1954 Armagh by-election
{{Short description|UK parliamentary by-election}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
The 1954 Armagh by-election was held on 20 November 1954, following the resignation of Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) member of parliament James Harden. The by-election was won by the UUP's C. W. Armstrong, who was elected unopposed in the, to date, last uncontested Westminster election.
Background
James Harden had held the seat of Armagh since a by-election in 1948, and had not faced a contest since then. The seat had been held continually by Ulster Unionists since its recreation for the 1922 general election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/darmagh.htm|title=Armagh 1950-1970|website=Ark|accessdate=30 April 2025}} In 1954, Harden inherited a large estate in Wales and decided to retire from active politics. He vacated his Armagh seat by being appointed as the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.{{cite web |url=http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04731 |title=MPs appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds or Manor of Northstead stewardships since the 1945 Parliament |author=Department of Information Services |publisher=House of Commons Library |accessdate=2025-04-30 |date=24 January 2017}}
Candidates
The Ulster Unionists stood C. W. Armstrong, the son of former Mid Armagh MP Henry Bruce Armstrong. He had served in the British Army in the Royal Engineers and the 36th (Ulster) Division. He had also been involved in the oil industry in Burma, serving from 1940 to 1942 in that country's House of Representatives.{{cite book |page=37 |last=Montgomery-Massingberd |first=Hugh |title=Burke's Irish Family Records |publisher=Burkes Peerage Ltd |year=1976|isbn=9780850110180}}
The two main opposition groups, the Northern Ireland Labour Party and the Nationalist Party, had both fared poorly at the 1953 Northern Ireland general election and with a general feeling of disillusionment, decided not to contest the by-election.{{Cite book |title=
The nationalists of Northern Ireland, 1918-1973 |page=165 |first=Edna |last=Staunton |publisher=Columba Press |isbn=9781856073288 |year=2001}}
Result
With only one candidate for the seat, Armstrong was declared elected unopposed.{{cite web|url=http://by-elections.co.uk/54.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204032418/http://by-elections.co.uk/54.html|title=1954 By Election Results|archive-date=2012-02-04|url-status=dead|access-date=2015-08-14}} This was the last unopposed election in any Westminster seat.{{cite book |page=12 |title=By-Elections in British Politics |first=Chris |last=Cook |year=2013 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=9781134225422}} Armstrong was sworn in as an MP on 23 November.{{Cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1954-11-23/debates/c57c3457-348c-4a37-81a9-62974849534f/NewMemberSworn|title=New Member Sworn |date=1954-11-23 |website=Hansard |accessdate=30 April 2025}} He held the seat until the 1959 general election, when he stood down.[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/darmagh.htm Armagh 1950-1970], Northern Ireland Elections
References
{{Westminster by-elections in Northern Ireland}}
{{By-elections to the 40th UK Parliament}}
Category:20th century in County Armagh
Category:November 1954 in the United Kingdom
Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in County Armagh constituencies