Belfast West
Borough constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of Belfast West in Northern Ireland
Districts of Northern IrelandBelfast, Lisburn
Electorate60,817 (March 2011)
BoroughBelfast
Major settlementsBelfast
Current constituency
Created1922
Member of ParliamentPaul Maskey (Sinn Féin)
Seats1
Created fromBelfast Falls, Belfast St Anne's and Belfast Woodvale
1885–1918
Seats1
Type of constituencyborough constituency
Created fromBelfast
Replaced byBelfast Falls, Belfast St Anne's and Belfast Woodvale

Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency (seat) in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The current MP is Paul Maskey of Sinn Féin.

In 2017, it ranked the most secure of Northern Ireland's 18 seats by percentage and/or numerical tally of its winning majority, followed by North Down and by North Antrim respectively.[1]

Boundaries

1885–1918: In the Borough of Belfast, Smithfield ward, that part of St. Anne's ward bounded on the north-west by a line drawn along the centre of Carrick Hill, that part of St. George's ward lying to the north of a line drawn along the centre of Grosvenor Street and west of a line drawn along the centre of Durham Street, and the townlands of Ballymagarry and Ballymurphy in the parish of Shankill.

1922–1974: The County Borough of Belfast wards of Court, Falls, St. Anne's, St. George's, Smithfield, and Woodvale. The boundaries of these wards can be seen in Schedule 9 of the Report of the Boundary Commission (Ireland) on the Representation of the People Bill 1917 - redistribution of seats.

1974–1983: The County Borough of Belfast wards of Court, Falls, St Anne's, St George's, Smithfield, and Woodvale, and the Rural District of Lisburn electoral divisions of Andersonstown, Ballygammon, and Ladybrook.

1983–1997: The District of Belfast wards of Andersonstown, Ballygomartin, Central, Clonard, Court, Falls, Grosvenor, Highfield, Ladybrook, Milltown, North Howard, St James, Suffolk, and Whiterock.

1997–2010: The District of Belfast wards of Andersonstown, Beechmount, Clonard, Falls, Falls Park, Glencairn, Glencolin, Glen Road, Highfield, Ladybrook, Shankill, Upper Springfield, and Whiterock, and the District of Lisburn wards of Collin Glen, Kilwee, Poleglass, and Twinbrook.

2010–present: The District of Belfast wards of Andersonstown, Beechmount, Clonard, Falls, Falls Park, Glencairn, Glencolin, Glen Road, Highfield, Ladybrook, Shankill, Upper Springfield, and Whiterock, and the City of Lisburn wards of Collin Glen, Dunmurry, Kilwee, Poleglass, Twinbrook, and part of Derryaghy.

The seat was restored in 1922 (having been abolished for the 1918 general election) when as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut. In 1983 the Sandy Row and Donegall Road areas were removed[2] leaving a seat centred on the west section of Belfast, though between 1983 and 1997 it included the area around the Docks on the north east side of the Lagan Estuary.[3]

Prior to the 2010 general election, boundary changes added the Dunmurry ward and the northern part of Derriaghy ward to this seat. Following public consultation, the proposals were passed through Parliament via the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituencies Order.[4] In an unprecedented move by a Boundary Commission, an electoral ward was split between constituencies following disquiet in parts of Derriaghy. This ward is now split between Belfast West and Lagan Valley.

History

Belfast West has historically been the most nationalist of Belfast's four constituencies, though it is only in the last few decades that the votes for unionist parties have plunged to tiny levels. The constituency is largely made of a long, slender, belt along the Falls Road and its suburban extensions, with three of the five wards from the staunchly unionist Shankill area now something of a bolt-on, with a several kilometre (miles) long peace line dividing them from the rest of the constituency. There is also a smaller Protestant enclave at Suffolk.

The tenor of the constituency is largely working class and in the 1991 census it was one of only twenty constituencies where the majority of housing was still state owned. Although there are now large pockets of middle-class housing in Andersonstown and other suburban parts of the seat. Closer to the centre public-sector terraced housing, both Victorian and high quality modern housing, predominates, while in the suburbs, leafy pockets are scattered among post-War housing estates such as Lenadoon and Twinbrook.

The Westminster constituency was consistently held by the Ulster Unionist Party but always had strong Labour movement sympathies. In the 1923 UK general election, the Belfast Labour Party came within 1,000 votes of taking the seat. A by-election in 1943 was won by Jack Beattie, standing for the Northern Ireland Labour Party. For the next twenty-three years the seat would regularly change from unionist to nationalist/labour, with the latter represented by a variety of parties.

In the 1966 general election the seat was won by Gerry Fitt of the Republican Labour Party. Later in 1970 he left that party to become a founder and first leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party. In the February 1974 general election, Belfast West was the only constituency in Northern Ireland to elect an MP supporting the Sunningdale Agreement. Fitt's majority was a narrow 2180 votes in February 1974 primarily due to the candidature of Albert Price, father of the Price sisters who were in prison in England for PIRA related offences. However the candidacy of a UVF backed candidate in October 1974 and a declining Unionist vote in 1979 led to him increasing his majorities in subsequent years. He retained the seat for the next nine years but increasingly distanced himself from nationalist groups and in late 1979 he left the SDLP altogether. He sat as an independent socialist but lost his seat in the 1983 General Election when it was won by Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin. The Unionist vote which had still been at 30% in the 1982 Assembly elections was cut to 20% as a result of the 1983 boundary changes which, while adding the loyalist Glencairn area, removed the Donegall Road, Sandy Row and added the Nationalist Lenadoon area.

Adams' share of the vote, at 37%, was short of a majority and he achieved victory only due to Fitt and the SDLP candidate splitting the non-Sinn Féin vote. In 1987 Adams narrowly held his seat, but lost it in the 1992 general election amidst a strong tactical voting campaign in favour of Joe Hendron of the Social Democratic and Labour Party by unionists[5] in the Shankill Road area of the constituency. After the election a constituent, Maura McCrory, lodged an election petition challenging the result. The election court reported Hendron personally guilty of the illegal practice of failing to deliver a declaration verifying the return of his election expenses, and guilty through his election agent of failing to deliver a verified return of election expenses within 35 days, exceeding the maximum spending by £782.02, and failing to pay all the expenses within 28 days. Hendron's agent was also reported personally guilty of distributing election material without the name and address of the printer and publisher. The Judges granted both Hendron and his agent relief from their findings, on the grounds that the law had been broken through inadvertence; they therefore certified that Hendron had been duly elected.[6]

In the mid-1990s the Boundary Commission originally suggested removing the Shankill wards from the constituency and replacing them with about half of the Belfast South constituency namely the 6 wards of the Balmoral Electoral Area and the Shaftesbury ward, effectively transforming the seat into a Belfast South West constituency.

The subsequent local enquiries were bitterly contested with the SDLP favouring the commission's original proposals which would add an area where Sinn Féin had little support (and aside from the Shaftesbury ward, had not contested in council elections), while Sinn Féin argued instead for adding the mostly republican Twinbrook and Poleglass estates (where they were outpolling the SDLP in council elections by a margin of 3 to 1). With all parties except the SDLP supporting an option of retaining four seats in Belfast the latter option became the commissions final proposals and the Shankill wards remained in the constituency.

The boundary changes, coupled with the IRA ceasefire, meant that support for Sinn Féin in the constituency soared to new levels and in all elections held in the seat since 1996 they have taken over 50% of the vote. In 1997 Adams regained the seat and held it in 2001, 2005 and 2010. In 2011, Adams decided to stand in the 2011 Republic of Ireland general election and vacated his seat.

In the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union, the constituency voted remain by 74.1%.[7]

Members of Parliament

The Member of Parliament since a 2011 by-election is Paul Maskey of Sinn Féin, who succeeded Gerry Adams, the party president. Adams previously held the seat from 1983 to 1992 when he lost it to Joe Hendron of the Social Democratic and Labour Party but regained it in 1997.

In November 2010, Adams announced his intention to contest the imminent election in the Republic of Ireland. Although the Disqualifications Act 2000 permits MPs to sit in Dáil Éireann, he submitted a letter of resignation to the Speaker in January 2011. However, the prescribed procedure for vacating a parliamentary seat involves applying for the post of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, which he had "no intention" of doing. Thus he was still considered to hold the seat.[8] On 26 January, HM Treasury announced that Adams had been appointed as Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, claimed that Adams had applied for the appointment, but this was later clarified to state that he had not requested the appointment. Adams stated the Prime Minister's private secretary had apologised to him for making the announcement that Adams had 'accepted' the position, when in fact Adams' resignation letter was taken to be a request to be so appointed, whatever his own wishes.[9]

Monument to James Horner Haslett, MP & Mayor of Belfast, grounds of Belfast City Hall
ElectionMemberParty
1885 James Horner Haslett Conservative
1886 Thomas Sexton Irish Parliamentary
1890 Irish National Federation
1892 H. O. Arnold-Forster Liberal Unionist
1906 Joseph Devlin Irish Parliamentary
1918 constituency abolished
1922 constituency recreated
1922 Robert Lynn Ulster Unionist
1929 W. E. D. Allen
1931 New Party
1931 Alexander Browne Ulster Unionist
1943 by-election Jack Beattie Labour (NI)
1943 Independent Labour
1945 Federation of Labour
1949 Irish Labour
1950 James MacManaway Ulster Unionist
1950 by-election Thomas Teevan
1951 Jack Beattie Irish Labour
1955 Patricia McLaughlin Ulster Unionist
1964 James Kilfedder
1966 Gerry Fitt Republican Labour
1970 Social Democratic and Labour
1979 Independent
1983 Gerry Adams Sinn Féin
1992 Joe Hendron Social Democratic and Labour
1997 Gerry Adams Sinn Féin
2011 by-election Paul Maskey

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Belfast West[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Paul Maskey 20,866 53.8 ―12.9
People Before Profit Gerry Carroll 6,194 16.0 +5.8
DUP Frank McCoubrey 5,220 13.5 +0.1
SDLP Paul Doherty 2,985 7.7 +0.7
Alliance Donnamarie Higgins 1,882 4.9 +3.0
Aontú Monica Digney 1,635 4.2 New
Majority 14,672 37.8 ―15.5
Turnout 38,782 59.1 ―6.3
Registered electors 65,621
Sinn Féin hold Swing

This seat had the largest Sinn Féin vote share at the 2019 general election. It also saw the only increase in vote share for the DUP at the election.[11]

General election 2017: Belfast West[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Paul Maskey 27,107 66.7 +12.5
DUP Frank McCoubrey 5,455 13.4 +5.6
People Before Profit Gerry Carroll 4,132 10.2 ―9.0
SDLP Tim Attwood 2,860 7.0 ―2.8
Alliance Sorcha Eastwood 731 1.9 +0.1
Workers' Party Conor Campbell 348 0.9 ―0.8
Majority 21,652 53.3 +18.3
Turnout 40,830 65.41 +9.1
Registered electors 62,423
Sinn Féin hold Swing +12.5
General election 2015: Belfast West[14][15][16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Paul Maskey 19,163 54.2 ―16.9
People Before Profit Gerry Carroll 6,798 19.2 N/A
SDLP Alex Attwood 3,475 9.8 ―6.6
DUP Frank McCoubrey 2,773 7.8 +0.2
Ulster Unionist Bill Manwaring 1,088 3.1 0.0
UKIP Brian Higginson 765 2.2 New
Alliance Gerard Catney 636 1.8 ―0.1
Workers' Party John Lowry 597 1.7 New
NI Conservatives Paul Shea 34 0.1 New
Majority 12,365 35.0 ―19.7
Turnout 35,329 56.3 +2.3
Registered electors 62,697
Sinn Féin hold Swing ―14.0
2011 Belfast West by-election[18][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Paul Maskey 16,211 70.6 ―0.5
SDLP Alex Attwood 3,088 13.5 ―2.9
People Before Profit Gerry Carroll 1,751 7.6 New
DUP Brian Kingston 1,393 6.1 ―1.5
Ulster Unionist Bill Manwaring 386 1.7 ―1.4
Alliance Aaron McIntyre 122 0.5 ―1.4
Majority 13,123 57.1 +2.4
Turnout 22,951 37.5 ―16.5
Registered electors 61,441
Sinn Féin hold Swing +1.2
General election 2010: Belfast West[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Gerry Adams 22,840 71.1 +2.5
SDLP Alex Attwood 5,261 16.4 +0.3
DUP William Humphrey 2,436 7.6 ―3.3
UCU-NF Bill Manwaring 1,000 3.1 +0.6
Alliance Máire Hendron 596 1.9 +1.8
Majority 17,579 54.7 ―1.2
Turnout 32,133 54.0 ―13.5
Registered electors 59,522
Sinn Féin hold Swing +1.1

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Belfast West[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Gerry Adams 24,348 70.5 +4.4
SDLP Alex Attwood 5,033 14.6 ―4.3
DUP Diane Dodds 3,652 10.6 +4.2
Ulster Unionist Chris McGimpsey 779 2.3 ―3.9
Workers' Party John Lowry 432 1.3 ―0.5
Rainbow Dream Ticket Lynda Gilby 154 0.4 +0.2
Independent Liam Kennedy 147 0.4 New
Majority 19,315 55.9 +8.7
Turnout 34,545 64.2 ―4.5
Registered electors 53,536
Sinn Féin hold Swing +4.4
General election 2001: Belfast West[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Gerry Adams 27,096 66.1 +10.2
SDLP Alex Attwood 7,754 18.9 ―19.8
DUP Eric Smyth 2,641 6.4 New
Ulster Unionist Chris McGimpsey 2,541 6.2 +2.8
Workers' Party John Lowry 736 1.8 +0.2
Third Way David Kerr 116 0.3 New
Rainbow Dream Ticket Rainbow George Weiss 98 0.2 New
Majority 19,342 47.2 +30.0
Turnout 40,982 68.7 ―5.6
Registered electors 59,617
Sinn Féin hold Swing +15.0

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Belfast West[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Gerry Adams 25,662 55.9 +13.9
SDLP Joe Hendron 17,753 38.7 ―5.5
Ulster Unionist Frederick Parkinson 1,556 3.4 ―8.2
Workers' Party John Lowry 721 1.6 -0.3
Human Rights Liam Kennedy 102 0.2 New
Natural Law Mary Daly 91 0.2 -0.3
Majority 7,909 17.2 N/A
Turnout 45,885 74.3 +1.1
Registered electors 61,785
Sinn Féin gain from SDLP Swing ―9.7

1997 Changes are compared to the 1992 notional results shown below.[24]

Notional 1992 UK General Election Result : Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDLP N/A 20,045 44.2 N/A
Sinn Féin N/A 19,027 42.0 N/A
Ulster Unionist N/A 5,275 11.6 N/A
Others N/A 975 2.2 N/A
Majority 1,018 2.2 N/A
General election 1992: Belfast West[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDLP Joe Hendron 17,415 43.6 +7.9
Sinn Féin Gerry Adams 16,826 42.1 +1.0
Ulster Unionist Fred Cobain 4,766 11.9 ―6.8
Workers' Party John Lowry 750 1.9 ―2.5
Natural Law Michael Francis Kennedy 213 0.5 New
Majority 589 1.5 N/A
Turnout 34,545 73.2 +4.1
Registered electors 54,644
SDLP gain from Sinn Féin Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Belfast West[26]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Gerry Adams 16,862 41.1 +4.2
SDLP Joe Hendron 14,641 35.7 +11.1
Ulster Unionist Frank Millar 7,646 18.7 +13.2
Workers' Party Mary McMahon 1,819 4.4 +0.1
Majority 2,221 5.4 ―6.9
Turnout 40,968 69.1 ―5.2
Registered electors 59,324
Sinn Féin hold Swing
General election 1983: Belfast West[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Gerry Adams 16,379 36.9 New
SDLP Joe Hendron 10,934 24.6 ―14.4
Independent Socialist Gerry Fitt 10,326 23.3 ―26.2
Ulster Unionist Thomas Passmore 2,435 5.5 ―19.0
DUP George Albert Haffey 2,399 5.4 ―5.8
Workers' Party Mary McMahon 1,893 4.3 ―2.4
Majority 5,445 12.3 N/A
Turnout 44,366 74.3 +13.7
Registered electors 59,675
Sinn Féin gain from SDLP Swing

Following the 1979 election, Fitt became increasingly at odds with the SDLP and left it, continuing to sit as an independent socialist.

Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDLP Gerry Fitt 16,480 49.5 +0.5
Ulster Unionist Thomas Passmore 8,245 24.8 New
DUP Billy Dickson 3,716 11.2 ―25.3
Republican Clubs Brian Brennan 2,284 6.9 ―1.1
Alliance John Cousins 2,024 6.1 New
NI Labour Derek O'Brien Peters 540 1.6 New
Majority 8,235 24.7 +12.2
Turnout 33,289 56.5 ―10.7
Registered electors 58,884
SDLP hold Swing
General election October 1974: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDLP Gerry Fitt 21,821 49.0 +8.0
DUP John McQuade 16,265 36.5 0.0
Republican Clubs Kitty O'Kane 3,547 8.0 +1.5
Volunteer Political Party Ken Gibson 2,690 6.0 New
Marxist–Leninist (Ireland) Peter Donal Patrick Kerins 203 0.5 New
Majority 5,556 12.5 +8.0
Turnout 44,526 67.2 ―4.3
Registered electors 66,279
SDLP hold Swing
General election February 1974: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SDLP Gerry Fitt 19,554 41.0
DUP John McQuade 17,374 36.5
Independent Republican Albert Price 5,662 11.9
Republican Clubs John Brady 3,088 6.5
NI Labour Billy Boyd 1,989 4.2
Majority 2,180 4.5 N/A
Turnout 47,667 71.5 −13.0
Registered electors 66,639
SDLP gain from Republican Labour Swing

After the 1970 election Fitt left the Republican Labour Party to co-found the Social Democratic & Labour Party. The remains of Republican Labour had disintegrated by 1974.

General election 1970: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Labour Gerry Fitt 30,649 52.8 +0.8
Ulster Unionist Brian McRoberts 27,451 47.3 −0.7
Majority 3,198 5.5 +1.5
Turnout 58,100 84.5 +9.7
Registered electors 68,665
Republican Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Labour Gerry Fitt 26,292 52.0 +23.7
Ulster Unionist James Kilfedder 24,281 48.0 +6.8
Majority 2,011 4.0 N/A
Turnout 50,573 74.8 +0.1
Registered electors 67,588
Republican Labour gain from Ulster Unionist Swing
General election 1964: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist James Kilfedder 21,337 41.2 –12.9
Republican Labour Harry Diamond 14,678 28.3 New
NI Labour Billy Boyd 12,579 24.3 New
Independent Republican Billy McMillen 3,256 6.3 New
Majority 6,659 12.9 –3.6
Turnout 51,850 74.7 +2.0
Registered electors 69,399
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Patricia McLaughlin 28,898 54.1 –4.2
Ind. Labour Group John Joseph Brennan 20,062 37.6 New
Sinn Féin Thomas Heenan 4,416 8.3 –6.1
Majority 8,836 16.5 –14.4
Turnout 53,376 72.7 –2.0
Registered electors 73,405
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General election 1955: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Patricia McLaughlin 34,191 58.3 +8.3
Irish Labour Jack Beattie 20,062 27.4 –22.6
Sinn Féin Eamonn Boyce 8,447 14.4 New
Majority 18,141 30.9 +30.9
Turnout 62,700 74.7 –9.4
Registered electors 78,589
Ulster Unionist gain from Irish Labour Swing
General election 1951: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Labour Jack Beattie 33,174 50.0 +3.7
Ulster Unionist Thomas Teevan 33,149 50.0 –1.5
Majority 25 0.0 N/A
Turnout 66,323 84.1 +0.5
Registered electors 78,828
Irish Labour gain from Ulster Unionist Swing
1950 Belfast West by-election[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Thomas Teevan 31,796 50.8 –0.7
Irish Labour Jack Beattie 30,833 49.2 +2.9
Majority 913 1.4 –3.8
Turnout 62,629 79.8 -3.8
Registered electors 78,459
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General election 1950: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist James Godfrey MacManaway 33,917 51.5 +5.0
Irish Labour Jack Beattie 30,539 46.3 –7.2
Sinn Féin Jimmy Steele 1,482 2.2 New
Majority 3,378 5.2 N/A
Turnout 65,938 83.6 +10.5
Registered electors 78,896
Ulster Unionist gain from Independent Labour Swing

Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Labour Jack Beattie 30,787 53.5 N/A
Ulster Unionist Knox Cunningham 26,729 46.5 –16.1
Majority 4,058 7.0 N/A
Turnout 57,516 73.1 +5.1
Registered electors 78,674
Independent Labour gain from NI Labour Swing
Belfast West by-election, 1943[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
NI Labour Jack Beattie 19,936 46.2 New
Ulster Unionist Knox Cunningham 14,426 33.4 –29.2
Ind. Unionist Party William McConnell Wilton 7,551 17.5 New
Independent Republican Hugh Corvin 1,250 2.9 –34.5
Majority 5,510 12.8 N/A
Turnout 43,163 54.8 –13.2
Registered electors 78,763
NI Labour gain from Ulster Unionist Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Alexander Browne 34,060 62.6 +4.0
Independent Republican Charles Leddy 20,313 37.4 –4.0
Majority 13,747 25.2 +8.0
Turnout 54,373 68.0 –0.1
Registered electors 79,902
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General election 1931: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Alexander Browne 31,113 58.6 +0.7
Nationalist Thomas Joseph Campbell 22,006 41.4 –0.7
Majority 9,107 17.2 +1.4
Turnout 53,119 68.1 –5.8
Registered electors 77,993
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

Note: The sitting MP, W.E.D. Allen, had joined the New Party earlier in 1931 but did not contest the seat at the general election.

Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Belfast West[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist William Edward David Allen 33,274 57.9 +3.4
Nationalist Frank C.J. MacDermot 24,177 42.1 New
Majority 9,097 15.8 +1.7
Turnout 57,451 73.9 –5.2
Registered electors 77,721
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General election 1924: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Robert John Lynn 28,435 54.5 +1.6
NI Labour Harry Midgley 21,122 40.4 –3.7
Sinn Féin Patrick Nash 2,688 5.1 New
Majority 7,313 14.1 +8.3
Turnout 52,245 79.1 +8.8
Registered electors 66,010
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General election 1923: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Robert John Lynn 24,975 52.9 N/A
Belfast Labour Harry Midgley 22,255 47.1 New
Majority 2,720 5.8 N/A
Turnout 47,230 70.3 N/A
Registered electors 67,161
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
General election 1922: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Robert John Lynn Unopposed
Registered electors
Ulster Unionist win (new seat)

Elections in the 1910s

December 1910 general election: Belfast West[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Joseph Devlin 4,543 52.7 –0.2
Irish Unionist John Boyd Carpenter 4,080 47.3 +1.1
Majority 463 5.4 –1.3
Turnout 8,623 93.4 –1.8
Registered electors
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing
January 1910 general election: Belfast West[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Joseph Devlin 4,651 52.9 +3.7
Irish Unionist John Boyd Carpenter 4,064 46.2 –2.8
Independent Nationalist Patrick J. Magee 75 0.9 New
Majority 587 6.7 +6.5
Turnout 8,790 95.2 +0.6
Registered electors
Irish Parliamentary hold Swing

Elections in the 1900s

1906 general election: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Joseph Devlin 4,138 49.2 N/A
Liberal Unionist J. R. Smiley 4,122 49.0 N/A
Independent Liberal Unionist Alexander Carlisle 153 1.8 New
Majority 16 0.2 N/A
Turnout 8,413 94.6 N/A
Registered electors 8,891
Irish Parliamentary gain from Liberal Unionist Swing N/A
1903 Belfast West by-election[32][33][34][35]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist H. O. Arnold-Forster 3,912 51.6 N/A
Irish Parliamentary Patrick Dempsey 3,671 48.4 New
Majority 241 3.2 N/A
Turnout 7,583 88.0 N/A
Registered electors 8,617
Liberal Unionist hold Swing N/A
1900 general election: Belfast West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist H. O. Arnold-Forster Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal Unionist hold

Elections in the 1890s

1895 general election: Belfast West[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist H. O. Arnold-Forster Unopposed
Registered electors
Liberal Unionist hold
1892 general election: Belfast West[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Unionist H. O. Arnold-Forster 4,266 55.5 +6.2
Irish National Federation Thomas Sexton 3,427 44.5 –6.2
Majority 839 11.0 N/A
Turnout 7,693 92.3 -0.7
Registered electors 8,334
Liberal Unionist gain from Irish Parliamentary Swing +6.2

Elections in the 1880s

1886 general election: Belfast West[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Parliamentary Thomas Sexton 3,832 50.7 +0.9
Irish Conservative James Horner Haslett 3,729 49.3 –0.9
Majority 103 1.4 N/A
Turnout 7,561 93.0 +0.5
Registered electors 8,131
Irish Parliamentary gain from Irish Conservative Swing +0.9
1885 general election: Belfast West[31]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Conservative James Horner Haslett 3,780 50.2
Irish Parliamentary Thomas Sexton 3,743 49.8
Majority 37 0.4
Turnout 7,523 92.5
Registered electors 8,131
Irish Conservative win (new seat)

See also

References

  1. ↑ See Results of the 2017 United Kingdom general election
  2. ↑ Almanac of British Politics 3rd ed, Robert Waller
  3. ↑ "West Belfast, 1983-1992". www.ark.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  4. ↑ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 2008". www.legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  5. ↑ "Beaten at the Ballot Box". The Economist. 18 April 1992. p. 62.
  6. ↑ "McCrory v Hendron" [1993] NI QBD 177.
  7. ↑ "Revised estimates of leave vote in Westminster constituencies". Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  8. ↑ "'Sacred' constitution 'may force Adams to stay as MP". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  9. ↑ "Manor of Northstead". HM Treasury. 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 29 January 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
  10. ↑ "Belfast West Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Archived from the original on 30 November 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 January 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ↑ "Election of a Member of Parliament for the BELFAST WEST Constituency - Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office of Northern Ireland. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original on 19 October 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  13. ↑ "UK Parliamentary Election Result 2017 - Belfast West". Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland - EONI". www.eoni.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "Member of Parliament for Belfast West". YourNextMP. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  17. ↑ "UK ELECTION RESULTS: BELFAST WEST 2015". Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  18. ↑ Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey wins West Belfast by-election Archived 13 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine, BBC News, 10 June 2011
  19. ↑ Northern Ireland Elections Archived 4 April 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Northern Ireland Elections, 6 May 2018
  20. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 December 2004. Retrieved 20 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  25. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  28. ↑ "1950 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  29. ↑ Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 564. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
  30. ↑ Craig, F.W.S., ed. (1969). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949. Glasgow: Political Reference Publications. p. 654. ISBN 0-900178-01-9.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 330–331. ISBN 0901714127.
  32. ↑ Walker, Brian Mercer (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. p. 164. ISBN 0-901714-12-7.
  33. ↑ The Liberal Year Book for 1908. London: The Liberal Publication Department. 1908. pp. 216–217.
  34. ↑ Hepburn, Anthony C. (2008). Catholic Belfast and Nationalist Ireland in the Era of Joe Devlin, 1871-1934. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-19-929884-6.
  35. ↑ "The Belfast Seat". The North-Western Advocate and the Emu Bay Times. Devonport, Tasmania. 28 October 1903. p. 3. Retrieved 22 March 2023.

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