1953 North Down by-election

The 1953 North Down by-election was held on 15 April 1953.[1] It was held due to the incumbent Ulster Unionist Party MP, Walter Smiles, dying in the sinking of the MV Princess Victoria off the Copeland Islands, in the same storm which caused the North Sea flood of 1953. It was retained by his daughter, Patricia Ford, who was unopposed when she stood as the Unionist candidate.[1] She became the first woman to sit as an Ulster Unionist MP but she stood down in the 1955 general election.

Result

1953 North Down by-election[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UUP	Patricia Ford	Unopposed
Registered electors
	UUP hold

External links

• A Vision Of Britain Through Time

References

1. "North Down 1950-1970". Northern Ireland elections. ARK, Northern Ireland’s social policy hub.
2. "1953 By Election Results". by-elections.co.uk. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2015.