1956 Mid Ulster by-election

UK parliamentary by-election August 2021 June 2012 1956 05 08 y George Forrest Tom Mitchell Independent Unionist Sinn Féin 28,605 24,124 48.36% 40.78% 59,150 88.43% (0.17 pp) Charles Beattie Mid Ulster constituency by-election Ulster Unionist Party MP George Forrest 1955 Mid Ulster by-election 1955 by-election 1959 United Kingdom general election 1959 Michael O'Neill Irish Anti-Partition League 6,421 10.86% 66,891 Independent UnionistA by-election was held in Mid Ulster on 8 May 1956http://by-elections.co.uk/56.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121010071845/http://by-elections.co.uk/56.html 1956 By Election Results 2012-10-10 dead 2015-08-14 because both candidates in the 1955 Mid Ulster by-election had been disqualified. Tom Mitchell was disqualified from assuming office because he was a convicted felon. Charles Beattie was awarded the seat but he was also disqualified because he held an office of profit under the Crown. The by-election was won by the Independent Unionist candidate George Forrest. 1956 Mid Ulster by-electionhttp://by-elections.co.uk/56.html https://web.archive.org/web/20121010071845/http://by-elections.co.uk/56.html 1956 By Election Results 2012-10-10 dead 2015-08-14 Background In the aftermath of the 1955 Mid Ulster by-election, the defeated Unionist candidate Charles Beattie successfully lodged an election petition to have the winner Tom Mitchell removed as MP for being ineligible due to being a convicted felon serving a prison sentence. The seat was subsequently given to Beattie with the votes for Mitchell being treated as being "thrown away".https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1955-10-25/debates/b4df3efc-39cf-4935-8861-96a8f180bb53/ElectionPetitionTrialsNorthernIreland Election Petition Trials, Northern Ireland Hansard 1955-10-25 30 April 2025 However, it later emerged that at the time of the election, Beattie was a member of an appeals tribunal, considered an "office of profit under the Crown". As a result, the House of Commons voted in favour of the Attorney General for Northern Ireland's motion that this disqualified him from the office of MP and vacated the seat.https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1956-02-07/debates/4cc543e3-20a7-4053-a566-48a10aa77076/ElectionsMid-Ulster Elections, Mid-Ulster 1956-02-07 Hansard 30 April 2025 As a result, another by-election was called for Mid Ulster in 1956.https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/dmu.htm Mid-Ulster 1950-1970 Ark 30 April 2025 Campaign George Forrest stood as an Independent Unionist Candidate. Sinn Fein announced that Mitchell would be contesting the seat again. The Irish Anti-Partition League stood Michael O'Neill as their candidate for the election. This had the effect of splitting the Nationalist vote, which resulted in Forrest being elected as the MP for Mid Ulster.The Gun, the Law, and the Irish People 1971 Sean Edmonds Anvil Press 9780900068171 187 Result Independent Unionist George Forrest 28,605 48.36 New Sinn Féin Tom Mitchell 24,124 40.78 -9.92 Anti-Partition of Ireland League Michael O'Neill 6,421 10.86 New 4,481 7.58 N/A 59,150 88.43 -0.17 66,891 Independent Unionist Sinn Féin Aftermath Forrest would retain the Mid Ulster seat at each subsequent election until 1968 when he died.https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/17446/george_forrest/mid-ulster Mr George Forrest, former MP, Mid-Ulster TheyWorkForYou 30 April 2025 External links A Vision of Britain Through Time (Constituency elector numbers) References Mid Ulster by-election Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in County Londonderry constituencies Category:By-elections to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in County Tyrone constituencies Category:20th century in County Londonderry Category:20th century in County Tyrone Mid Ulster by-election Mid Ulster by-election