West Down (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 54°20′38″N 6°02′28″W / 54.344°N 6.041°W

West Down
Former County Constituency for the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Former constituency
Created	1929
Abolished	1972
Election method	First past the post

West Down was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Boundaries

West Down was a county constituency comprising part of western County Down. It was created 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. West Down was created by the division of Down into eight 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.

The seat included the town of Banbridge, and also parts of the rural districts of Banbridge and Newry No.1.^[1]

Politics

The seat had a substantial unionist majority and was always won by Ulster Unionist Party candidates. It was contested on three occasions by independent unionists, each of whom won over 40% of the votes cast, and once by a communist candidate.^[2]

Members of Parliament

Elected	Party		Name[2]
1929		UUP	Robert McBride
1933		UUP	Samuel Fryar
1938		UUP	John Edgar Bailey
1959		UUP	David John Little
1965		UUP	John Dobson

Election results

At the Northern Ireland general election, 1929, Robert McBride was elected unopposed.^[2]

General Election 1933: West Down[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UUP	Samuel Fryar	6,168	55.9	N/A
	Independent Unionist	J. U. Finnery	4,863	44.1	N/A
Majority			1,305	11.8	N/A
Turnout				70.8	N/A
	UUP hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1938: West Down[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UUP	John Edgar Bailey	7,178	59.8	+3.9
	Ind. Unionist Association	R. J. Hale	4,833	40.2	N/A
Majority			2,345	19.6	+7.8
Turnout				73.4	+2.6
	UUP hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1945: West Down[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UUP	John Edgar Bailey	8,197	76.5	+16.7
	Communist (NI)	S. E. Maitland	2,524	23.5	N/A
Majority			5,673	53.0	+33.4
Turnout				66.3	-7.1
	UUP hold		Swing	N/A

At the 1949, 1953 and 1958 Northern Ireland general elections, John Edgar Bailey was elected unopposed.^[2]

At the 1959 by-election and the Northern Ireland general election, 1962, David John Little was elected unopposed.^[2]

At the 1965 by-election and the Northern Ireland general election, 1965, John Dobson was elected unopposed.^[2]

General Election 1969: West Down[2]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UUP	John Dobson	7,608	59.3	N/A
	Independent Unionist	A. W. Buller	5,219	40.7	N/A
Majority			2,389	18.6	N/A
Turnout				77.5	N/A
	UUP hold		Swing	N/A

References

1. Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election results: Constituency Boundaries
2. Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results: Counties: Down