Elections in Northern Ireland
Elections in Northern Ireland are held on a regular basis to local councils, the Northern Ireland Assembly and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
This article is part of a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
![]() |
---|
|
The Northern Ireland Assembly has 90 members, elected in 18 five-member constituencies by the single transferable vote (STV) method.[1] Northern Ireland is represented at Westminster by 18 single-member constituencies elected by the first-past-the-post method.
Unlike in the rest of the United Kingdom, elections in Northern Ireland are administered centrally by the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland rather than by local authorities.
Elections to the United Kingdom House of Commons
- Legend
- U: Unionist; N: Nationalist; O: Other.
Election | DUP (U) | SF (N) | UUP (U) | SDLP (N) | APNI (O) | UKUP (U) | UPUP (U) | UUUP (U) | VUPP (U) | RLP (N) | PUP (U) | Unity (N) | NP (N) | Lab (O) | Ind U | Ind N | Ind Lab | Total | Total U | Total N | Total O |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1922 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1923 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1924 | 13 | 13 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||
1929 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1931 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1935 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1945 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||||
1950 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1951 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
1955 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
1959 | 12 | 12 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||
1964 | 12 | 12 | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||
1966 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 11 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
1970 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 3 | ||||||||||||||
Feb. 1974 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
Oct. 1974 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 | |||||||||||||
1979 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 | ||||||||||||
1983 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 15 | 2 | |||||||||||||
1987 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 13 | 4 | |||||||||||||
1992 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 13 | 4 | ||||||||||||||
1997 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 13 | 5 | |||||||||||||
2001 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 11 | 7 | ||||||||||||||
2005 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 10 | 8 | ||||||||||||||
2010 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 1 | ||||||||||||
2015 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 7 | |||||||||||||
2017 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 7 | |||||||||||||||
2019 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 1 |
- Sinn Féin have never taken their seats in the United Kingdom House of Commons due to their policy of abstentionism.
- UUP MPs sat as members of the Conservative Party until 1972.
By-elections
Gains are marked with a grey background.
Constituency | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mid Armagh | 23 June 1921 | James Lonsdale | Ulster Unionist | Henry Armstrong | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
Belfast Duncairn | 23 June 1921 | Edward Carson | Ulster Unionist | Thomas McConnell | Ulster Unionist | Appointed Lord of Appeal in Ordinary | ||
North Down | 23 June 1921 | Thomas Watters Brown | Ulster Unionist | Thomas Watters Brown | Ulster Unionist | Appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland | ||
Mid Down | 2 July 1921 | James Craig | Ulster Unionist | Robert Sharman-Crawford | Ulster Unionist | Elected Prime Minister of Northern Ireland | ||
West Down | 5 July 1921 | Daniel Martin Wilson | Ulster Unionist | Thomas Browne Wallace | Ulster Unionist | Appointed Recorder of Belfast | ||
South Londonderry | 29 August 1921 | Denis Henry | Ulster Unionist | Robert Chichester | Ulster Unionist | Appointed Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland | ||
South Londonderry | 18 January 1922 | Robert Chichester | Ulster Unionist | William Pain | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
West Down | 17 February 1922 | Thomas Browne Wallace | Ulster Unionist | Hugh Hayes | Ulster Unionist | Appointed Chief Clerk to the High Court of Northern Ireland | ||
North Down | 21 February 1922 | Thomas Watters Brown | Ulster Unionist | Sir Henry Wilson, Bt | Ulster Unionist | Appointed to the High Court of Northern Ireland | ||
North Londonderry | 4 June 1922 | Hugh T. Barrie | Ulster Unionist | Malcolm Macnaghten | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
North Down | 21 July 1922 | Sir Henry Wilson, Bt | Ulster Unionist | John Simms | Ulster Unionist | Killed by the IRA | ||
Londonderry | 29 January 1929 | Malcolm Macnaghten | Ulster Unionist | Ronald Ross | Ulster Unionist | Appointment to High Court of Justice of England and Wales | ||
Fermanagh and Tyrone | 7 March 1931 | Thomas Harbison | Nationalist | Cahir Healy | Nationalist | Death | ||
Fermanagh and Tyrone | 27 June 1934 | Joseph Devlin | Nationalist | Joe Stewart | Nationalist | Death | ||
Down | 10 May 1939 | David Reid | Ulster Unionist | James Little | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
Belfast East | 8 February 1940 | Herbert Dixon | Ulster Unionist | Henry Harland | Ulster Unionist | Elevation to the Peerage | ||
Queen's University of Belfast | 2 November 1940 | Thomas Sinclair | Ulster Unionist | Douglas Savory | Ulster Unionist | Resignation | ||
Belfast West | 9 February 1943 | Alexander Browne | Ulster Unionist | Jack Beattie | NI Labour | Death | ||
Antrim | 11 February 1943 | Sir Joseph McConnell, Bt | Ulster Unionist | John Dermot Campbell | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
Down | 2 June 194 | James Little | Ind. Unionist | C. H. Mullan | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
Armagh | 5 March 1948 | Sir William Allen | Ulster Unionist | James Harden | Ulster Unionist | Death by road accident | ||
Belfast West | 29 November 1950 | J. G. MacManaway | Ulster Unionist | Thomas Teevan | Ulster Unionist | Disqualified under the House of Commons (Clergy Disqualification) Act 1801 | ||
Londonderry | 19 May 1951 | Ronald Ross | Ulster Unionist | William Wellwood | Ulster Unionist | Appointment as Northern Ireland Government Agent in London | ||
North Antrim | 27 October 1952 | Sir Hugh O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | Phelim O'Neill | Ulster Unionist | Resignation | ||
Belfast South | 4 November 1952 | Conolly Gage | Ulster Unionist | David Campbell | Ulster Unionist | Resignation | ||
North Down | 15 April 1953 | Walter Smiles | Ulster Unionist | Patricia Ford | Ulster Unionist | Died in MV Princess Victoria ferry disaster | ||
Armagh | 20 November 1954 | James Harden | Ulster Unionist | C. W. Armstrong | Ulster Unionist | Resignation | ||
Mid Ulster | 11 August 1955 | Tom Mitchell | Sinn Féin | Tom Mitchell | Sinn Féin | Disqualification | ||
Mid Ulster | 8 May 1956 | Charles Beattie | Ulster Unionist | George Forrest | Ind. Unionist | Disqualification | ||
Belfast East | 19 March 1959 | Alan McKibbin | Ulster Unionist | Stanley McMaster | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
Belfast South | 22 October 1963 | Sir David Campbell | Ulster Unionist | Rafton Pounder | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
Mid Ulster | 17 April 1969 | George Forrest | Ulster Unionist | Bernadette Devlin | Unity | Death | ||
Fermanagh and South Tyrone | 9 April 1981 | Frank Maguire | Independent Nationalist | Bobby Sands | Anti H-Block | Death | ||
Fermanagh and South Tyrone | 20 August 1981 | Bobby Sands | Anti H-Block | Owen Carron | Anti H-Block | Death from hunger strike | ||
Belfast South | 4 March 1982 | Robert Bradford | Ulster Unionist | Martin Smyth | Ulster Unionist | Killed by the IRA | ||
Antrim North | 23 January 1986 | Ian Paisley | DUP | Ian Paisley | DUP | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Antrim East | 23 January 1986 | Roy Beggs | Ulster Unionist | Roy Beggs | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Antrim South | 23 January 1986 | Clifford Forsythe | Ulster Unionist | Clifford Forsythe | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Belfast East | 23 January 1986 | Peter Robinson | DUP | Peter Robinson | DUP | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Belfast North | 23 January 1986 | Cecil Walker | Ulster Unionist | Cecil Walker | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Belfast South | 23 January 1986 | Martin Smyth | Ulster Unionist | Martin Smyth | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Down North | 23 January 1986 | James Kilfedder | UPUP | James Kilfedder | UPUP | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Down South | 23 January 1986 | Enoch Powell | Ulster Unionist | Enoch Powell | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Fermanagh and South Tyrone | 23 January 1986 | Ken Maginnis | Ulster Unionist | Ken Maginnis | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Lagan Valley | 23 January 1986 | James Molyneaux | Ulster Unionist | James Molyneaux | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
East Londonderry | 23 January 1986 | William Ross | Ulster Unionist | William Ross | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Mid Ulster | 23 January 1986 | William McCrea | DUP | William McCrea | DUP | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Strangford | 23 January 1986 | John Taylor | Ulster Unionist | John Taylor | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Newry and Armagh | 23 January 1986 | James Nicholson | Ulster Unionist | Seamus Mallon | SDLP | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Upper Bann | 23 January 1986 | Harold McCusker | Ulster Unionist | Harold McCusker | Ulster Unionist | Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement | ||
Upper Bann | 17 May 1990 | Harold McCusker | Ulster Unionist | David Trimble | Ulster Unionist | Death | ||
North Down | 15 June 1995 | Sir James Kilfedder | UPUP | Robert McCartney | UK Unionist | Death | ||
South Antrim | 21 September 2000 | Clifford Forsythe | Ulster Unionist | William McCrea | DUP | Death | ||
Belfast West | 9 June 2011 | Gerry Adams | Sinn Féin | Paul Maskey | Sinn Féin | Resignation to contest the Louth constituency in the Irish general election | ||
Mid Ulster | 7 March 2013 | Martin McGuinness | Sinn Féin | Francie Molloy | Sinn Féin | Resignation to end dual mandate as Member of Parliament and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly | ||
West Tyrone | 3 May 2018 | Barry McElduff | Sinn Féin | Órfhlaith Begley | Sinn Féin | Resignation |
Recall petition
- 2018 North Antrim recall petition
Referendums
Northern Ireland-specific referendums
United Kingdom-wide referendums
Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly
- Legend
- U: Unionist; N: Nationalist; O: Other.
Election | DUP (U) | SF (N) | UUP (U) | SDLP (N) | APNI (O) | UKUP (U) | UPUP (U) | PUP (U) | VUPP (U) | UPNI (U) | NILP (O) | NIWC (O) | GPNI (O) | TUV (U) | PBP (O) | Ind U | Ind N | Ind O | Total | Total U | Total N | Total O |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1973 | 8 | 31 | 19 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 78 | 50 | 19 | 9 | |||||||||||
1975 | 12 | 19 | 17 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 78 | 52 | 17 | 9 | ||||||||||
1982 | 21 | 5 | 26 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 78 | 49 | 19 | 10 | |||||||||||
1998 | 20 | 18 | 28 | 24 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 108 | 58 | 42 | 8 | |||||||||
2003 | 30 | 24 | 27 | 18 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 108 | 59 | 42 | 7 | ||||||||||
2007 | 36 | 28 | 18 | 16 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 108 | 55 | 44 | 9 | ||||||||||
2011 | 38 | 29 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 108 | 56 | 43 | 9 | ||||||||||
2016 | 38 | 28 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 108 | 56 | 40 | 12 | |||||||||
2017 | 28 | 27 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 90 | 40 | 39 | 11 | |||||||||
2022 | 25 | 27 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 90 | 37 | 35 | 18 |
Elections to the European Parliament
From 1979 to 2020, three of the seats in the European Parliament allocated to the United Kingdom formed a three-seat constituency elected by single transferable vote. It differed from European Parliament constituencies elsewhere in the United Kingdom which used the D'Hondt method. The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020, and the constituency was abolished.
Year | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DUP | SF | APNI | UUP | SDLP | |
1979 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1984 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1989 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1994 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
1999 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
2004 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2009 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
2019 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Ad hoc elections
- 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 1975 Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention election
- 1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election
- 1996 Northern Ireland Forum election
Elections to the Northern Ireland House of Commons
- 1921 Northern Ireland general election
- 1925 Northern Ireland general election
- 1929 Northern Ireland general election
- 1933 Northern Ireland general election
- 1938 Northern Ireland general election
- 1945 Northern Ireland general election
- 1949 Northern Ireland general election
- 1953 Northern Ireland general election
- 1958 Northern Ireland general election
- 1962 Northern Ireland general election
- 1965 Northern Ireland general election
- 1969 Northern Ireland general election
By-elections
- List of Northern Ireland Parliament by-elections
Local elections
References
- Whyte, Nicholas. "The Single Transferable Vote (STV)". Northern Ireland Elections. Retrieved 28 June 2016.