# 1920 Belfast Corporation election

An election to Belfast Corporation took place in January 1920 as part of that year's Irish local elections. The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 had seen elections for local government in Ireland change to a more proportional system. As a result, Unionist dominance of the Belfast council was somewhat undermined, and the party lost 15 seats. In contrast Labour, Sinn Féin, and Nationalist representation grew, resulting in a more politically and socially representative council.
147 candidates stood for the sixty seats on the council. The sixty seats were in nine new wards, identical to the parliamentary constituencies. In advance of the election, the Irish Times stated that it expected the Unionists to lose between five and eight seats, to be picked up by the Labour and Nationalist candidates, with Sinn Féin having a chance of taking one or two seats.
The result in the Falls was controversial; over twenty candidates stood, creating the most complex election by single-transferable vote to date; and 764 votes were disallowed due to spoiled ballot papers. 300 of these lacked an official mark; this was because the printing press marking them had ceased adding it near the end of the run, but this error was not noticed until the election count took place.
After the election Sir William Coates, 1st Baronet was elected by the new council as Lord Mayor of Belfast.
Following the partition of Ireland the Northern Irish Government restored the older, and less representative ward based electoral system.

## Results by party

| Party | Party | Candidates | Seats | ± | First Pref. votes | FPv% | ±% |
| | UUP | 56 | 29 | -17 | 40,907 | 45.95 | |
| | Labour Unionist | 56 | 6 | -17 | 4,699 | 5.28 | |
| | Belfast Labour | 37 | 10 | +10 | 12,768 | 14.34 | |
| | Nationalist | 40 | 5 | -3 | 10,758 | 12.08 | |
| | Sinn Féin | 10 | 5 | +5 | 7,120 | 8.00 | |
| | Ind. Unionist | | 2 | | 4,167 | 4.68 | |
| | Independent Labour | | 2 | | 3,007 | 3.37 | |
| | Independent | | 1 | | 4,467 | 5.02 | |
| | NAUL | | 0 | | 1,138 | 1.28 | |
| Totals | Totals | | 60 | | 89,031 | 100.00 | — |

## Councillors
### Pottinger

Pottinger - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | UUP | Julia McMordie | | 1,968 |
| | UUP | David Anderson | | 1,698 |
| | UUP | W. J. McGowan | | - | - | - | - | - | 1,140 | 1,485 |
| | Labour Unionist | John F. Gordon | | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,054 | 1,329 |
| | Nationalist | Archibald Savage | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,152 |
| | Belfast Labour | J. S. L. McKeague | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,050 |
| | Belfast Labour | James Duff | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,002 | Eliminated |
| | Nationalist | James Smith | | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 643 | Eliminated |
| | UUP | John S. Shaw J.P. | | - | - | - | - | - | - | Eliminated |
| | UUP | John Stanley Johnston | | - | - | - | - | - | Eliminated |
| | NAUL | James Johnston | | - | - | - | - | Eliminated |
| | Ind. Nationalist | James Feenan | | - | - | - | Eliminated |
| | Independent | Zimri Stewart | | - | - | - | Eliminated |
| | Belfast Labour | Alexander Stewart | | - | - | - | Eliminated |
| Electorate: 13,474 Valid: 8,379 Spoilt: 267 Quota: 1,198 Turnout: 8,646 ||||||||||||||

### Ormeau

Ormeau - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | UUP | Dr J. D. Williamson | 12.45 | 1,037 | 1,055 | 1,090 | 1,143 | 1,302 |
| | UUP | J. W. T. Watters | 12.40 | 1,033 | 1,044 | 1,098 | 1,137 | 1,366 |
| | UUP | John Campbell White (Lord Mayor) | 11.74 | 978 | 991 | 1,022 | 1,051 | 1,191 |
| | UUP | William Frederick Coates | 11.35 | 945 | 957 | 1,020 | 1,055 | 1,162 | 1,307 |
| | Belfast Labour | James Baird | 9.63 | 802 | 815 | 826 | 876 | 890 | - | - | - | 1,082 | 1,259 |
| | Nationalist | J. P. O'Kane | 9.25 | 770 | 771 | 773 | 778 | 779 | - | - | - | 783 | Eliminated |
| | Belfast Labour | David Robb Campbell | 8.80 | 733 | 743 | 748 | 782 | 792 | - | - | - | 1,150 | 1,498 |
| | UUP | W. J. Price | 6.75 | 562 | 578 | 632 | 703 | Eliminated |
| | Ind. Unionist | Alexander McConnell | 5.82 | 485 | 659 | 688 | 762 | 791 | - | - | Eliminated |
| | Independent | Robert Pierce | 4.45 | 371 | 393 | 424 | Eliminated |
| | Labour Unionist | William Lorimer | 3.71 | 309 | 319 | Eliminated |
| | Ind. Unionist | Emily S. Montgomery | 3.63 | 302 | Eliminated |
| Electorate: 13,264 Valid: 8,328 Spoilt: 150 Quota: 1,190 Turnout: 8,478 ||||||||||||||

### Duncairn

Duncairn - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | Ind. Unionist | J. Barron | | 2,238 |
| | UUP | S. F. Mercier J.P. | | 1,386 |
| | UUP | T. E. Alexander | | 1,353 |
| | Nationalist | Patrick Dempsey J.P. | | 848 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,262 |
| | Belfast Labour | J. S. Lawther | | 711 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,248 |
| | Labour Unionist | J. Bradbury | | 692 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,285 |
| | Irish Islander | P. Griffith | | 542 |
| | UUP | E. J. Elliott | | 500 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,124 |
| | | T. English J.P. | | 446 |
| | UUP | John Tyrrell J.P. | | 430 |
| | Belfast Labour | R. McClung | | 331 | - | - | - | - | 422 |
| | UUP | Robert Dunlop J.P. | | 270 |
| | Independent | R. S. McBurnie | | 118 |
| | Workers | J. Polkinghorne | | 80 |
| Electorate: 15,259 Valid: 9,945 Spoilt: 248 Quota: 1,244 Turnout: 10,193 ||||||||||||||

### Cromac

    Crawford McCullough (Unionist)
    James McKirnan (Nationalist)
    T. McConnell (Unionist)
    T. J. Kennedy (Independent Unionist)
    H. Riddell (Unionist)
    Lennox (Labour Unionist)
    Jameson (Unionist)

### Shankill

Shankill - 8 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| | Belfast Labour | Sam Kyle | | 2,082 |
| | UUP | Hugh Murphy | | 1,585 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Tommy Henderson | | 1,210 | - | - | - | - | 1,380 |
| | UUP | Florence F. Clark | | 906 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,368 |
| | UUP | William George Turner | | 988 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,340 |
| | Sinn Féin | Michael Carolan | | 918 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,406 |
| | UUP | W. C. Bickerstaff | | 848 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,104 |
| | UUP | R. Andrews | | 794 |
| | Irish Nationalist | H. Martin | | 789 |
| | Belfast Labour | Dawson Gordon | | 543 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1,363 |
| | Labour Unionist | R. Weir | | 340 |
| | Labour Unionist | J. A. Turkington | | 293 |
| | UUP | Edwin Squire | | 227 |
| | Ind. Unionist | T. McClughin | | 183 |
| | Ind. Unionist | J. Burns | | 159 |
| | Trade Unionist | T. Jenkinson | | 108 |
| | Belfast Labour | R. McWillians | | 84 |
| | Trade Unionist | Zimri Stewart | | 0 |
| Electorate: 17,629 Valid: 12,057 Spoilt: 239 Quota: 1,340 Turnout: 12,296 ||||||||||||||||||

### St Anne's

    Alexander Boyd (Independent Labour)
    G. M. Donaldson (Labour)
    J. A. Doran (Unionist)
    Alexander Hopkins (Unionist)
    James Johnston (Unionist)
    Hugh McLaurin (Unionist)

### Victoria

    John Harkin (Nationalist)
    James Augustine Duff (Unionist)
    Frank Workman (Unionist)
    T. Kennedy (Labour)
    Thompson Donald (Labour Unionist)
    Joseph Cosgrove (SF)
    D. Jones (Unionist)

### Woodvale

    Joseph Davison (Unionist)
    John Graham (Unionist)
    Clarke Scott (Labour)
    A. Hodgens (Unionist)
    W. Macartney (Unionist)
    W. Addis (Labour)

### Falls

Falls - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| | Nationalist | Richard Byrne | 16.87 | 1,655 |
| | Nationalist | Oswald Jamison | 14.91 | 1,463 |
| | UUP | Henry McKeag | 13.34 | 1,309 | 1,311 | - | - | - | - | - | 1,316 | 1,323 | 1,328 | 1,342 | 1,366 |
| | Sinn Féin | Denis McCullough | | 1,034 | - | - | +57 | - | - | - | - | - | 1,173 | 1,228 | 1,464 |
| | Sinn Féin | Demot Barnes | | 781 | - | - | +36 | - | - | - | - | - | 901 | 941 | 1,086 | 1,139 |
| | Belfast Labour | James Boyle | | 577 | - | - | - | - | - | +52 | - | 684 | 809 | 849 | - | - | Eliminated |
| | Belfast Labour | Denis Houston | | 527 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 667 | 874 | 929 | - | - | Elected |
| | Sinn Féin | James McEntee | | 435 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 571 |
| | Independent | Jeremiah McCavanagh | | 369 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 435 | 487 | 498 |
| | Belfast Labour | Hugh Gorman | | 339 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 412 |
| | Nationalist | Constantine O'Neill | | 250 | 277 | - | - | - | - | - | 397 |
| | Nationalist | Michael McKeown | | 240 | 323 | 351 | - | - | - | - | 542 | 740 | - | 785 | 856 |
| | Belfast Labour | Daniel McRandall | | 209 | - | - | - | - | 226 |
| | Sinn Féin | Francis McCurry | | 168 | - | - | - | 175 |
| | Nationalist | Felix Kane Jr. | | 146 | 218 | 228 | - | - | - | 254 |
| | Nationalist | James Rodgers | | 145 | - | - | 173 |
| | Sinn Féin | Joseph Connolly | | 100 | - | 102 | Eliminated |
| | Sinn Féin | Edward Trodden | | 38 | - | 38 | Eliminated |
| | Ind. Nationalist | Michael Cunningham | | 23 | - | 24 | Eliminated |
| | Independent | Zimri Stewart | | 3 | - | 3 | Eliminated |
| Electorate: 13,139 Valid: 9,811 Spoilt: 764 Quota: 1,402 Turnout: 10,575 ||||||||||||||||||