Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency)

Londonderry was a parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, as well as a constituency in elections to various regional bodies. It was replaced in boundary changes in 1983. Londonderry returned two MPs (1801–1885) and later one (1922–1983).

Boundaries
The constituency consisted, in 1801–1885, of the whole of County Londonderry, except for the parliamentary boroughs of Coleraine and Londonderry City.

The seat was re-created in 1922. As part of the consequences 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. It comprised the administrative county of Londonderry and the County Borough of Londonderry.

In 1951, it was one of the last four seats to be uncontested in a United Kingdom general election.

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.

Elections in the 1840s

 * Caused by Bateson's resignation by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds


 * Caused by Bateson's death

Elections in the 1850s

 * Caused by Bateson's appointment as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury


 * Caused by Bateson's resignation.

Elections in the 1870s

 * Caused by Smyth's death.

Elections in the 1880s

 * Caused by Law's appointment as Attorney-General for Ireland


 * Caused by Law's appointment as Lord Chancellor of Ireland


 * Caused by Porter's appointment as Master of the Rolls

Elections in the 1920s

 * anti-partition

Elections in the 1950s

 * In the 1951 Londonderry by-election and the 1951 United Kingdom general election, William Wellwood was elected unopposed.

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 (UK Parliament constituency) and East Londonderry.