1954 Armagh by-election

UK parliamentary by-election November 2013 April 2025 The 1954 Armagh by-election was held on 20 November 1954, following the resignation of Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) member of parliament Richard Harden. The by-election was won by the UUP's C. W. Armstrong, who was elected unopposed. This was, to date, the last uncontested Westminster election. Background Richard 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.https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/darmagh.htm Armagh 1950-1970 Ark 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.http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04731 MPs appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds or Manor of Northstead stewardships since the 1945 Parliament Department of Information Services House of Commons Library 2025-04-30 24 January 2017 Candidates The Ulster Unionists stood C. W. Armstrong, the son of former Mid Armagh MP Henry 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.37 Montgomery-Massingberd Hugh Burke's Irish Family Records Burkes Peerage Ltd 1976 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.The nationalists of Northern Ireland, 1918-1973 165 Edna Staunton Columba Press 9781856073288 2001 Result With only one candidate for the seat, Armstrong was declared elected unopposed.http://by-elections.co.uk/54.html https://web.archive.org/web/20120204032418/http://by-elections.co.uk/54.html 1954 By Election Results 2012-02-04 dead 2015-08-14 This was the last unopposed election in any Westminster seat.12 By-Elections in British Politics Chris Cook 2013 Taylor & Francis 9781134225422 Armstrong was sworn in as an MP on 23 November.https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/1954-11-23/debates/c57c3457-348c-4a37-81a9-62974849534f/NewMemberSworn New Member Sworn 1954-11-23 Hansard 30 April 2025 He held the seat until the 1959 general election, when he stood down.Armagh 1950-1970, Northern Ireland Elections References Armagh 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 Category:Unopposed by-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in Northern Irish constituencies Armagh