54°35′13″N 5°53′56″W / 54.587°N 5.899°W / 54.587; -5.899

Belfast Willowfield
Former Borough constituency
for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Belfast Willowfield 1929-1969
Belfast shown within Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created1929
Abolished1973
Election methodFirst past the post

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

Boundaries

Belfast Willowfield was a borough constituency comprising part of southern 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 Willowfield was created by the division of Belfast South 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 south Belfast, the constituency was strongly unionist. The seat was generally held by Unionist candidates, although labour movement candidates often performed well and sometimes took the seat.[1]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMemberParty
1929 Arthur Black Ulster Unionist
1941(b) Harry Midgley Northern Ireland Labour Party
1941 Commonwealth Labour Party
1947 Ulster Unionist
1958 William Hinds Ulster Unionist
1969 Tom Caldwell Independent Unionist
1973 constituency abolished

Election results

General Election 1929: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Arthur Black 4,691 53.9
Town Tenants' Association Alexander McConnell 4,015 46.1
Majority 676 7.8
Turnout 8,706 69.4
Ulster Unionist win (new seat)
At the 1933 Northern Ireland general election, Arthur Black was elected unopposed.[2]
General Election 1938: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Arthur Black 7,615 65.1 N/A
Ulster Protestant League Arthur Cleland 4,086 34.9 New
Majority 3,530 30.2 N/A
Turnout 11,701 74.1 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
Belfast Willowfield by-election, 1941[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
NI Labour Harry Midgley 7,209 74.8 New
Ulster Unionist Fred Lavery 2,435 25.2 -39.9
Majority 4,774 49.6 N/A
Turnout 9,644 60.0 N/A
NI Labour gain from Ulster Unionist Swing N/A
General Election 1945: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Commonwealth Labour Harry Midgley 7,072 55.9 New
Ulster Unionist George Irvine Finlay 4,488 35.5 -29.6
NI Labour Robert McBrinn 1,082 8.6 N/A
Majority 2,584 20.4 N/A
Turnout 11,560 75.1 +1.0
Commonwealth Labour gain from Ulster Unionist Swing N/A
General Election 1949: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Harry Midgley 11,304 87.5 +52.0
NI Labour William Leeburn 1,611 12.5 +3.9
Majority 9,693 75.0 N/A
Turnout 12,915 77.3 +2.2
Ulster Unionist gain from Commonwealth Labour Swing N/A
General Election 1953: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Harry Midgley 6,539 68.8 -18.7
NI Labour Norman Searight 2,966 31.2 +18.7
Majority 3,573 37.6 -37.4
Turnout 9,505 59.5 -17.8
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 1958: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Hinds 4,017 41.6 -27.2
NI Labour Norman Searight 2,847 29.5 -1.7
Ind. Unionist Alfred Walker Shaw 2,785 28.9 New
Majority 1,170 12.1 -25.5
Turnout 9,649 66.6 +7.1
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 1962: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Hinds 4,931 58.5 +16.9
NI Labour Norman Searight 3,497 41.5 +12.0
Majority 1,434 17.0 +4.9
Turnout 8,428 62.0 -4.6
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 1965: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Hinds 4,918 64.9 +6.4
NI Labour Martin McBirney 2,654 35.1 -6.4
Majority 2,264 29.8 +12.8
Turnout 7,572 57.1 -4.9
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General Election 1969: Belfast Willowfield[2]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ind. Unionist Tom Caldwell 4,613 54.3 New
Ulster Unionist William Hinds 2,134 25.1 -39.8
NI Labour Billy Boyd 1,747 20.6 -14.5
Majority 2,479 29.2 N/A
Turnout 8,494 68.4 +11.3
Ind. Unionist gain from Ulster Unionist Swing N/A

References

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