University constituency facts for kids

A university constituency is a special area used in elections. Instead of representing people who live in a certain place, it represents the students and graduates of one or more universities. This means that people connected to a university could vote for their university's representative, sometimes in addition to voting where they live.

This idea started in England when James VI became king in 1603. The system was then used in the Parliament of Great Britain and the United Kingdom Parliament until 1950. It was also used in the Parliament of Ireland from 1613 to 1800, and later in the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1936.

University constituencies also existed in countries like Japan and some parts of the British Empire, such as India.

Today, there are only a few places where university constituencies still exist: two in the Seanad Éireann (the upper house of the Irish parliament) and two in the Senate of Rwanda.

University Seats: A Quick Look

Here's a summary of some university constituencies that existed:

In the UK Parliament, four university seats started in 1603. By 1950, all 12 of these seats were removed.

Northern Ireland was the last part of the UK to get rid of these seats. They removed the four seats for Queen's University, Belfast, in 1969.

Six such seats still exist in Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Irish parliament. These are the only members of the Seanad who are directly elected by voters. Other members are chosen in different ways.

University Seats in the United Kingdom

When King James VI of Scotland became King of England, he brought the idea of universities electing members to the Parliament of England. He believed that Parliament's decisions often affected universities, so they should have a say. From 1603, the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford each got two seats.

When Scotland and England officially joined in 1707, Scottish universities lost their representatives. The people who could vote for these university seats were the university graduates, even if they didn't live in the university town. They could also vote in their local area.

After Ireland joined the UK in 1800, Dublin University (also known as Trinity College Dublin), which had two MPs in the Irish Parliament since 1613, was given one member from 1801 and two from 1832.

In 1868, three new seats were created:

• University of London
• Glasgow and Aberdeen universities combined
• St Andrews and Edinburgh universities combined

In 1918, Queen's University Belfast and the National University of Ireland also received seats. These, along with Dublin University, also got four seats each in the new parliaments set up in Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland in 1920. Also in 1918, all Scottish universities together elected three members.

In 1918, all other English universities (except Cambridge, Oxford, and London) were grouped into one constituency called Combined English Universities. This group had two seats. These universities included Birmingham, Bristol, Durham, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield. Reading was added later in 1928. The University of Wales also received one seat in 1918.

The way votes were counted for university constituencies also changed in 1918, using a system called the Single Transferable Vote.

Why University Seats Were Abolished

The Labour government tried to get rid of university constituencies in 1930 but failed. Even though most university members were usually Conservatives, independent candidates started winning many of these seats later on.

The Labour government finally removed all university constituencies in 1950. This was part of a larger change to stop "plural voting," where some people could vote more than once.

The Queen's University, Belfast constituency lasted longer in the Parliament of Northern Ireland. It was removed in 1969 as part of reforms to election rules and to address civil rights concerns.

Famous People Who Represented Universities

Many well-known politicians served as MPs for university constituencies:

• William Pitt the Younger and Lord Palmerston represented Cambridge University.
• Robert Peel and William Ewart Gladstone represented Oxford University.
• In his later years, Ramsay MacDonald became an MP for Combined Scottish Universities after losing his previous seat. Some people criticized this because he had tried to abolish these seats when he was Prime Minister.

The writer and activist A. P. Herbert was an independent member for Oxford University from 1935 to 1950. He wrote about his experience in his book Mild and Bitter.

University Seats in India

Before India became independent, it also had university constituencies. These were removed when India adopted its modern constitution.

However, today, the President of India can appoint up to twelve scientists, artists, or other experts to the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Also, in six states that have an upper house in their state legislatures, there are "graduates' constituencies." These constituencies elect one-twelfth of their members. These are based on geography, not specific universities. Graduates from any approved Indian university can choose to register and vote in the graduates' constituency where they live.

University Seats in Ireland

There are two university constituencies in Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Irish parliament. Graduates of Dublin University and the National University of Ireland each elect three Senators. Only Irish citizens who are graduates can vote in these elections, and they don't have to live in Ireland to do so. These elections use the single transferable vote system and are done by postal ballot.

The Irish Parliament that existed before 1801 included the Dublin University constituency. This continued in the UK Parliament, and in 1918, the National University of Ireland also got representation there.

When the Irish Free State became independent from the UK in 1922, its new parliament had three seats for each of the two university constituencies. However, voters registered in a university constituency could not also vote in a regular geographical constituency. These university constituencies were eventually removed from the lower house of parliament in 1937. But they were brought back into Seanad Éireann when the Constitution of Ireland was adopted in 1937, with the first election in 1938.

Some politicians believe that university representation should be removed. They argue that having a university degree shouldn't give someone more voting rights than other citizens.

University Seats in Other Countries

• Australia: The electoral district of University of Sydney had one member in the New South Wales parliament between 1876 and 1880.
• Rwanda: Two members of the Senate of Rwanda are elected by university staff.
• Thirteen Colonies: The College of William & Mary had a seat in the House of Burgesses of the Virginia Colony in 1693. This seat was later removed when the United States became independent.

See also

• Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)
• Oxford University (UK Parliament constituency)
• London University (UK Parliament constituency)
• Edinburgh and St Andrews Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
• Glasgow and Aberdeen Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
• Combined English Universities (UK Parliament constituency)
• Combined Scottish Universities (UK Parliament constituency)