# Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency)

Belfast South was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.
Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, the seat would be replaced by Belfast South and Mid Down, to be first contested at the 2024 United Kingdom general election.

## Boundaries

1885–1918: In the Borough of Belfast, that part of Cromac ward not in the constituency of Belfast East, that part of St. George's ward not in the constituency of Belfast West, and the townlands of Malone Lower and that part of Malone Upper within the parliamentary borough in the parish of Shankill.
1922–1974: The County Borough of Belfast wards of Cromac, Ormeau, and Windsor.
1974–1983: The County Borough of Belfast wards of Cromac, Ormeau, and Windsor, the District of Lisburn electoral divisions of Ardmore, Dunmurry, Finaghy, and Upper Malone, and the Rural District of Hillsborough electoral divisions of Breda and Edenderry.
1983–1997: The District of Belfast wards of Ballynafeigh, Cromac, Donegall, Finaghy, Malone, Ormeau, Rosetta, St George's, Stranmillis, University, Upper Malone, Willowfield, and Windsor.
1997–2010: The District of Belfast wards of Ballynafeigh, Blackstaff, Botanic, Finaghy, Malone, Musgrave, Ravenhill, Rosetta, Shaftesbury, Stranmillis, Upper Malone, Windsor, and Woodstock, and the District of Castlereagh wards of Beechill, Cairnshill, Galwally, Knockbracken, Minnowburn, and Newtownbreda.
2010–2024: The District of Belfast wards above and the District of Castlereagh wards as above plus Carryduff East, Carryduff West, Hillfoot, and Wynchurch.
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 is centred on the Belfast City Council districts of Balmoral, Laganbank and Pottinger and also contains part of the district of Castlereagh.
Prior to the 2010 general election, the Boundary Commission proposed expanding Belfast South further into Castlereagh, taking in areas currently contained in both Strangford and Belfast East. This was strongly opposed by the DUP but supported by the Ulster Unionists. It was also one of the issues that generated the most negative comments in the written submissions with a petition representing half of Cregagh's residents opposing its move.
Following the local enquiries, the Boundary Commission proposed retaining the Cregagh ward in East Belfast while transferring instead the Hillfoot ward. These proposals were submitted as final recommendations and were put into force through the passing of the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituencies Order in 2008.

## History

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Belfast South tended to elect 'rebel unionists' such as William Johnston, who famously defied a ban on Orange marches, and Thomas Sloan, founder of the Independent Orange Order.
Belfast South contains some of Belfast's most expensive residential districts as well as Queen's University Belfast. The overall tenor of the constituency is middle-class – young, trendy and cosmopolitan towards the city centre, with Northern Ireland's biggest concentrations of both students and ethnic minorities, and further out from the city centre it is settled and prosperous. Despite this, significant pockets of inner-city working class areas such as the Markets and a number of isolated suburban estates exist in the constituency.
There has been particularly rapid demographic change in Belfast South since around the year 2000. The 2011 census revealed that Belfast South consists of a slightly larger Catholic population than Protestant and while the constituency traditionally has had a unionist majority, the nationalist vote has now surpassed this in more recent elections. There have also been strong votes for other parties such as the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, Green Party, the Conservatives and the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition. The constituency has witnessed a steady series of candidates backed by groups who aspire to support the British Labour Party despite its prior ban on membership and organisation in Northern Ireland, though their results have been minimal. Until the 1990s the main focus of attention had been on contests between unionist candidates.
In the February 1974 general election the seat was won by Robert Bradford of the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party on a united anti-Sunningdale Agreement slate with the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party. He defeated Rafton Pounder, the sitting Unionist MP who defended his seat as a Pro-Assembly Unionist. Bradford held the seat for the next seven years, though in February 1978 he and the rump of Vanguard reunited with the Ulster Unionists. At the end of 1981 Bradford was assassinated by the IRA in a Belfast community centre while hosting a political surgery.
The subsequent by-election garnered much interest as it was expected that the Democratic Unionist Party would take the seat, building on their steady rise which had seen them gain both Belfast North and Belfast East at the previous general election. However, the DUP came third, behind the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, and the UUP's candidate Martin Smyth won the seat, holding it until 2005. The by-election was extremely significant at the time in that it was the first at which the DUP tide ebbed.
In January 2005 Smyth announced that he would be retiring at the 2005 general election, raising speculation both as to whom the Ulster Unionists would field in succession to him and what effect a different candidate would have upon their share of the vote. The UUP selected Assembly member Michael McGimpsey, albeit with a highly controversial and bitter selection. McGimpsey was repudiated by many prominent Unionists, including both Smyth and former UUP leader James Molyneaux. The DUP selected Jimmy Spratt and offered an electoral pact to the UUP that would give each party a free run at one out of South Belfast and Fermanagh and South Tyrone. This offer was rejected by the UUP.
In the event, the DUP and UUP both fielded candidates which split the vote. The nationalist vote mainly went for the SDLP over Sinn Féin, with the result that the SDLP took the seat despite a majority of votes cast for unionist candidates.
In 2010, Sinn Féin opted not to stand against the SDLP to avoid splitting the nationalist vote. The SDLP won the seat with a majority of 6,000. This was the seat in which the Alliance Party had their second-best showing, polling 15% of the votes. Alasdair McDonnell retained the seat in May 2015, with only 24.5% of the vote, as Sinn Féin opted to stand. This is the smallest proportion of the vote a winning candidate has ever achieved in a UK general election.
In 2017 the seat was won by Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP with Alasdair McDonnell losing his seat along with all other SDLP MPs in Northern Ireland. This was won back for the SDLP by Claire Hanna in 2019, with Sinn Féin again opting not to stand. This was the first time since 1987 that the winning candidate in the constituency had a majority of the vote.

## Members of parliament

The member of parliament since the 2019 general election is Claire Hanna of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, succeeding Emma Little-Pengelly of the Democratic Unionist Party.
| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1885 | William Johnston | Independent Conservative |
| | 1886 | William Johnston | Irish Conservative |
| | 1891 | William Johnston | Irish Unionist |
| | 1902 | Thomas Sloan | Independent Unionist |
| | 1910 | James Chambers | Irish Unionist |
| | 1917 | William Arthur Lindsay | Irish Unionist |
| 1918 | 1918 | constituency abolished | constituency abolished |
| 1922 | 1922 | constituency recreated | constituency recreated |
| | 1922 | Thomas Moles | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1929 | William Stewart | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1938 | William Stewart | Progressive Unionist |
| | 1945 | Conolly Gage | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1952 | David Campbell | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1963 | Rafton Pounder | Ulster Unionist |
| | February 1974 | Robert Bradford | Vanguard Unionist |
| | 1977 | Robert Bradford | Ulster Unionist |
| | 1982 | Martin Smyth | Ulster Unionist |
| | 2003 | Martin Smyth | Independent Unionist |
| | 2004 | Martin Smyth | Ulster Unionist |
| | 2005 | Alasdair McDonnell | Social Democratic and Labour |
| | 2017 | Emma Little-Pengelly | Democratic Unionist |
| | 2019 | Claire Hanna | Social Democratic and Labour |

## Election results
### Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SDLP | Claire Hanna | 27,079 | 57.2 | +31.3 |
| | DUP | Emma Little-Pengelly | 11,678 | 24.7 | –5.7 |
| | Alliance | Paula Bradshaw | 6,786 | 14.3 | –3.9 |
| | UUP | Michael Henderson | 1,259 | 2.7 | –0.8 |
| | Aontú | Chris McHugh | 550 | 1.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,401 | 32.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,352 | 67.6 | +1.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,047 | | |
| | SDLP gain from DUP | SDLP gain from DUP | Swing | +18.5 | |
This seat saw the largest SDLP vote share and the largest increase in vote share for the party at the 2019 general election. This came as Sinn Féin did not contest the seat. It also saw the only fall in vote share for Alliance.
General election 2017: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Emma Little-Pengelly | 13,299 | 30.4 | +8.2 |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 11,303 | 25.9 | +1.4 |
| | Alliance | Paula Bradshaw | 7,946 | 18.2 | +1.0 |
| | Sinn Féin | Máirtín Ó Muilleoir | 7,143 | 16.3 | +2.4 |
| | Green (NI) | Clare Bailey | 2,241 | 5.1 | –0.6 |
| | UUP | Michael Henderson | 1,527 | 3.5 | –5.6 |
| | NI Conservatives | Clare Salier | 246 | 0.6 | –0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,996 | 4.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,699 | 66.1 | +6.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,105 | | |
| | DUP gain from SDLP | DUP gain from SDLP | Swing | +3.5 | |
General election 2015: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 9,560 | 24.5 | –16.5 |
| | DUP | Jonathan Bell | 8,654 | 22.2 | –1.5 |
| | Alliance | Paula Bradshaw | 6,711 | 17.2 | +2.2 |
| | Sinn Féin | Máirtín Ó Muilleoir | 5,402 | 13.9 | New |
| | UUP | Rodney McCune | 3,549 | 9.1 | –8.2 |
| | Green (NI) | Clare Bailey | 2,238 | 5.7 | +2.7 |
| | UKIP | Bob Stoker | 1,900 | 4.9 | New |
| | NI Conservatives | Ben Manton | 582 | 1.5 | New |
| | Workers' Party | Lily Kerr | 361 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 906 | 2.3 | –15.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,957 | 60.0 | +2.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 64,927 | | |
| | SDLP hold | SDLP hold | Swing | –7.5 | |
The SDLP won the lowest winning share of the vote in modern British history.
General election 2010: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 14,026 | 41.0 | +8.7 |
| | DUP | Jimmy Spratt | 8,100 | 23.7 | –5.9 |
| | UCU-NF | Paula Bradshaw | 5,910 | 17.3 | –4.9 |
| | Alliance | Anna Lo | 5,114 | 15.0 | +7.7 |
| | Green (NI) | Adam McGibbon | 1,036 | 3.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,926 | 17.3 | +13.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,186 | 57.4 | –5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,524 | | |
| | SDLP hold | SDLP hold | Swing | +6.7 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 10,339 | 32.3 | +1.7 |
| | DUP | Jimmy Spratt | 9,104 | 28.4 | New |
| | UUP | Michael McGimpsey | 7,263 | 22.7 | –22.1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Alex Maskey | 2,882 | 9.0 | +1.4 |
| | Alliance | Geraldine Rice | 2,012 | 6.3 | +0.9 |
| | Rainbow Dream Ticket | Lynda Gilby | 235 | 0.7 | +0.4 |
| | Workers' Party | Paddy Lynn | 193 | 0.6 | +0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,235 | 3.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,028 | 60.8 | –3.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 52,218 | | |
| | SDLP gain from UUP | SDLP gain from UUP | Swing | –13.4 | |
General election 2001: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Martin Smyth | 17,008 | 44.8 | +8.8 |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 11,609 | 30.6 | +6.3 |
| | NI Women's Coalition | Monica McWilliams | 2,968 | 7.8 | +4.8 |
| | Sinn Féin | Alex Maskey | 2,894 | 7.6 | +2.5 |
| | Alliance | Geraldine Rice | 2,042 | 5.4 | –7.5 |
| | PUP | Dawn Purvis | 1,112 | 2.9 | –11.5 |
| | Workers' Party | Paddy Lynn | 204 | 0.5 | –0.2 |
| | Rainbow Dream Ticket | Rainbow George Weiss | 115 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,399 | 14.2 | +2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,952 | 63.9 | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,436 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | +1.3 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Martin Smyth | 14,201 | 36.0 | –18.7 |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 9,601 | 24.3 | +10.1 |
| | PUP | David Ervine | 5,687 | 14.4 | New |
| | Alliance | Steve McBride | 5,112 | 12.9 | –2.8 |
| | Sinn Féin | Seán Hayes | 2,019 | 5.1 | +2.6 |
| | NI Women's Coalition | Annie Campbell | 1,204 | 3.0 | New |
| | NI Conservatives | Myrtle Boal | 962 | 2.4 | –9.3 |
| | Independent Labour | Niall Cusack | 292 | 0.7 | New |
| | Workers' Party | Paddy Lynn | 286 | 0.7 | New |
| | Natural Law | James Anderson | 120 | 0.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,600 | 11.7 | –19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,484 | 62.2 | –2.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,633 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | –13.4 | |
1997 Changes are compared to the 1992 notional results shown below.
Notional 1992 UK General Election Result : Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | N/A | 23,258 | 52.7 | N/A |
| | Alliance | N/A | 6,921 | 15.7 | N/A |
| | SDLP | N/A | 6,266 | 14.2 | N/A |
| | NI Conservatives | N/A | 5,154 | 11.7 | N/A |
| | Others | N/A | 1,437 | 3.3 | N/A |
| | Sinn Féin | N/A | 1,116 | 2.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16,337 | 37.0 | N/A |
General election 1992: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Martin Smyth | 16,336 | 48.6 | –9.2 |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 6,266 | 18.7 | +5.6 |
| | Alliance | John Montgomery | 5,054 | 15.0 | –6.3 |
| | NI Conservatives | Andrew Fee | 3,356 | 10.0 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Seán Hayes | 1,123 | 3.3 | +0.1 |
| | Labour and Trade Union | Peter Hadden | 875 | 2.6 | New |
| | Workers' Party | Paddy Lynn | 362 | 1.1 | –3.6 |
| | Natural Law | Teresa Mullen | 212 | 0.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,070 | 29.9 | –6.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,584 | 64.5 | +4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 52,050 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Martin Smyth | 18,917 | 57.8 | +7.8 |
| | Alliance | David Cook | 6,963 | 21.3 | –2.6 |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 4,268 | 13.1 | +4.5 |
| | Workers' Party | Gerard Carr | 1,528 | 4.7 | +2.4 |
| | Sinn Féin | Seán McKnight | 1,030 | 3.2 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,954 | 36.5 | +10.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,706 | 60.3 | –9.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,208 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
By-election 1986: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Martin Smyth | 21,771 | 71.3 | +21.3 |
| | Alliance | David Cook | 7,635 | 25.0 | +1.1 |
| | Workers' Party | Gerry Carr | 1,109 | 3.6 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 14,136 | 46.3 | +20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,515 | 56.9 | –12.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 53,944 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
Note: The by-election was caused by the decision of all Unionist MPs to resign their seats and seek re-election on a platform of opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
General election 1983: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Martin Smyth | 18,669 | 50.0 | –11.7 |
| | Alliance | David Cook | 8,945 | 23.9 | –1.2 |
| | DUP | Raymond McCrea | 4,565 | 12.2 | N/A |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 3,216 | 8.6 | –0.7 |
| | Sinn Féin | Sean McKnight | 1,107 | 3.0 | New |
| | Workers' Party | Gerry Carr | 856 | 2.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,724 | 26.0 | –10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,358 | 69.6 | +1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 53,674 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
1982 Belfast South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Martin Smyth | 17,123 | 39.3 | –22.4 |
| | Alliance | David Cook | 11,726 | 26.9 | +1.8 |
| | DUP | William McCrea | 9,818 | 22.6 | New |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 3,839 | 8.8 | +0.9 |
| | Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party | John McMichael | 576 | 1.3 | New |
| | United Labour Party | Brian Caul | 303 | 0.7 | New |
| | One Human Family | Jagat Narain | 137 | 0.3 | New |
| | Peace State | Simon Hall-Raleigh | 12 | 0.03 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,397 | 12.4 | –24.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,534 | 66.2 | –1.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,219 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Robert Bradford | 28,875 | 61.7 | +2.5 |
| | Alliance | Basil Glass | 11,745 | 25.1 | +2.1 |
| | SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell | 3,694 | 7.9 | +3.2 |
| | Unionist Party NI | Victor Brennan | 1,784 | 3.8 | New |
| | Labour Integrationist | Jeffrey Dudgeon | 692 | 1.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,130 | 36.6 | +0.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,790 | 67.9 | +0.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 68,920 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Vanguard | Robert Bradford | 30,116 | 59.2 | +16.6 |
| | Alliance | John Glass | 11,715 | 23.0 | +13.1 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Stanley McMaster | 4,982 | 9.8 | New |
| | SDLP | Ben Caraher | 2,390 | 4.7 | –3.3 |
| | NI Labour | Erskine Holmes | 1,643 | 3.2 | –1.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,401 | 36.2 | +28.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,846 | 67.7 | –1.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 75,112 | | |
| | Vanguard hold | Vanguard hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Vanguard | Robert Bradford | 22,083 | 42.6 | New |
| | Pro-Assembly Unionist | Rafton Pounder | 18,085 | 34.9 | New |
| | Alliance | David Cook | 5,118 | 9.9 | New |
| | SDLP | Ben Caraher | 4,149 | 8.0 | New |
| | NI Labour | Erskine Holmes | 2,455 | 4.7 | –24.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,998 | 7.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,890 | 69.6 | +1.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 75,443 | | |
| | Vanguard gain from UUP | Vanguard gain from UUP | Swing | | |
General election 1970: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Rafton Pounder | 27,523 | 70.4 | +5.0 |
| | NI Labour | John Coulthard | 11,567 | 29.6 | –5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,956 | 40.8 | +10.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,090 | 68.4 | +5.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,112 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | +5.0 | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Rafton Pounder | 23,329 | 65.4 | –4.4 |
| | NI Labour | Erskine Holmes | 12,364 | 34.6 | +12.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,965 | 30.8 | –16.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,693 | 63.3 | –5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 56,390 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Rafton Pounder | 27,422 | 69.8 | –0.1 |
| | NI Labour | John Barkley | 8,792 | 22.4 | +0.8 |
| | Ulster Liberal | Judith Rosenfield | 1,941 | 4.9 | –2.6 |
| | Ind. Republican | Robert McKnight | 1,159 | 3.0 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,630 | 47.4 | −0.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,314 | 68.3 | –3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,558 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
By-election 1963: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Rafton Pounder | 17,989 | 64.3 | –5.6 |
| | NI Labour | Norman Searight | 7,209 | 25.8 | +4.2 |
| | Ulster Liberal | Albert Hamilton | 2,774 | 9.9 | +2.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,780 | 38.5 | –9.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,972 | 48.3 | –23.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,864 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | David Campbell | 30,164 | 69.9 | –8.5 |
| | NI Labour | Norman Searight | 9,318 | 21.6 | +4.0 |
| | Ulster Liberal | Sheelagh Murnaghan | 3,253 | 7.5 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Brendan O'Reilly | 434 | 1.0 | –2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 20,846 | 48.3 | –12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,169 | 72.1 | +6.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,864 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | David Campbell | 33,392 | 78.4 | +2.6 |
| | NI Labour | Edward Brown | 7,508 | 17.6 | –3.6 |
| | Sinn Féin | Patrick Kearney | 1,679 | 3.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,884 | 60.8 | +9.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,579 | 65.7 | –8.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 64,844 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
By-election 1952: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | David Campbell | 23,067 | 75.1 | –0.7 |
| | NI Labour | Samuel Napier | 7,655 | 24.9 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 15,412 | 50.2 | –1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,722 | 46.4 | –27.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 65,196 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Hugh Gage | 37,046 | 75.8 | +0.6 |
| | NI Labour | Robert McBrinn | 11,815 | 24.2 | –0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 25,231 | 51.6 | +1.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 48,861 | 73.8 | +4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,212 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1950: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Hugh Gage | 34,620 | 75.2 | +23.0 |
| | NI Labour | James McKernan | 11,428 | 24.8 | +7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23,192 | 50.4 | +28.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,048 | 69.3 | +2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,486 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Conolly Gage | 24,282 | 52.2 | N/A |
| | Commonwealth Labour | Harry Midgley | 14,096 | 30.3 | New |
| | NI Labour | James Morrow | 8,166 | 17.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,186 | 21.9 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,544 | 66.4 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 70,140 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | William Stewart | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,004 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
General election 1931: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | William Stewart | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,394 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | William Stewart | 24,019 | 62.9 | N/A |
| | Ind. Unionist | Philip James Woods | 14,148 | 37.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,871 | 25.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,167 | 64.7 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,025 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
General election 1924: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Thomas Moles | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
General election 1923: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Thomas Moles | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
General election 1922: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Thomas Moles | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) | UUP win (new seat) |

### Elections in the 1910s

July 1917 Belfast South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | William Arthur Lindsay | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
April 1917 Belfast South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | James Chambers | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
December 1910 general election: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | James Chambers | 5,585 | 67.2 | +5.3 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Thomas Sloan | 2,722 | 32.8 | –5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,863 | 34.4 | +10.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,307 | 78.2 | –9.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,622 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | +5.3 | |
January 1910 general election: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | James Chambers | 5,772 | 61.9 | +16.9 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Thomas Sloan | 3,553 | 38.1 | –16.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,219 | 23.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,325 | 87.8 | +3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,622 | | |
| | Irish Unionist gain from Ind. Unionist | Irish Unionist gain from Ind. Unionist | Swing | +16.9 | |

### Elections in the 1900s

1906 general election: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ind. Unionist | Thomas Sloan | 4,450 | 55.0 | N/A |
| | Irish Unionist | Arthur Hill | 3,634 | 45.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 816 | 10.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,084 | 84.8 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,538 | | |
| | Ind. Unionist hold | Ind. Unionist hold | Swing | N/A | |
1902 Belfast South by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ind. Unionist | Thomas Sloan | 3,795 | 56.1 | New |
| | Irish Unionist | Charles William Dunbar Buller | 2,969 | 43.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 826 | 12.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,764 | 66.0 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,246 | | |
| | Ind. Unionist gain from Irish Unionist | Ind. Unionist gain from Irish Unionist | Swing | N/A | |
1900 general election: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | William Johnston | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

1895 general election: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | William Johnston | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,192 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
1892 general election: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | William Johnston | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,563 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1880s

1886 general election: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Conservative | William Johnston | 4,542 | 87.4 | +21.4 |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Andrew McErlean | 657 | 12.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,885 | 74.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,199 | 77.1 | –4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,740 | | |
| | Irish Conservative gain from Ind. Conservative | Irish Conservative gain from Ind. Conservative | Swing | | |
1885 general election: Belfast South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ind. Conservative | William Johnston | 3,610 | 66.0 | |
| | Liberal | John Workman | 990 | 18.1 | |
| | Ind. Conservative | Robert Seeds | 871 | 15.9 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,620 | 47.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,471 | 81.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,740 | | |
| | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) |