West Down (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

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 certain district electoral divisions of the rural districts of Banbridge and Newry No.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.

Members of Parliament

Elected	Party		Name
1929	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color	Robert McBride
1933	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color	Samuel Fryar
1938	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color	John Edgar Bailey
1959	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color	David John Little
1965	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color	John Dobson

Election results

At the 1929 Northern Ireland general election, Robert McBride was elected unopposed.

General Election 1933: West Down

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Samuel Fryar	Template:Replace	55.9
		J. U. Finnery	4,863	44.1
Majority			1,305	11.8
Turnout			11,031	70.8
	hold		Swing	N/A

General Election 1938: West Down

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Edgar Bailey	Template:Replace	59.8
		R. J. Hale	4,833	40.2
Majority			2,345	19.6
Turnout			12,011	73.4
	hold		Swing

General Election 1945: West Down

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Edgar Bailey	Template:Replace	76.5
		S. E. Maitland	2,524	23.5
Majority			5,673	53.0
Turnout			10,721	66.3
	hold		Swing

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

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

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

General Election 1969: West Down

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		John Dobson	Template:Replace	59.3
		A. W. Buller	5,219	40.7
Majority			2,389	18.6
Turnout			12,827	77.5
	hold		Swing	N/A