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Belfast Woodvale (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Belfast Woodvale was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland
.
. 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 Woodvale was created by the division of Belfast West
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.
, and for much of its history, the seat was held by the Northern Ireland Labour Party
or independent Unionist
s.
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
.
Boundaries
Belfast Woodvale was a borough constituency comprising part of western BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. It was created in 1929, when the House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929
House of Commons (Method of Voting and Redistribution of Seats) Act (Northern Ireland) 1929
The House of Commons Act 1929 was an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland; its major provision was to abolish proportional representation for all future elections in Northern Ireland....
introduced first past the post elections throughout Northern Ireland.
Belfast Woodvale was created by the division of Belfast West
Belfast West (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)
Belfast West was a borough constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921 - 1929. It returned four MPs, using the single transferable vote method of proportional representation.-Boundaries:...
into four new constituencies. It survived unchanged, returning one member of Parliament, until the Parliament of Northern Ireland
Parliament of Northern Ireland
The Parliament of Northern Ireland was the home rule legislature of Northern Ireland, created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sat from 7 June 1921 to 30 March 1972, when it was suspended...
was temporarily suspended
Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972
The Northern Ireland Act 1972 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that introduced direct rule in Northern Ireland with effect from 30 March 1972....
in 1972, and then formally abolished
Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973
The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which received the Royal Assent on 18 July 1973...
in 1973.
Politics
The seat was strongly Unionist, but there was a strong local labour movementLabour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
, and for much of its history, the seat was held by the Northern Ireland Labour Party
Northern Ireland Labour Party
The Northern Ireland Labour Party was an Irish political party which operated from 1924 until 1987.In 1913 the British Labour Party resolved to give the recently formed Irish Labour Party exclusive organising rights in Ireland...
or independent Unionist
Independent Unionist
See also Independent .Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism, retaining the unity of the British state....
s.
Members of Parliament
- 1929 - 1950: John William NixonJohn William NixonJohn William Nixon, MBE was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Graddum, County Cavan, Nixon became a district inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and transferred to its successor in the new state of Northern Ireland, the Royal Ulster Constabulary...
, Independent UnionistIndependent UnionistSee also Independent .Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism, retaining the unity of the British state.... - 1950 - 1955: Robert HarcourtRobert HarcourtSir Robert John Rolston Harcourt, JP was a Northern Irish politician.Robert Harcourt became the director of F. E. Harcourt and Company coal merchants. He was High Sheriff of Belfast in 1949, and later in the year unsuccessfully stood as the Ulster Unionist Party candidate for South Down...
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... - 1955 - 1958: Neville MartinNeville MartinJohn Wesley Neville Martin was a Northern Irish politician who served as a member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland for the Ulster Unionist Party.-Biography:...
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland... - 1958 - 1965: Billy BoydBilly Boyd (politician)Billy Boyd was a politician from Northern Ireland.Boyd worked in the shipyards of Belfast and became active in the Northern Ireland Labour Party and stood unsuccessfully in Belfast Woodvale in the Northern Ireland general election, 1953, then again in a 1955 by-election...
, Northern Ireland Labour PartyNorthern Ireland Labour PartyThe Northern Ireland Labour Party was an Irish political party which operated from 1924 until 1987.In 1913 the British Labour Party resolved to give the recently formed Irish Labour Party exclusive organising rights in Ireland... - 1965 - 1972: John McQuadeJohn McQuadeJohn McQuade , known as Johnny McQuade, was a Northern Ireland politician. He was a professional boxer under the name of Jack Higgins....
, Ulster Unionist PartyUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
(1965–70); Independent UnionistIndependent UnionistSee also Independent .Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism, retaining the unity of the British state....
(1970–71); Democratic Unionist PartyDemocratic Unionist PartyThe Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(1971–72)
Election results
- At the Northern Ireland general election, 1949Northern Ireland general election, 1949-References:*-See also:*MPs elected in the Northern Ireland general election, 1949...
, John William NixonJohn William NixonJohn William Nixon, MBE was a Unionist politician in Northern Ireland.Born in Graddum, County Cavan, Nixon became a district inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and transferred to its successor in the new state of Northern Ireland, the Royal Ulster Constabulary...
was elected unopposed.