Belfast Dock (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

54°36′47″N 5°55′44″W / 54.613°N 5.929°W / 54.613; -5.929

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

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

Boundaries edit

Belfast Dock 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 Dock was created by the division of Belfast East 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]

The boundaries were the same as the former Dock ward. This meant that the boundary ran from Carlisle Circus, along Clifton Street, up North Queen Street, along Great George's Street, along the Belfast Lough, along Brougham Street and Duncairn Gardens and from the top of Duncairn Gardens, along the Antrim Road to Carlisle Circus. Consequently, the constituency was almost identical to the current New Lodge ward.

The constituency is now part of Belfast North.

Politics edit

The constituency was one of the most marginal in the Northern Ireland Parliament changing hands at every election until 1965. In every election from 1933 to 1965 the incumbent member lost his seat.[1]

Members of Parliament edit

ElectionMemberParty
1929Charles Blakiston-HoustonUlster Unionist Party
1933Harry MidgleyNorthern Ireland Labour Party
1938George Anthony ClarkUlster Unionist Party
1945Hugh DowneyNorthern Ireland Labour Party
1949Thomas Loftus ColeUlster Unionist Party
1953Murtagh MorganIrish Labour Party
1958William OliverUlster Unionist Party
1962Gerry FittIrish Labour Party
1965Republican Labour Party
1970Social Democratic and Labour Party
1973Constituency abolished

Elections results edit

General Election 22 May 1929: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUPCharles Blakiston-Houston 4,035 46.6
NI LabourDawson Gordon3,00334.7
Ind. UnionistJames Woods Gyle1,61918.7
Majority1,03211.9
Turnout8,65773.7
UUP win (new seat)
General Election 30 November 1933: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
NI LabourHarry Midgley 4,893 57.0 +22.3
UUPCharles Blakiston-Houston3,68543.0-3.6
Majority1,20814.0N/A
Turnout8,57877.5+3.8
NI Labour gain from UUPSwing
General Election 9 February 1938: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUPGeorge Anthony Clark 3,578 42.6 -0.4
NationalistJames Collins2,89134.5New
NI LabourHarry Midgley1,94322.9-34.1
Majority6878.1N/A
Turnout8,41282.5+5.0
UUP gain from NI LabourSwing
General Election 14 June 1945: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
NI LabourHugh Downey 3,985 57.7 +34.8
UUPGeorge Anthony Clark2,92442.3-0.3
Majority1,06115.4N/A
Turnout6,90978.5-4.0
NI Labour gain from UUPSwing
General Election 10 February 1949: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUPThomas Loftus Cole 3,674 52.0 +9.7
NI LabourHugh Downey3,39048.0-9.7
Majority2844.0N/A
Turnout7,06479.8+1.3
UUP gain from NI LabourSwing
General Election 22 October 1953: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish LabourMurtagh Morgan 3,537 51.3 New
UUPThomas Loftus Cole3,35848.7-3.3
Majority1792.6N/A
Turnout6,89575.9-3.9
Irish Labour gain from UUPSwing
General Election 20 March 1958: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUPWilliam Oliver 3,156 52.1 +3.4
Irish LabourGerry Fitt2,90047.9-3.4
Majority2564.2N/A
Turnout6,05673.9-2.0
UUP gain from Irish LabourSwing
General Election 31 May 1962: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Irish LabourGerry Fitt 3,288 54.2 +6.3
UUPWilliam Oliver2,78145.8-6.3
Majority5078.4N/A
Turnout6,06977.9+4.0
Irish Labour gain from UUPSwing
General Election 25 November 1965: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican LabourGerry Fitt 3,326 62.3 New
UUPWilliam Oliver2,01637.7-8.1
Majority1,31024.6N/A
Turnout5,34270.3-7.6
Republican Labour gain from Irish LabourSwing
General Election 24 February 1969: Belfast Dock[2]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican LabourGerry Fitt 3,274 62.8 +0.5
UUPHarold E. Smith1,93637.2-0.5
Majority1,33825.6+1.0
Turnout5,21072.2+1.9
Republican Labour holdSwing

References edit