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| Map and diagram by Conal Kelly | |
This constituency takes in the south-eastern coastal strip of
Belfast Lough, including the whole of North
Down District Council and Donaghadee in Ards District Council. The member of
parliament is Lady Sylvia Hermon (Independent - she left the UUP
in early 2010); in the 2001 election, standing as a UUP candidate,
she defeated the UKUP leader, Bob McCartney, who himself had first
won the seat in a 1995 by-election caused
by the death of Sir James Kilfedder, the leader of the Ulster
Popular Unionist Party, who had represented North Down since the
1970s. The DUP hold three seats here, and Alliance, the UUP and
the Greens one each (the DUP gained a UUP seat in 2011, the Greens
gained McCartney's seat in 2007, and the DUP gained seats from the
UUP and Women's Coalition in 2003). See 1983-1995
North Down results, 1973-82 North Down
results and 1950-1970North Down results.
See also the detailed
guide from 2007 by "Sammy Morse".
The constituency was greatly reduced in size in 1983 and again altered in 1995, but unchanged in 2010.
North Down's population in the 2001 census was 85,992 (16th of the 18 constituencies).
| DUP | UUP | Cons | Oth U | Alliance | Green | Oth | SDLP | SF | |
| 2011a |
44.2% | 10.4% | 8.9% | 18.6% | 7.9% | 6.3% | 2.7% | 1.0% | |
| 2011lg |
38.8% | 14.3% | 2.6% | 2.0% | 17.9% | 6.8% | 13.5% | 1.2% | |
| 2010w | 20.4% | 68.2% | 5.6% | 3.1% | 2.0% | 0.8% | |||
| 2007a |
34.1% | 23.7% | 2.8% | 7.1% | 10.2% | 9.2% | 8.0% | 3.6% | 1.3% |
| 2005w | 35.1% | 50.4% | 2.5% | 7.6% | 0.7% | 3.1% | 0.6% | ||
| 2005lg | 34.3% | 22.8% | 1.1% | 4.3% | 15.4% | 8.2% | 12.2% | 1.6% | |
NB that the UUP supported a Conservative candidate in 2010, and the Conservatives supported the UUP in the 2011 Assembly election.
| @Alex Easton (DUP) 5,175 (18.4%) Gordon Dunne (DUP) 3,741 (13.3%) @Peter Weir (DUP) 3,496 (12.4%) @Stephen Farry (Alliance) 3,131 (11.1%) Steven Agnew (Green) 2,207 (7.9%) Anne Wilson (Alliance) 2,100 (7.5%) @Alan McFarland (Independent) 1,879 (6.7%) Alan Chambers (Independent) 1,765 (6.3%) Leslie Cree (UUP) 1,585 (5.6%) Colin Breen (UUP) 1,343 (4.8%) Liam Logan (SDLP) 768 (2.7%) Fred McGlade (UKIP) 615 (2.2%) Conor Keenan (SF) 293 (1.0%) @ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved. |
DUP 12,412 (44.2%, +10.1%)
3 seats (+1) Alliance 5,231 (18.6%, +8.4%) 1 seat Independents 3,624 (13.0%) UUP 2,928 (10.4%, -13.3%) 1 seat (-1) Green 2,207 (7.9%, -1.4%) 1 seat SDLP 768 (2.7%, -0.9%) UKIP 615 (2.2%) SF 293 (1.0%, -0.3%) Electorate 62,170 Votes cast 28,528 (45.9%); spoilt votes 430 (1.5%) Valid votes 28,098; quota 4,015 |
Agnew held the Green seat by 99 votes
ahead of Alliance's Anne Wilson, with 62 votes of Stephen Farry's
surplus undistributed, which makes this realistically an even
tighter result than Fermanagh-South Tyrone. Wilson had survived
elimation on a previous round by being 45 votes ahead of Alan
McFarland, though probably her votes would not have changed the
final result; McFarland had been 95 votes ahead of Chambers in a
previous round. DUP gain from UUP, with the UUP vote utterly
splintered and devastated, in a seat which they held at
Westminster until their MP's resignation from the party only a
year or so before.
*Sylvia Hermon (Independent)
21,181 (63.3%)
Ian Parsley (UCUNF) 6,817 (20.4%, -32.5%)
@Stephen Farry (Alliance) 1,876 (5.6%, -2.0%)
Mary Kilpatrick (TUV) 1,634 (4.9%)
Steven Agnew (Green) 1,043 (3.1%)
Liam Logan (SDLP) 680 (2.0%, -1.1%)
Vincent Parker (Sinn Féin) 250 (0.8%, +0.2%)
* incumbent
@ elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly from this constituency
A storming performance by incumbent Sylvia Hermon, who clearly took votes from all her political party rivals; she was helped by the DUP's decision not to contest but I think would have narrowly beaten them anyway even if she had stood. North Down was already unusual as the only constituency where different parties topped the poll in 2005 and 2007; it was remarkable that neither of those parties had its own candidate here in 2010, Parsley being one of two Conservatives in the UCUNF alliance. If this had been an Assembly election, Lady Hermon would have won four seats on her own, the UCUNF one, and the last one between Lady Hermon's fifth self, a second UCUNF candidate and Alliance.
| *Alex Easton (DUP) 4946
(16.1%) *Peter Weir (DUP) 3376 (11.0%) Stephen Farry (Alliance) 3131 (10.2%) *Leslie Cree (UUP) 2937 (9.6%) Brian Wilson (Green) 2839 (9.2%) *Alan McFarland (UUP) 2245 (7.3%) Alan Graham (DUP) 2147 (7.0%) Marion Smith (UUP) 2098 (6.8%) *Robert McCartney (UKUP) 1806 (5.9%) Brian Rowan (Independent) 1194 (3.9%) Alan Chambers (Independent Unionist) 1129 (3.7%) William Logan (SDLP) 1115 (3.6%) James Leslie (Conservative) 864 (2.8%) Deaglan Page (SF) 390 (1.3%) Elaine Martin (PUP) 367 (1.2%) Christopher Carter (Independent) 123 (0.4%) *Elected in 2003 from North Down |
DUP 10,469 (34.1%, +10.6%) 2 seats UUP 7,280 (23.7%, -8.4%) 2 seats Alliance 3,131 (10.2%, +1.6%) 1 seat Green 2,839 (9.2%, +6.9%) 1 seat (+1) UKUP 1,806 (5.9%, -5.7%) (-1) Rowan 1,194 (3.9%) Chambers 1,129 (3.7%, +0.2%) SDLP 1,115 (3.6%, -1.3%) Conservative 864 (2.8%, +1.2%) SF 390 (1.3%, +0.4%) PUP 367 (1.2%, +0.2%)) Carter 123 (0.4%, +0.05%) Electorate 57,525 Votes cast 30,930 (53.8%); spoilt votes 223 (0.7%) Valid votes 30,707; quota 4,387 |
*Lady Sylvia Hermon (UUP) 16,268 (50.4% -5.6%)
@Peter Weir (DUP) 11,324 (35.1%)
David Alderdice (Alliance) 2,451 (7.6%)
Liam Logan (SDLP) 1,009 (3.1% -0.3%)
Julian Robertson (Conservative) 822 (2.5% +0.3%)
Chris Carter (Independent) 211 (0.7%)
Janet McCrory (Sinn Fein) 205 (0.6% -0.2%)
* outgoing MP.
@ Member of the Assembly.
A big relief for the UUP who would otherwise have been left with no Westminster seats - but Lady Hermon clearly owes her victory to Alliance tactical votes. These results, projected to a six-seat STV election, would give the UUP three and the DUP two, with the last probably going to Alliance.
The constituency comprises the whole of North Down Council and 3 of the 6 wards of the Ards East DEA of Ards Council (Donaghadee North, Donaghadee South and Millisle). Votes cast in 2005 were:
DUP 11,034 (34.3%)
UUP 7,343.5 (22.8%)
Alliance 4,958 (15.4%)
Independent 3,180 (9.9%)
Green 2,639 (8.2%)
Women's Coalition 738 (2.3%)
UKUP 734 (2.3%)
PUP 651 (2.0%)
SDLP 526 (1.6%)
Conservative 353 (1.1%)
If these votes were cast in a six-seat STV election, the DUP would have two seats and the UUP and Alliance one each; the last two would be most likely to go to the UUP and the Green Party.
| Leslie Cree
(UUP) 3900 (12.6%) *Peter Weir (DUP) 3675 (11.9%) Alex Easton (DUP) 3570 (11.6%) *Alan McFarland (UUP) 3421 (11.1%) *Robert McCartney (UKUP) 3374 (10.9%) Diana Peacocke (UUP) 2566 (8.3%) *Eileen Bell (Alliance) 1951 (6.3%) Liam Logan (SDLP) 1519 (4.9%) Brian Wilson (Ind) 1350 (4.4%) *Jane Morrice (NIWC) 1181 (3.8%) Alan Chambers (Ind) 1077 (3.5%) John Barry (Green) 730 (2.4%) Stephen Farry (Alliance) 704 (2.3%) Julian Robertson (Cons) 491 (1.6%) Alan Field (Ind) 428 (1.4%) David Rose (PUP) 316 (1.0%) Maria George (SF) 264 (0.9%) Tom Sheridan (UKUP) 209 (0.7%) Chris Carter (Ind) 109 (0.4%) |
UUP 9,887 (32.1%, -0.5%) 2
seats DUP 7,245 (23.5%, +16.6%) 2 seats UKUP 3,583 (11.6%, -10.8%) 1 seat Best result for UKUP in Northern Ireland Inds 2,964 (9.6%, +6.0%) Alliance 2,655 (8.6%, -5.8%) 1 seat SDLP 1,519 (4.9%, -0.6%) NIWC 1,181 (3.8%, -1.0%) Green 730 (2.4%) Best result for Greens in Northern Ireland Cons 491 (1.6%, +0.7%) Best result for Conservatives in Northern Ireland PUP 316 (1.0%, -2.7%) SF 264 (0.9%) Electorate 57,422 |
Electorate: 63,212; votes cast: 37,377 (59.1%); spoilt votes: 188
(0.5%)
Valid votes: 37,189; UUP majority 7,324
* outgoing MP
@ member of the Assembly
This eagerly anticipated gain for the UUP was facilitated by the
decision of Alliance candidate Stephen Farry to withdraw from the
race in order to help defeat McCartney. If this had been a
six-seat Assembly election, the UUP would have won four and UKUP
two.
I received the news that McCartney had lost in a small radio
studio packed with guests of varying political hues, all of whom
were delighted. Danny Morrison commented that he had never thought
the day would come that he would be cheering on the wife of the
former Chief Constable of the RUC.
UUP 8883 (27%)
Alliance 5718 (18%)
DUP 4631 (14%)
UKUP 3034 (9%) Best equivalent result in Northern Ireland
PUP 1167 (4%)
NIWC 1166 (4%) Best equivalent result in Northern Ireland
Conservatives 551 (2%) Best equivalent result in Northern
Ireland
NIUP 188 (1%)
Independents 7159 (22%)
Including notional votes from Ards East would boost the UUP and DUP fractionally and diminish the votes for the others a little less. The UUP should win two seats in an STV election, and Alliance and the DUP one each. The last two are anybody's.
Also available: details of each count with
analysis of surplus transfers.
| *Robert
McCartney (UKU) 8,188 #Sir John Gorman (UUP) 4,719 *Alan McFarland (UUP) 4,653 #Eileen Bell (Alliance) 3,669 *Peter Weir (UUP) 2,775 Marietta Farrell (SDLP) 2,048 Jane Morrice (NIWC) 1,808 Gavin Walker (Alliance) 1,699 Alan Graham (DUP) 1,558 Alan Chambers (Ulster Ind) 1,382 Stewart Currie (PUP) 1,376 Brian Wilson (Ind) 1,327 *St Clair McAlister (DUP) 1,013 Leonard Fee (C) 337 Tom Lindsay (UDP) 265 Vanessa Baird-Gunning (Lab) 212 Elizabeth Roche (UKU) 173 Christopher Carter (Ulster's Independent Voice) 72 Andrea Gribben (NLP) 39 |
UUP 12,147
(32.55%) 3 seats Best result for UUP in Northern Ireland UKU 8,361 (22.41%) 1 seat Alliance 5,368 (14.39%) 1 seat DUP 2,571 (6.89%) SDLP 2,048 (5.49%) NIWC 1,808 (4.85%) 1 seat Ulster Ind 1,382 (3.70%) PUP 1,376 (3.69%) Ind 1,327 (3.56%) C 337 (0.90%) UDP 265 (0.71%) Lab 212 (0.57%) UIV 72 (0.19%) NLP 39 (0.10%) Electorate: 62,942 |
* elected in 1996 Forum/talks election from North Down
# elected in 1996 Forum/talks election as a 'top-up' candidate.
The poor performance of the DUP, as well as the success of the Women's Coalition and the UUP's third seat, were all major surprises here in perhaps the most volatile constituency in Northern Ireland. The SDLP's good performance was not enough to prevent them being eliminated; their transfers pulled Jane Morrice of the Women's Coalition ahead of the DUP. The last seat went to Peter Weir of the UUP, who finished with 4,751 votes to Alan Graham's 4,443 (Sir John Gorman's undistributed surplus of 15 votes would have slightly widened the gap.)
Ulster Unionist Party 5,273.6 (25%)
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 4,460 (21%) Best equivalent
result for Alliance in Northern Ireland
Democratic Unionist Party 2,228.8 (11%)
United Kingdom Unionist Party 1,865.6 (9%)
Conservative Party 1,372 (7%)
Progressive Unionist Party 871 (4%)
Ulster Democratic Party 131 (1%)
Others 4,633 (22%)
Total valid 20,835 (33.19% of electorate)
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) 9,270 (26%) 2 seats (Peter Weir, Alan
McFarland elected)
United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP) 7,579 (21%) 1 seat (Robert
McCartney elected)
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 6,699 (18%) 1 seat (St Clair
McAlister elected)
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) 6,186 (17%) 1 seat (Sir
Oliver Napier elected)
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) 1,798 (5%)
Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) 1,694 (5%)
Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) 651 (2%)
Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (NIWC) 496 (1%)
Conservative Party (Con) 444 (1%)
Independent Chambers 334 (1%)
Green Party 283 (1%)
Sinn Féin (SF) 275 (1%)
Labour (Lab) 171 (0.47%)
Independent Democratic Unionist Party 97 (0.27%)
Democratic Left (DL) 95 (0.26%)
Workers Party (WP) 60 (0.17%)
Ulster Independence Movement (UIM) 49 (0.14%)
Ulster's Independent Voice (UIV) 49 (0.14%)
Natural Law Party (NLP) 15 (0.04%)
Electorate: 62,810; votes cast: 36,271 (57.7%); spoilt votes: 26 (0.0%); valid votes: 36,245
Napier had been elected to the 1973 Assembly, the 1975 Convention and the 1982 Assembly from East Belfast; McCartney was elected in 1982 for North Down.
| DUP | UKUP | UUP | Cons | Oth U | Alliance | NIWC | Green | Oth | SDLP | SF | |
| 2007a |
34% | 6% | 24% | 3% | 4% | 10% | 9% | 4% | 4% | 1% | |
| 2005w | 35% | 50% | 3% | 8% | 1% | 3% | 1% | ||||
| 2005lg | 34% | 2% | 23% | 1% | 2% | 15% | 2% | 8% | 10% | 2% | |
| 2003a | 23% | 12% | 32% | 2% | 5% | 9% | 4% | 2% | 10% | 5% | 1% |
| 2001w | 36% | 56% | 2% | 1% | 3% | 1% | |||||
| 2001lg* | 14% | 9% | 27% | 2% | 4% | 17% | 22% | ||||
| 1998a | 7% | 22% | 33% | 1% | 8% | 14% | 5% | 4% | 5% | ||
| 1997lg | 11% | 9% | 25% | 7% | 5% | 21% | 22% | ||||
| 1997w | 35% | 31% | 5% | 21% | 3% | 0% | 4% | ||||
| 1996f | 18% | 21% | 26% | 1% | 8% | 17% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 5% | 1% |
See also:Full 2003 results from North Down | Full 1998 results from North Down | The Boundary Commission's Provisional Recommendations | Boundary Commission 2003 | Jim Riley's analysis of votes and seats in the 1998 Assembly election | The constituencies
Other sites based at ARK: ORB (Online Research Bank) | CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet) | Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey
Your comments, please! Send an email to me at nicholas.whyte@gmail.com.
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This page has been developed with the support of a project grant from the New Initiatives Fund of the Electoral Commission. However, any views expressed on this page or, in particular, other pages of this website are those of the author and not necessarily shared by The Electoral Commission. |
Nicholas Whyte, 3 June 1998; last updated 9 May 2010.
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Disclaimer:© Nicholas Whyte 1998-2007
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