43.6
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 72.5
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Joseph Devlin
votes = 7,411
percentage = 61.4
change = -10.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Republican
candidate = P. J. Thornbury
votes = 4,650
percentage = 38.6
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 2,761
percentage = 22.8
change = -20.8Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 63.6
change = -7.9Election box hold with party link
winner = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Thomas Joseph Campbell
votes = 4,948
percentage = 47.3
change = -14.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = William McMullen
votes = 3,784
percentage = 36.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate
party = Anti-Partition
candidate = Harry Diamond
votes = 1,518
percentage = 14.5
change = "N/A"Election box candidate
party = Ulster Democratic
candidate = W. McKeaveney
votes = 214
percentage = 2.0
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 1,164
percentage = 11.1
change = -11.7Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 55.7
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Thomas Joseph Campbell
votes = unopposed
percentage = "N/A"
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Thomas Joseph Campbell
votes = unopposed
percentage = "N/A"
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Frank Hanna
votes = 5,566
percentage = 66.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Socialist Republican Party (Ireland)
candidate = Victor Halley
votes = 2,783
percentage = 33.3
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 2,783
percentage = 33.3
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 52.4
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = Northern Ireland Labour Party
loser = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Labour
candidate = Frank Hanna
votes = unopposed
percentage = "N/A"
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = Independent Labour
loser = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Labour
candidate = Frank Hanna
votes = 3,902
percentage = 35.3
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = J. F. Cairns
votes = 3,326
percentage = 30.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Irish Labour
candidate = T. J. O'Sullivan
votes = 2,437
percentage = 22.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Labour Party
candidate = Jack Beattie
votes = 1,406
percentage = 12.7
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 576
percentage = 5.3
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 69.9
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Independent Labour
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Labour Group
candidate = Frank Hanna
votes = 4,683
percentage = 46.8
change = -31.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = William Craig
votes = 3,228
percentage = 32.2
change = +2.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Labour Party
candidate = D. P. Marrinan
votes = 2,105
percentage = 56.9
change = +8.3Election box majority
votes = 1,455
percentage = 14.6
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 71.6
change = +1.7Election box gain with party link
winner = Independent Labour Group
loser = Independent Labour
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Labour Group
candidate = Frank Hanna
votes = unopposed
percentage = "N/A"
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Independent Labour Group
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = National Democratic Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = John Joseph Brennan
votes = unopposed
percentage = "N/A"
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = National Democratic Party (Northern Ireland)
loser = Independent Labour Group
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Labour Party
candidate = Paddy Kennedy
votes = 2,032
percentage = 56.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = National Democratic Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = John Joseph Brennan
votes = 1,538
percentage = 43.1
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 494
percentage = 13.8
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 3,570
percentage = 58.3
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = Social Democratic and Labour Party
loser = Republican Labour Party
swing = "N/A"

References