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1938 Northern Ireland general election

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1938 Northern Ireland general election

← 1933 9 February 1938 1945 →

All 52 seats to the House of Commons of Northern Ireland
27 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader James Craig Thomas Campbell
Party UUP Nationalist
Leader since 7 June 1921 18 January 1934
Leader's seat North Down Belfast Central
Last election 36 seats, 43.5% 9 seats, 13.2%
Seats won 39[u 1] 8[n 1]
Seat change Increase3 Decrease1
Popular vote 187,684 16,167
Percentage 56.8% 4.9%
Swing Increase13.3% Decrease8.3%

  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader William Wilton Harry Midgley
Party Ind. Unionist Party NI Labour
Leader since 1937 1933
Leader's seat Belfast Oldpark (Defeated) Belfast Dock (Defeated)
Last election Did not stand 2 seats, 8.5%
Seats won 1 1[l 1]
Seat change Increase1 Decrease1
Popular vote 28,459 18,775
Percentage 8.6% 5.7%
Swing New party Decrease2.8%

Election results by constituency

Prime Minister before election

James Craig
UUP

Prime Minister after election

James Craig
UUP

The 1938 Northern Ireland general election was held on 9 February 1938. Like all previous elections to the Parliament of Northern Ireland, it produced a large majority for the Ulster Unionist Party, who won three-quarters of the seats.

The newly formed Ulster Progressive Unionist Association came second in vote share, but won no seats. 21 MPs were elected unopposed (40%), the vast majority of whom were Ulster Unionists.

Results

[edit]
39 8 2 3
UUP Nationalist IU Oth
1938 Northern Ireland general election
Party Candidates Votes
Stood Elected Gained Unseated Net % of total % No. Net %
  UUP 43 39 3 0 +3 75.0 56.8 187,684 +13.3
  Progressive Unionist 10 0 0 0 0 12.4 41,028 N/A
  Ind. Unionist Party 6 1 1 0 +1 1.9 8.6 28,459 N/A
  Ind. Unionist 5 2 1 2 -1 3.8 6.8 22,354 -14.5
  NI Labour 7 1 1 2 -1 1.9 5.7 18,775 -2.8
  Nationalist 9 8 0 1 -1 15.4 4.9 16,167 -8.3
  Independent 3 0 0 0 0 2.2 7,482 +2.0
  Independent Labour 1 1 1 0 +1 1.9 1.7 5,480 N/A
  Ind. Progressive Unionist 1 0 0 0 0 0.9 2,926 N/A

Electorate: 825,101 (464,860 in contested seats); Turnout: 71.1% (330,355).

Seat changes

[edit]
Constituency From To
Belfast Dock NI Labour UUP
Belfast Pottinger NI Labour Independent Labour
Belfast Shankill Ind. Unionist Ind. Unionist Party
Mourne Nationalist UUP
Queen's University of Belfast Ind. Unionist UUP
South Armagh Ind. Nationalist NI Labour
South Down Fianna Fáil Ind. Unionist

Votes summary

[edit]
Popular vote
Ulster Unionist
56.81%
Progressive Unionist
12.42%
Ind. Unionist Association
8.61%
Ind. Unionist
6.77%
Labour
5.68%
Nationalist Party
4.89%
Independent
2.26%
Independent Labour
1.66%
Ind. Progressive Unionist
0.89%

Seats summary

[edit]
Parliamentary seats
Ulster Unionist
75.00%
Nationalist Party
15.38%
Ind. Unionist
3.85%
Labour
1.92%
Ind. Unionist Association
1.92%
Independent Labour
1.92%

Contested seats

[edit]

Only 31 of the 52 seats (60%) were actually contested.

1938 Northern Ireland general election (contested seats)
Party Popular vote Candidates
Votes % Stood Elected %
Ulster Unionist 187,684 56.8 29 25 80.6
Progressive Unionist 41,028 12.4 10 0
Ind. Unionist Party 28,459 8.6 6 1 3.2
Ind. Unionist 22,354 6.8 5 2 6.5
Labour 18,775 5.7 6 0
Nationalist 16,167 4.9 3 2 6.5
Independent 7,482 2.2 3 0
Ind. Labour 5,480 1.7 1 1 3.2
Ind. Progressive Unionist 2,926 0.9 1 0
Total 330,355 71.1 64 31

Uncontested seats

[edit]

In 21 of the 52 seats (40%), only one candidate stood and they were elected unopposed without any votes cast. The vast majority of the MPs elected without a contest were Ulster Unionists.

1938 Northern Ireland general election (uncontested seats)
Party Popular vote Candidates
Votes % Stood Elected %
Ulster Unionist Unopposed 14 14 66.7
Nationalist Unopposed 6 6 28.6
Labour Unopposed 1 1 4.8
Total 21 21 100

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Includes 14 members elected unopposed.
  1. ^ Includes 6 members elected unopposed.
  1. ^ The only Labour MP was elected unopposed.