Strangford

map East
                Antrim East Antrim East Belfast East Belfast East Londonderry Foyle Foyle Fermanagh & South Tyrone Lagan
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                Down North Down South Antrim South Belfast South Belfast South Down Strangford Upper Bann West Belfast West Belfast West Tyrone results graph
Map and graph by Conal Kelly

This constituency takes in the southern half of North Down and Ards District Council, the Saintfield area of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. and a corner of Lisburn and Castlereagh District Council. The member of parliament has been Jim Shannon of the DUP since 2010, replacing his fellow DUP member Iris Robinson who had held it since 2001; John Taylor (UUP deputy leader) had represented Strangford since it was formed in 1983, but chose to stand down in 2001 (and got a life peerage, becoming Lord Kilclooney). The DUP and Alliance each hold two Assembly seats here, the other is held by the UUP. See the 1983-92 Strangford results.

The constituency was created in 1983; in 1995 its western (Castlereagh) part was substantially rearranged and its eastern part was shunted southward, losing Donaghadee to North Down but gaining from South Down. In 2010 it was again much the most altered constituency, losing five Castlereagh wards to East Belfast and two to South Belfast, but gaining three Down district wards from South Down. This made the new constituency 1.3% more Catholic, and 1.2% less Protestant than the old. The 2011 census found that the average age of Strangford residents was 39.62 (3rd of the 18 constituencies), and the median age 40 (equal 2nd). 17.28% of the population were or had been brought up as Catholics (16th of the 18 constituencies), 73.13% were or had been brought up as Protestants (3rd), 0.94% were of non-Christian religious background (7th), and 8.65% had no religion (4th).

In the multi-option national identity question, 71.11% said that they had British identity (2nd of 18 constituencies), 9.38% said that they had Irish identity (17th), 32.11% Northern Irish (4th), 1.78% English, Scots or Welsh (7th), and 1.68% something other (the least).

15.13% lived in households of social grade AB (9th of the 18 constituencies), 28.23% in C1 households (8th), 28.99% C2 (7th) and 27.64% DE (13th).

3.57% claim some ability in the Irish language (17th of 18 constituencies) and 12.0% in Ulster Scots (4th).

See spreadsheets from the 2011 Assembly election, the 2010 Westminster election, the 2007 Assembly election, the 2005 Westminster election, the 2003 Assembly election, the 2001 Westminster election, the 1998 Assembly election, the 1997 Westminster election and the 1996 Forum/talks election. See also the detailed guide from 2007 by "Sammy Morse".

Results of recent elections using new boundaries


DUP UUP Oth U Alliance Oth SDLP SF
2022a 35.8% 15.2% 12.7% 24.1% 2.3% 6.0% 3.9%
2019w 47.2% 10.7% 4.8% 28.4% 2.1% 5.3% 1.5%
2019lg 36.8% 16.1% 4.3% 18.6% 9.1% 8.7% 2.4%
2017w 62.0% 11.4% 1.3% 14.7% 1.6% 6.2% 2.8%
2017a 39.9% 20.0% 11.9% 15.0% 2.4% 7.9% 2.9%
2016a 43.0% 19.5% 7.6% 10.7% 8.8% 8.3% 2.0%
2015w 44.4% 24.3% 18.0% 13.8%   6.9% 2.6%
2014lg 37.5% 19.3% 9.9% 10.7% 10.9% 8.8% 3.0%
2011a
48.8% 20.4% 4.8% 14.4%
8.5% 3.0%
2011lg 43.8% 19.4% 2.7% 16.0% 7.4% 9.1% 1.6%
2010w 45.9% 27.8% 5.6% 8.7% 1.7% 6.7% 3.6%
2007a
48.9% 18.5% 6.0% 10.1% 2.9% 9.2% 4.3%
2005w 54.8% 21.4% 3.5% 8.4%   8.2% 3.7%
2005lg 48.0% 26.0% 1.9% 11.7% 1.7% 8.0% 2.7%

NB that the figures for elections before 2010 are projections onto the new boundaries. Figures for the old boundaries can be found at the bottom of this page.
NB also that the Conservatives supported the UUP candidate in 2010, but account for all the "Other Unionist" vote in the 2005 Westminster election and a quarter of the "Other Unionist" vote in 2007.

2022 Assembly election (five seats)

@Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) 7,015 (17.2%)
@Michelle McIlveen (DUP) 6,601 (16.2%)

Stephen Cooper (TUV) 5,186 (12.7%)
@Harry Harvey (DUP) 4,704 (11.5%)
@Mike Nesbitt (UUP) 3,693 (9.0%)

@Peter Weir (DUP) 3,313 (8.1%)
Nick Mathison (Alliance) 2,822 (6.9%)
Philip Smith (UUP) 2,535 (6.2%)
Conor Houston (SDLP) 2,440 (6.0%)
Roisin McGivern (SF) 1,607 (3.9%)
Maurice Macartney (Green) 831 (2.0%)
Ben King (Ind) 118 (0.3%)

@ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved.
DUP 14,618 (35.8%, -4.1%) 2 seats (-1)
Alliance 9,837 (24.1%, +9.1%) 2 seats
UUP 6,228 (15.2%, -4.8%) 1 seat
TUV 5,186 (12.7%, +9.3%)
SDLP 2,440 (6.0%, -1.9%)
SF 1,607 (3.9%, +1.0%)
Green 831 (2.0%, -0.4%)
Ind 118 (0.3%)

Electorate: 70,775
Votes cast: 41,345 (58.4%, -2.5%), spoilt votes 480 (1.2%)
Valid votes: 40,865, quota 6,811

A strong performance by Alliance saw them pick up a second seat in Strangford at the expense of the DUP. In the second closest result of the election, Alliance's Mathison won the last seat by 249.77 votes ahead of the TUV's Stephen Cooper, with no surplus votes undistributed. Mathison having started in 7th place overtook 3rd placed Cooper thanks to SDLP transfers on the final count. This was the TUV's best chance of a gain, but they were simply too transfer-repellent. Mathison had the fewest first preference votes of any elected MLA. Alliance's Kellie Armstrong was the first MLA returned in the election. Strangford had the lowest turnout of the election at 58.4%.

2019 Westminster election

*Jim Shannon (DUP) 17,705 (47.2%, -14.8%)
@Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) 10,634 (28.4%, +13.7%)
Philip Smith (UUP) 4,023 (10.7%, -0.7%)
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 1,994 (5.3%, -0.9%)
Grant Abraham (Cons) 1,476 (3.9%, +2.6%)
Martin Macartney (Green) 790 (2.1%, +0.5%)
Ryan Carlin (SF) 555 (1.5%, -1.3%)
Robert Stephenson (UKIP) 308 (0.8%, +0.8%)

* outgoing MP.
@ member of the Assembly.

Electorate: 66,928; Total Poll: 37,669 (56.3%); Invalid Votes: 184 (0.5%); Valid Votes: 37,485

A comfortable win for the incumbent. On the face of it, a straight shift of 5,000 votes from the DUP to Alliance (and 1,000 to the Conservatives). This was the Green Party's best performance of the election. In a five-seat Assembly election, these votes would give the DUP three seats and Alliance two.

2019 local government election

From the 2011 census, Strangford includes:

The entire North Down and Ards DEA of Comber
The entire North Down and Ards DEA of Newtownards
89% of the North Down and Ards DEA of Ards Peninsula
and
88% of the Newry, Mourne and Down DEA of Rowallane
and
15% of the Lisburn and Castlereagh DEA of Castlereagh East
5% of the Lisburn and Castlereagh DEA of Castlereagh South.

With some adjustment for voter community background, I project the 2019 results as:

DUP 11,135 (36.8%)
Alliance 5,618 (18.6%)
UUP 4,880 (16.1%)
Inds 2,667 (8.8%)
SDLP 2,620 (8.7%)
TUV 803 (2.7%)
SF 729 (2.4%)
UKIP 424 (1.4%)
Aontú 80 (0.3%)
Cons 50 (0.2%)

If cast in a five-seat Assembly election, these votes would give the DUP two seats, and the UUP and Alliance one each, with the last most likely to go to the DUP, depending on how the transfers from independent candidates worked out.

2017 Westminster election

*Jim Shannon (DUP) 24,036 (62.0%, +17.6%)
@Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) 5,693 (14.7%, +0.9%)
@Mike Nesbitt (UUP) 4,419 (11.4%, -2.9%)
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 2,404 (6.2%, -0.7%)
Carole Murphy (SF) 1,083 (2.8%, +0.2%)
Ricky Bamford (Green) 607 (1.6%)
Claire Hiscott (Con) 507 (1.3%, -6.4%)

* outgoing MP.
@ member of the Assembly.

Electorate: 64,327; Total Poll: 38,826 (60.4%); Invalid Votes: 77 (0.2%); Valid Votes: 38,826
 
Another good result for the DUP. If cast in a five-seat Assembly election, these votes would elect four DUP MLAs and one Alliance (with an option for the UUP if the DUP balanced very poorly).

2017 Assembly election (five seats)

@Simon Hamilton (DUP) 6,221 (16.0%)
@Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) 5,813 (15.0%)
@Michelle McIlveen (DUP) 5,728 (14.8%)
@Mike Nesbitt (UUP) 5,323 (13.7%)
Peter Weir (DUP) 3,543 (9.1%)

Joe Boyle (SDLP) 3,045 (7.9%)
@Philip Smith (UUP) 2,453 (6.3%)
Jimmy Menagh (Ind) 1,627 (4.2%)
@Jonathan Bell (Ind) 1,479 (3.8%)
Stephen Cooper (TUV) 1,330 (3.4%)
Dermot Kennedy (SF) 1,110 (2.9%)
Ricky Bamford (Green) 918 (2.4%)
Scott Benton (Con) 195 (0.5%)

@ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved.
DUP 15,492 (39.9%, -3.1%) 3 seats
UUP 7,776 (20.0%, +0.5%) 1 seat (-1)
Alliance 5,813 (15.0%, +4.3%) 1 seat
Ind 3,106 (8.0%)
SDLP 3,045 (7.9%, -0.4%)
TUV 1,330 (3.4%, -0.9%)
SF 1,110 (2.9%, +0.9%)
Green 918 (2.4%, -0.4%)
Con 195 (0.5%, -0.5%)

Electorate: 64,393
Votes cast: 39,239 (60.9%, +10.6%), spoilt votes 454 (1.2%)
Valid votes: 38,785, quota 6,465

The SDLP have been runners-up at every Assembly election here since the Good Friday Agreement, and came closer this time than they had since 2007, Joe Boyle finishing only 225.29 behind the DUP's Peter Weir. The UUP had been very lucky to win two seats in 2016, and were not as lucky this time. Still, better balancing could have kept both of their candidates ahead of Weir.

2016 Brexit referendum

Total electorate: 65,642.
Turnout: 42,123 (64.2%), 8/18.
Invalid votes: 13 (0.03%)
Votes to REMAIN: 18,727 (44.5%)
Votes to LEAVE: 23,383 (55.5%).
Second highest LEAVE vote share in Northern Ireland.

2016 Assembly election (six seats)

@Mike Nesbitt (UUP) 4,673 (14.3%)
@Michelle McIlveen (DUP) 4,663 (14.3%)
@Simon Hamilton (DUP) 3,964 (12.1%)
Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) 3,499 (10.7%)
@Jonathan Bell (DUP) 3,393 (10.4%)
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 2,724 (8.3%)
Harry Harvey (DUP) 2,017 (6.2%)
Jimmy Menagh (Independent) 1,840 (5.6%)
Philip Smith (UUP) 1,694 (5.2%)
Stephen Cooper (TUV) 1,407 (4.3%)
Georgia Grainger (Green) 924 (2.8%)
Stephen Crosby (UKIP) 759 (2.3%)
Dermot Kennedy (Sinn Féin) 661 (2.0%)
Bill McKendry (Conservatives) 314 (1.0%)
Rab McCartney (Independent) 107 (0.3%))

@ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved.
DUP 14,037 (43.0%, -5.8%) 3 seats
UUP 6,367 (19.5%, -0.9%) 2 seats
Alliance 3,499 (10.7%, -3.7%) 1 seat
SDLP 2,724 (8.3%, -0.2%)
Independents 1,947 (6.0%)
TUV 1,407 (4.3%, +1.5%)
Green 924 (2.8%)
UKIP 759 (2.3%, +0.3%)
Sinn Féin 661 (2.0%, -1.0%)
Conservatives 314 (1.0%)

Electorate 65,695
Votes cast 33,014 (50.3%); spoilt 375 (1.1%)
Valid votes: 32,639; quota: 4,663

No change in party strength, though with the UUP's Philip Smith squeaking in from ninth place in first preferences to finally beat Joe Boyle of the SDLP by 569.96 votes. The real deciding moment was a much earlier count when Smith, independent Jimmy Menagh and the DUP's Harry Harvey were clustered within 110 votes of each other, on 2335, 2249 and 2226 respectively. Harvey was eliminated, and DUP transfers pulled Smith well ahead of Menagh, whose transfers he then got.

2015 Westminster election

*Jim Shannon (DUP) 15,053 (44.4%, -1.5%)
Robert Burgess (UUP) 4,868 (14.3%, -13.5%)
Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) 4,687 (13.8%, +5.1%)
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 2,335 (6.9%, +0.2%)
Joe Jordan (UKIP) 2,237 (6.6%)
Johnny Andrews (Conservative) 2,167 (6.4%)
Stephen Cooper (TUV) 1,701 (5.0%, -0.6%)
Sheila Bailie (SF) 876 (2.6%, -1.0%)
Electorate: 64,289; Total Poll: 34,110 (53.1%); Invalid Votes: 180 (0.5%); Valid Votes: 33,924

A solid defence by Shannon, his majority improved by the slump in the UUP vote which appears to have gone roughly equally to Alliance, UKIP and the Conservatives.

If cast in a six-seat Assembly election, these votes would have given the DUP three seats and the UUP and Alliance one each. The sixth is difficult to assess but my gut is that the SDLP would get no transfers and UKIP would pick up the sweepings.

2014 local government election

From the 2011 census, Strangford includes:

The entire North Down and Ards DEA of Comber
The entire North Down and Ards DEA of Newtownards
89% of the North Down and Ards DEA of Ards Peninsula
and
88% of the Newry, Mourne and Down DEA of Rowallane
and
15% of the Lisburn and Castlereagh DEA of Castlereagh East
5% of the Lisburn and Castlereagh DEA of Castlereagh South.

With some adjustment for voter community background, I project the 2014 results as:

DUP 10609 (37%)
UUP 5461 (19%)
Alliance 3025 (11%)
SDLP 2491 (9%)
Inds 2206 (8%)
TUV 1638 (6%)
SF 853 (3%)
NI21 809 (3%)
Cons 667 (2%)
UKIP 427 (2%)
PUP 77 (0.3%)
Green 65 (0.2%)

If cast in a six-seat Assembly election, these votes would give the DUP three seats, and the UUP and Allaince one each, with the last between the UUP, a minor Unionist party (likely the TUV) and the SDLP.

2011 Assembly election (six seats)

Michelle McIlveen (DUP) 4,573 (15.4%)
Kieran McCarthy (Alliance) 4,284 (14.4%)
Jonathan Bell (DUP) 4,265 (14.4%)
Simon Hamilton (DUP) 3,456 (11.6%)
Mike Nesbitt (UUP) 3,273 (11.0%)
David McNarry (UUP) 2,773 (9.3%)
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 2,525 (8.5%)
Billy Walker (DUP) 2,175 (7.3%)
Mickey Coogan (SF) 902 (3.0%)
Terry Williams (TUV) 841 (2.8%)
Cecil Andrews (UKIP) 601 (2.0%)

@ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved.
DUP 14,469 (48.8%, -0.1%) 3 seats (-1)
UUP 6,046 (20.4%, +1.5%) 2 seats (+1)
Alliance 4,284 (14.4%, +4.3%) 1 seat
SDLP 2,525 (8.5%, -0.7%)
SF 902 (3.0%, -1.3%)
TUV 841 (2.8%)
UKIP 601 (2.0%)

Electorate 62,178
Votes cast 30,186 (48.5%); spoilt 518 (1.7%)
Valid votes: 29,668; quota: 4,239

The most surprising result of the election for me - I really thought that the SDLP, who missed the last seat here by 44 votes in 2007, and were favoured by boundary changes, would make the breakthrough; but in the end their vote filed to rise and they were beaten by 458 votes by the second UUP candidate, in a rare case of the UUP taking a seat from the DUP rather than the other way round.

2011 local goverment election

My projection of votes cast in Ards (minus the eastern part of Ards East), six Down wards and Moneyreagh is as follows:

DUP 13,079 (43.8%)
UUP 5,785 (19.4%)
Alliance 4,785 (16.0%)
SDLP 2,711 (9.1%)
TUV 686 (2.3%)
SF 484 (1.6%)
Green 212 (0.7%)
Cons 129 (0.4%)
Inds 1,999 (6.7%)

In a six-seat STV election, these votes would give the DUP three seats and Alliance and the UUP two, with the last seat between a second UUP candidate and the SDLP. To be honest, I am a little suspicious of my own figures here; they appear to show more voters supporting Alliance and the SDLP in the local election than in the Assembly election on the same day.

2010 Westminster election (one seat)

@Jim Shannon (DUP) 14,926 (45.9%, -4.9%)
Mike Nesbitt (UCUNF) 9,050 (27.8%,+2.6%)*
Deborah Girvan (Alliance) 2,828 (8.7%, +0.3%)
Claire Hanna (SDLP) 2,164 (6.7%, -1.5%)
Terry Williams (TUV) 1,814 (5.6%)
Michael Coogan (Sinn Féin) 1,161 (3.6%, -0.1%)
Barbara Haig (Green) 562 (1.7%)
Electorate: 60,539; Total Poll: 32,600 (53.8%); Invalid Votes: 95 (0.3%); Valid Votes: 32,505

@ elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly from this constituency
* vote change calculated from 2005 UUP and Conservative combined total

There had been much speculation about the safety of the DUP's Westminster seat, given the spectacular implosion of former MP Iris Robinson's career and the presence of celebrity UCUNF candidate Mike Nesbitt in the race. In the event, though, Nesbitt got only a modest increase in his party's vote share (admittedly, in an election where they generally made no headway at all) and few DUP votes were eroded to the TUV, enabling Shannon to retain the seat for the party. If these votes were cast in a six-seat Assembly election, the DUP would probably lose one of their seats to the UUP; the Alliance seat would be under pressure from the SDLP (though I found it puzzling that the two Nationalist parties did not do better here, considering the impact of the new boundaries).

2007 Assembly Election (7 March, six seats)

Full details of each count are available here.

*Iris Robinson MP (DUP) 5917 (16.4%)
*Jim Shannon (DUP) 4788 (13.3%)
*Kieran McCarthy (Alliance) 4085 (11.3%)
Simon Hamilton (DUP) 3889 (10.8%)
*David McNarry (UUP) 3709 (10.3%)
Michelle McIlveen (DUP) 3468 (9.6%)
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 3068 (8.5%)
Angus Carson (UUP) 2128 (5.9%)
Dermot Kennedy (SF) 1089 (3.0%)
*George Ennis (UKUP) 872 (2.4%)
Stephanie Sim (Green) 868 (2.4%)
Michael Henderson (UUP) 675 (1.9%)
Martin Gregg (Independent) 650 (1.8%)
Robert Little (Conservative) 508 (1.4%)
Cedric Wilson (Independent Unionist) 305 (0.8%)

*Elected in 2003 from Strangford
DUP 18,062 (50.1%, +2.2) 4 seats (+1)
UUP 6,512 (18.1%, -10.9%) 1 seat (-1)
Alliance 4,085 (11.3%, +4.0%) 1 seat
SDLP 3,068 (8.5%, +0.7%)
SF 1,089 (3.0%, +0.1%)
UKUP 872 (2.4%)
Green 868 (2.4%,+1.3%)
Ind 650 (1.8%)
Conservative 508 (1.4%)
Ind U 305 (0.8%)

Electorate 66,648 
Votes cast 36,340 (54.5%); spoilt votes 321 (0.9%) 
Valid votes 36,019; quota 5,346
Impressive performance from the DUP; lousy balancing from the UUP, but their vote was down so much that it would have made little difference. The SDLP's Boyle was 31 votes behind the DUP's McIlveen, the closest result of the entire election.

2005 Westminster election (5 May, 1 seat)

*@Iris Robinson (DUP) 20,921 (56.5% +13.7%)
Gareth McGimpsey (UUP) 7,872 (21.3% -19.0%)
@Kieran McCarthy (Alliance) 3,332 (9.0% +2.3%)
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 2,496 (6.7% +0.6%)
Terry Dick (Conservative) 1,462 (3.9%)
Dermot Kennedy (Sinn Fein) 949 (2.6% +0.4%)

* outgoing MP.
@ Member of the Assembly

In a six-seat STV election, these votes would give the DUP four seats and the UUP one, with the last seat between Alliance and the second UUP candidate (the SDLP would have an outside chance).

2005 Local Government Election

The constituency comprises 20 of the 23 wards in Ards (all 5 wards in the Ards Peninsula DEA, all 6 wards in the Ards West DEA, all 6 wards in the Newtownards DEA, and 3 of the 6 wards in the Ards East DEA [Gregstown, Loughries and Movilla]); 8 of the 23 wards in Castlereagh (5 of the 7 wards in the Castlereagh East DEA [Ballyhanwood, Carrowreagh, Dundonald, Enler and Graham's Bridge] and 3 of the 5 wards in the Castlereagh South DEA [Carryduff East, Carryduff West and Moneyreagh]); and 3 of the 23 wards in Down (3 of the 5 wards in the Rowallane DEA [Derryboy, Killyleagh and Saintfield]). Votes cast in 2005 were as follows:

DUP 17,776.7 (49.1%) - Best equivalent result for the DUP in Northern Ireland
UUP 8,434.1 (23.3%)
Alliance 4,899.4 (13.5%)
SDLP 2,681.8 (7.4%)
Sinn Fein 716.8 (2.0%)
Green 203.2 (0.6%)
PUP 129.3 (0.4%)
Independents 1,333.6 (3.7%)

These votes, if cast in a six-seat STV election, would give the DUP three seats and Alliance and the UUP one each. The last seat would be slightly more likely to go to the UUP than the DUP.

2003 Assembly election (26 November; six seats)

Also available: details of each count with analysis of surplus transfers.
*Iris Robinson (DUP) 8548 (22.9%)
*Lord Kilclooney (UUP) 5658 (15.2%)
*Jim Shannon (DUP) 4703 (12.6%)
George Ennis (DUP) 4606 (12.4%)
David McNarry (UUP) 3000 (8.1%)
Joe Boyle (SDLP) 2906 (7.8%)
*Kieran McCarthy (Alliance) 2741 (7.4%)
Bob Little (UUP) 2123 (5.7%)
Dermot Kennedy (SF) 1105 (3.0%)
*Cedric Wilson (NIUP) 576 (1.5%)
Colin Neill (PUP) 540 (1.4%)
Philip Orr (Green) 425 (1.1%)
Danny McCarthy (Ind) 319 (0.9%)
DUP 17,857 (47.9%, +20.2%) 3 seats Best result for DUP in Northern Ireland
UUP 10,781 (28.9%, -0.3%) 2 seats
SDLP 2,906 (7.8%, -1.2) 
Alliance 2,741 (7.4%, -4.8%) 1 seat
SF 1,105 (3.0%, +1.6%)
NIUP 576 (1.5%)
PUP 540 (1.4%, -1.7%)
Green 425 (1.1%, +0.6%)
Ind 319 (0.9%)

Electorate 66,308 
Votes cast 37,838 (57.1%); spoilt votes 588 (1.6%) 
Valid votes 37,250; quota 5,322 


Reaction:
As widely predicted, Cedric Wilson's seat fell to the DUP. Kieran McCarthy of Alliance hung on by 291 votes, attracting transfers from all over, despite a strong challenge from Joe Boyle of the SDLP.

Strangford had lost 9.95% of its electorate in the great electoral register shake-out, varying from 4.83% in the Scrabo ward of Ards to 7.56% in the Killyleagh ward of Down and also in Bradshaw's Brae ward in Ards. 7 constituencies lost fewer voters, 10 lost more.

2001 Westminster Election (7 June; 1 seat)

@Iris Robinson (DUP) 18,532 (42.8%)
David McNarry (UUP) 17,422 (40.3%)
@Kieran McCarthy (Alliance) 2,902 (6.7%)
Danny McCarthy (SDLP) 2,646 (6.1%)
Liam Johnstone (Sinn Fein) 930 (2.2%)
Cedric Wilson (NIUP) 822 (1.9%)

Electorate: 72,192; votes cast: 43,471 (60.2%); spoilt votes: 217 (0.5%)
Valid votes: 43,254; DUP majority 1,110

@ member of the Assembly

This was the least unexpected of the DUP's gains; in fact the surprise was that Iris Robinson's majority was so low, presumably because of tactical voting by Alliance and SDLP supporters. In a six-seat Assembly election on these figures, the DUP would get three seats and the UUP two, with the last seat between the UUP and Alliance.

2001 Local Government Election (7 June)

The constituency comprises 20 of 23 wards in Ards (all 5 wards in the Ards Peninsula DEA, all 6 wards in the Ards West DEA, all 6 wards in the Newtownards DEA, and 3 of the 6 wards in the Ards East DEA); 8 of 23 wards in Castlereagh (5 of the 7 wards in the Castlereagh East DEA and 3 of the 5 wards in the Castlereagh South DEA); and 3 of 23 wards in Down (3 of the 5 wards in the Rowallane DEA). Votes cast in 2001 were:

DUP 13753.5 (37%)
UUP 11324.5 (30%)
Alliance 5453 (15%)
SDLP 3024.8 (8%)
SF 420 (1%)
PUP 332.9 (1%)
Cons 221.2 (1%)
Independents 2875.7 (8%)
Total valid 37405.5

Extrapolating from the local government elections is very difficult because the Strangford constituency breaches no less than four local electoral area boundaries, and in addition there was no voting in one small part of the constituency. If we make some reasonable adjustments, we get these figures for the whole of Strangford. The DUP and UUP are both certain of two seats, and Alliance of one; the UUP would need transfers from the SDLP to beat the DUP for the last seat, which does not seem very likely.

1998 Assembly Election (25 June; six seats)

Also available: details of each count with analysis of surplus transfers.
 
*Iris Robinson (DUP) 9,479 
*John Taylor (UUP) 9,203 
#Cedric Wilson (UKU) 3,078 
*Kieran McCarthy (A) 2,947 
Peter Osborne (A) 2,269
John Beattie (Ind UU) 2,247
Danny McCarthy (SDLP) 1,982 
Brian Hanvey (SDLP) 1,883 
*Thomas Benson (UUP) 1,623 
*Jim Shannon (DUP) 1,415 
Ricky Johnston (PUP) 1,342
David McNarry (UUP) 1,073
Tommy Jeffers (DUP) 1,007
Wilbert Magill (Unionist) 951 
Tom Hamilton (UUP) 615 
Paddy McGreevy (SF) 614 
Blakely McNally (UDP) 322 
Thomas Beattie (C) 263 
Nancy Orr (Ind Community Cand) 201 
Andrew Frew (Green) 200 
Jonathan Stewart (Lab) 181 
Sarah Mullins (NLP) 27 
UUP 12,514 (29.16%) 2 seats
DUP 11,901 (27.73%) 2 seats
Alliance 5,216 (12.15%) 1 seat
SDLP 3,865 (9.00%) 
UKU 3,078 (7.17%) 1 seat
Ind UU 2,247 (5.24%) 
PUP 1,342 (3.13%) 
Unionist 951 (2.22%) 
SF 614 (1.43%) 
UDP 322 (0.75%) 
C 263 (0.61%) 
Ind CC 201 (0.47%) 
Green 200 (0.47%) 
Lab 181 (0.42%) 
NLP 27 (0.06%) 

Electorate: 70,868 
Votes cast: 43,651 (61.6%); spoilt votes: 729 (1.7%) 
Valid votes: 42,922; quota: 6,132

* elected in 1996 Forum/talks election from Strangford
# elected in 1996 Forum/talks election as a 'top-up' candidate.

Both DUP and UUP piled most of their first preferences onto their two lead candidates, but the transferred surplus votes pulled in later runners. This was always the second most likely seat for the UKUP to win. The SDLP polled very well in first preferences but attracted practically no transfers; Danny McCarthy was the runner-up with 4,645 votes on the last count, not so very far behind Cedric Wilson who finished on 4,804 (Kieran McCarthy's surplus of 70 votes had not been distributed).

1997 Local Government Election

Democratic Unionist Party 7,606.2 (27%)
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 5524.8 (20%)
Social Democratic and Labour Party 2,371.4 (9%)
Progressive Unionist Party 353 (1%)
Ulster Democratic Party 271.4 (1%)
United Kingdom Unionist Party 161.4 (1%)
Green Party 33 (0.11%)
Others 2,430 (9%)
Total valid 27,694 (42.40% of electorate)

1997 Westminster Election (one seat)

*ƒ John Taylor (Ulster Unionist Party) 18,431 (44%)
ƒ Iris Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party) 12,579 (30%)
ƒ Kieran McCarthy (Alliance Party of Northern Ireland) 5,467 (13%)
Peter O'Reilly (Social Democratic and Labour Party) 2,775 (7%)
Gilbert Chalk (Conservative Party) 1,743 (4%)
Garret O Fachtna (Sinn Féin) 503 (1%)
Sarah Mullins (Natural Law Party) 121 (0.29%)
Turnout 41,619 (59.47%)

* outgoing MP
ƒ member of the Forum

1996 Forum Election (five seats)

Also available: full list of 1996 candidates

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) 12,547 (31%) 2 seats (John Taylor, Thomas Benson elected)
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 11,584 (29%) 2 seats (Iris Robinson, Jim Shannon elected)
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) 4,614 (12%) 1 seat (Kieran McCarthy elected)
United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP) 3,112 (8%)
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) 2,927 (7%)
Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) 2,017 (5%)
Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) 1,080 (3%)
Sinn Féin (SF) 709 (2%)
Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (NIWC) 410 (1%)
Conservative Party (Con) 380 (1%)
Green Party 213 (1%)
Labour (Lab) 202 (1%)
Workers Party (WP) 73 (0.18%)
Ulster's Independent Voice (UIV) 66 (0.16%)
Ulster Independence Movement (UIM) 57 (0.14%)
Democratic Left (DL) 53 (0.13%)
Independent Chambers 13 (0.03%)
Natural Law Party (NLP) 13 (0.03%)

Electorate: 69,093; votes cast: 40,114 (58.0%); spoilt votes: 44 (0.1%); valid votes: 40,070

Jim Shannon appears as "Richard Shannon" in some records. Thanks to Christopher Stalford of South Belfast DUP for clearing this up to me.  John Taylor had been elected to the old Northern Ireland House of Commons, representing Tyrone South, in 1965; he was elected to the 1973 Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone and to the 1975 Constitutional Convention and the 1982 Assembly for North Down.

Results 1996-2007


DUP UKUP UUP Oth U Alliance Oth SDLP SF
2007a
50% 2% 18% 2% 11% 4% 9% 3%
2005w 56%
21% 4% 9%
7% 3%
2005lg 49%
23% 0% 14% 4% 7% 2%
2003a 48%
29% 3% 7% 2% 8% 3%
2001w 43%
40% 2% 7%
6% 2%
2001lg 37%
30% 1% 15% 8% 8% 1%
1998a 28% 7% 29% 12% 12% 1% 9% 1%
1997lg 27% 1% 32% 2% 20% 9% 9%
1997w 30%
44% 4% 13% 0% 7% 1%
1996f 29% 8% 31% 9% 12% 2% 7% 2%


See also: Full 2003 results from Strangford | Full 1998 results from Strangford | 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.
 
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 7 May 2022 by Conal Kelly.



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