Londonderry (constituency)
|
|
Londonderry was a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also a constituency in elections to various regional bodies. It was replaced in boundary changes in 1983.
| Contents |
Boundaries
The seat was created in 1922 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. The seat was focused on County Londonderry. In 1983 the number of seats for Northern ireland was increased from 12 to 17 and Londonderry was split in two, forming Foyle and East Londonderry.
Westminster elections
MPs from 1922 until 1983
- 1922 - 1929 (resignation) Sir M.M. Macnaghten Ulster Unionist Party
- 1929 (by-election) - 1951, Sir Ronald Ross, Ulster Unionist Party
- 1951 - unknown, W. Wellwood
- unknown - 1974 Robin Chichester-Clark Ulster Unionist Party
- 1974 - 1983 William Ross Ulster Unionist Party
Assemblies and Forum elections
In 1982 elections were held for an Assembly for Northern Ireland to hold the Secretary of State to account, in the hope that this would be the first step towards restoring devolution. Londonderry elected 7 members as follows:
- Jack Allen Ulster Unionist Party
- Gregory Campbell Democratic Unionist Party
- William Douglas Ulster Unionist Party
- John Hume Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Hugh Logue Social Democratic and Labour Party
- James McClure Democratic Unionist Party
- Martin McGuinness Sinn Fein
In 1975 elections were held to a Constitutional Convention which sought (unsuccessfully) to generate a consensus on the future of the province. The seven members elected from Londonderry were:
- Glenn Barr Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
- Michael Canavan Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Shena Conn Ulster Unionist Party
- William Douglas Ulster Unionist Party
- John Hume Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Hugh Logue Social Democratic and Labour Party
- James McClure Democratic Unionist Party
In 1973 elections were held to the Assembly set up under the Sunningdale Agreement. The seven members elected from Londonderry were:
- Glenn Barr Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
- Michael Canavan Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Shena Conn Ulster Unionist Party anti Sunningdale
- William Douglas Ulster Unionist Party anti Sunningdale
- John Hume Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Hugh Logue Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Leslie Morrell Ulster Unionist Party pro Sunningdale
Politics and History of the constituency
From its inception Londonderry had a unionist majority, though by the 1970s the nationalist vote was approaching 40% in some elections.
In 1974 the Ulster Unionist Party repudiated the Sunningdale Agreement and so did not reselect Robin Chichester-Clark, who had been a Minister in the government of Edward Heath. Instead they ran William Ross, who held the seat until 1983. He was then elected for the new East Londonderry.
For the history of the area post 1983, please see Foyle (constituency) and East Londonderry (constituency).