# 1938 Northern Ireland general election

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

| 39 | 8 | 2 | 3 |
| UUP | Nationalist | IU | Oth |
1938 Northern Ireland general election :
| Party | Party | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Party | Party | 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

| 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

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

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

Only 31 of the 52 seats (60%) were actually contested.
1938 Northern Ireland general election (contested seats) :
| Party | Party | Popular vote | Popular vote | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates |
| Party | Party | 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 | Total | 330,355 | 71.1 | 64 | 31 | — |

### Uncontested seats

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 | Party | Popular vote | Popular vote | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Stood | Elected | % |
| | Ulster Unionist | Unopposed | Unopposed | 14 | 14 | 66.7 |
| | Nationalist | Unopposed | Unopposed | 6 | 6 | 28.6 |
| | Labour | Unopposed | Unopposed | 1 | 1 | 4.8 |
| Total | Total | | | 21 | 21 | 100 |