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South Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

Coordinates: 54°43′16″N 6°14′28″W / 54.721°N 6.241°W / 54.721; -6.241
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other constituencies of the same name, see South Antrim (disambiguation).

South Antrim
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of South Antrim in Northern Ireland
Districts of Northern IrelandAntrim and Newtownabbey
Major settlementsAntrim, Ballyclare and Randalstown
Current constituency
Created1885, 1950
Member of ParliamentRobin Swann (UUP)
Created fromAntrim
1885–1922
Created fromAntrim, Lisburn
Replaced byAntrim

South Antrim is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Robin Swann of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), first elected in the 2024 general election.

Boundaries

[edit]
Map
Map of current boundaries

From 1885, this constituency was one of four county divisions of the former Antrim constituency. It comprised the baronies of Massereene Upper, Massereene Lower, that part of the barony Antrim Upper in the parish of Antrim, that part of the barony of Toome Upper not in the constituency of Mid Antrim, that part of the barony of Belfast Upper not in the constituency of East Antrim, and so much of the Parliamentary Borough of Belfast as was in the County of Antrim.

It returned one Member of Parliament. In 1922, it was merged into a new Antrim constituency.

The seat was re-created in 1950 when the old Antrim two MP constituency was abolished as part of the final move to single member seats. The seat was reduced in size for the 1974 general election, with the town of Carrickfergus and the areas between it and Larne town transferred to North Antrim. Additionally some territory was transferred to Belfast West.[1] Despite these changes, the seat had become the largest in the entire United Kingdom by the time of the Northern Ireland Assembly elections of 1982, by which time its electorate had passed the 131,000 mark.[2] For the 1983 general election Northern Ireland received new seats. Consequently, South Antrim was significantly reduced, losing a lot of territory to the new seats of East Antrim and Lagan Valley as well as minor sections to Belfast West, Belfast North and Upper Bann. The new South Antrim which was fought for the 1983 election contained only 43% of the previous seat.[3] In 1995 there were minor changes around the borders with North Belfast and West Belfast. The seat fought at the 2005 election encompassed the entirety of the district of Antrim and part of the district of Newtownabbey.

Following consultation of boundary changes across Northern Ireland, the altered South Antrim constituency fought at the 2010 general election is made up as follows:[4]

  • Glenavy from Lisburn City government area
  • Ballyclare North, Ballyclare South, Ballyduff, Ballynure, Ballyrobert, Burnthill, Carnmoney, Doagh, Hawthorne, Mallusk, and Mossley, from Newtownabbey
  • The district of Antrim

History

[edit]

South Antrim is an overwhelmingly unionist constituency which once had the strongest vote for the Ulster Unionist Party anywhere in the province. From 1886 to 1974 the Conservative and Unionist members of the United Kingdom House of Commons formed a single Parliamentary party, and they continuously represented South Antrim.

In 1951, it was one of the last four seats to be uncontested in a British General Election. In the 1979 general election James Molyneaux had the largest majority of any MP in the entire of the United Kingdom, helped also by having one of the largest electorates.

The boundary changes in 1983 reduced the Ulster Unionist vote somewhat, with a significant portion now contained in the new Lagan Valley (which Molyneaux then contested) but the constituency still gave strong results for the party.

However, in April 2000 the Ulster Unionist incumbent, Clifford Forsythe, died suddenly. The ensuing by-election took place amidst a fierce political struggle between the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party over the Good Friday Agreement, an agreement that the UUP were themselves split over. The DUP had not contested the seat at the previous general election but on this occasion stood William McCrea, the former MP for Mid Ulster, who campaigned strongly on the DUP's refusal to co-operate with Sinn Féin in the absence of arms decommissioning by the IRA. The local UUP branch selected David Burnside to contest the seat who declared that he had supported the Good Friday Agreement at the time that it was signed but had since become disillusioned with its implementation. As a result, many commentators predicted that whatever the outcome of the election it was a severe blow for the UUP's leader David Trimble. On a low turnout amidst a fierce contest McCrea narrowly won the seat.

Burnside was nominated again to contest the seat in the 2001 general election in which he overturned McCrea's majority, aided by tactical voting by SDLP and Alliance voters. However the DUP were eager to regain the seat and in the 2003 Assembly election they outpolled the UUP by 298 votes. In the 2005 general election McCrea defeated Burnside in their third contest, but with a noticeably lower swing than those garnered by other DUP candidates who ousted UUP MPs. McCrea held the seat in the 2010 general election with a reduced majority. The seat was won by the UUP at the 2015 general election following the defeat of McCrea by Danny Kinahan. The DUP regained the seat following the 2017 general election with the defeat of Kinahan by Paul Girvan. Girvan would hold the seat until 2024, when Robin Swann, a former Health Minister who led Northern Ireland's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, retook the seat for the UUP on a 12.3% swing, giving them a seat in the Commons for the first time in 7 years.

Members of Parliament

[edit]
Election Member Party
1885 William Ellison-Macartney Conservative
1891 Irish Unionist
1903 by-election Charles Craig
1921 Ulster Unionist
1922 constituency abolished
1950 constituency recreated
1950 Douglas Lloyd Savory Ulster Unionist
1955 Knox Cunningham
1970 James Molyneaux
1983 Clifford Forsythe
2000 by-election William McCrea Democratic Unionist
2001 David Burnside Ulster Unionist
2003 Independent Unionist
2004 Ulster Unionist Party
2005 William McCrea Democratic Unionist
2015 Danny Kinahan Ulster Unionist
2017 Paul Girvan Democratic Unionist
2024 Robin Swann Ulster Unionist

Elections

[edit]
South Antrim election results

Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: South Antrim[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Robin Swann 16,311 38.0 +8.9
DUP Paul Girvan 8,799 20.5 −15.7
Sinn Féin Declan Kearney 8,034 18.7 +7.3
Alliance John Blair 4,574 10.7 −7.7
TUV Mel Lucas 2,693 6.3 New
SDLP Roisin Lynch 1,589 3.7 −1.3
Green (NI) Lesley Veronica 541 1.3 New
Aontú Siobhán McErlean 367 0.9 New
Majority 7,512 17.5 N/A
Turnout 42,908 55.7 −4.2
Registered electors 77,058
UUP gain from DUP Swing +12.3

Elections in the 2010s

[edit]
General election 2019: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Paul Girvan 15,149 35.3 ―2.9
UUP Danny Kinahan 12,460 29.0 ―1.8
Alliance John Blair 8,190 19.1 +11.7
Sinn Féin Declan Kearney 4,887 11.4 ―6.7
SDLP Roisin Lynch 2,288 5.3 ―0.2
Majority 2,689 6.3 ―1.1
Turnout 42,974 59.9 ―3.4
Registered electors 71,743
DUP hold Swing ―0.6
General election 2017: South Antrim[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Paul Girvan 16,508 38.2 +8.1
UUP Danny Kinahan 13,300 30.8 ―1.9
Sinn Féin Declan Kearney 7,797 18.1 +5.2
Alliance Neil Kelly 3,203 7.4 ―2.4
SDLP Roisin Lynch 2,362 5.5 ―2.7
Majority 3,208 7.4 N/A
Turnout 43,292 63.3 +9.1
Registered electors 68,244
DUP gain from UUP Swing +5.0
General election 2015: South Antrim[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Danny Kinahan 11,942 32.7 +2.3
DUP William McCrea 10,993 30.1 ―3.8
Sinn Féin Declan Kearney 4,699 12.9 ―1.0
Alliance Neil Kelly 3,576 9.8 +2.1
SDLP Roisin Lynch 2,990 8.2 ―0.5
TUV Rick Cairns 1,908 5.2 ―0.2
NI Conservatives Alan Dunlop 415 1.1 New
Majority 949 2.6 N/A
Turnout 36,523 54.2 +0.3
Registered electors 67,425
UUP gain from DUP Swing +3.1
General election 2010: South Antrim[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP William McCrea 11,536 33.9 ―4.3
UCU-NF Reg Empey 10,353 30.4 +1.3
Sinn Féin Mitchel McLaughlin[10] 4,729 13.9 +2.3
SDLP Michelle Byrne[11] 2,955 8.7 ―3.7
Alliance Alan Lawther 2,607 7.7 ―0.9
TUV Mel Lucas 1,829 5.4 New
Majority 1,183 3.5 ―5.6
Turnout 34,009 53.9 ―2.8
Registered electors 63,054
DUP hold Swing ―2.8

Elections in the 2000s

[edit]
General election 2005: South Antrim[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP William McCrea 14,507 38.2 +3.4
UUP David Burnside 11,059 29.1 −8.0
SDLP Noreen McClelland 4,706 12.4 +0.3
Sinn Féin Henry Cushinan 4,407 11.6 +2.2
Alliance David Ford 3,278 8.6 +4.1
Majority 3,448 9.1 N/A
Turnout 37,957 56.7 −5.8
Registered electors 66,580
DUP gain from UUP Swing +5.7
General election 2001: South Antrim[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP David Burnside 16,366 37.1 −20.4
DUP William McCrea 15,355 34.8 New
SDLP Sean A. McKee 5,336 12.1 −4.1
Sinn Féin Martin Meehan 4,160 9.4 +3.9
Alliance David Ford 1,969 4.5 −7.1
NI Unionist Norman Boyd 972 2.2 New
Majority 1,011 2.3 −39.0
Turnout 44,158 62.5 +4.7
Registered electors 70,651
UUP hold Swing −10.2
By-election 2000: South Antrim[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP William McCrea 11,601 38.0 New
UUP David Burnside 10,779 35.3 −22.2
SDLP Donovan McClelland 3,496 11.4 −4.8
Sinn Féin Martin Meehan 2,611 8.5 +3.0
Alliance David Ford 2,031 6.6 −5.0
Natural Law David H. Collins 49 0.2 −0.3
Majority 822 2.7 N/A
Turnout 30,567 43.0 −14.8
Registered electors 71,047
DUP gain from UUP Swing −5.7

Elections in the 1990s

[edit]
General election 1997: South Antrim[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Clifford Forsythe 23,108 57.5 −13.9
SDLP Donovan McClelland 6,497 16.2 +3.4
Alliance David Ford 4,668 11.6 +0.7
PUP Hugh Smyth 3,490 9.0 New
Sinn Féin Henry Cushinan 2,229 5.5 +2.5
Natural Law Barbara A. Briggs 203 0.5 New
Majority 16,611 41.3 −16.8
Turnout 40,195 57.8 −5.1
Registered electors 69,512
UUP hold Swing −8.2
General election 1992: South Antrim[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Clifford Forsythe 29,956 70.9 +1.1
SDLP Donovan McClelland 5,397 12.8 +2.9
Alliance John Blair 5,244 12.4 −3.6
Sinn Féin Henry Cushinan 1,220 2.9 −1.5
Independent Denis Martin 442 1.1 New
Majority 24,559 58.1 +4.3
Turnout 42,259 62.9 +0.0
Registered electors 67,192
UUP hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

[edit]
General election 1987: South Antrim[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Clifford Forsythe 25,395 69.8 +24.1
Alliance Gordon Mawhinney 5,808 16.0 +4.1
SDLP Donovan McClelland 3,611 9.9 +1.2
Sinn Féin Henry Cushinan 1,592 4.4 +0.2
Majority 19,587 53.8 +36.3
Turnout 36,406 62.9 −2.6
Registered electors 61,649
UUP hold Swing
By-election 1986: South Antrim[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Clifford Forsythe 30,087 94.1 +48.4
"For the Anglo-Irish Agreement" "Peter Barry" (Wesley Robert Williamson)[19] 1,870 5.9 New
Majority 28,217 88.2 +70.7
Turnout 31,957 53.5 −12.0
Registered electors 60,780
UUP hold Swing
General election 1983: South Antrim[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Clifford Forsythe 17,727 45.7 −23.3
DUP Roy Thompson 10,935 28.2 New
Alliance Gordon Mawhinney 4,612 11.9 −4.3
SDLP Alban Maginness 3,377 8.7 −1.4
Sinn Féin Sean H. Laverty 1,629 4.2 New
Workers' Party Kevin Smyth 549 1.4 New
Majority 6,792 17.5 −35.3
Turnout 38,829 65.5 +7.3
Registered electors 59,233
UUP hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

[edit]
General election 1979: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP James Molyneaux 50,782 69.0 −2.5
Alliance Charles Kinahan 11,914 16.2 +0.9
SDLP Patrick Rowan 7,432 10.1 −3.1
United Labour Bob Kidd 1,895 2.6 New
Republican Clubs Kevin Smyth 1,615 2.2 New
Majority 38,868 52.8 −3.4
Turnout 73,638 58.2 +0.1
Registered electors 126,444
UUP hold Swing
General election October 1974: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP James Molyneaux 48,892 71.5 +3.9
Alliance Charles Kinahan 10,460 15.3 −2.3
SDLP Patrick Rowan 9,061 13.2 +0.9
Majority 38,432 56.2 +6.2
Turnout 68,413 58.1 −3.0
Registered electors 117,834
UUP hold Swing
General election February 1974: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP James Molyneaux 48,203 67.6 +6.4
Alliance Charles Kinahan 12,559 17.6 New
SDLP Patrick John Rowan 8,769 12.3 New
Independent Bob Kidd 1,801 2.5 New
Majority 35,644 50.0 +9.3
Turnout 71,332 61.1 −6.9
Registered electors 118,483
UUP hold Swing
General election 1970: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP James Molyneaux 59,589 61.2 −3.1
NI Labour Robert Johnston 19,971 20.5 −15.2
Ind. Unionist Tom Caldwell 10,938 11.2 New
National Democratic Daniel MacAllister 6,037 6.2 New
Ulster Liberal Rodney Smith 913 0.9 New
Majority 39,618 40.7 +12.1
Turnout 97,448 68.0 +12.1
Registered electors 143,274
UUP hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

[edit]
General election 1966: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Knox Cunningham 40,840 64.3 −5.6
NI Labour Sydney Stewart 22,672 35.7 +11.3
Majority 18,168 28.6 −16.9
Turnout 63,512 55.9 −8.4
Registered electors 113,645
UUP hold Swing
General election 1964: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Knox Cunningham 47,325 69.9 −25.2
NI Labour Sydney Stewart 16,531 24.4 New
Ind. Republican Leo Wilson 3,830 5.7 New
Majority 30,794 45.5 −13.7
Turnout 67,686 64.3 +5.0
Registered electors 105,304
UUP hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

[edit]
General election 1959: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Knox Cunningham 52,786 95.1 +4.4
Sinn Féin Michael Traynor 2,745 4.9 −4.4
Majority 50,041 90.2 +8.8
Turnout 55,531 59.3 −6.0
Registered electors 93,634
UUP hold Swing
General election 1955: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Knox Cunningham 50,347 90.7 N/A
Sinn Féin Michael Traynor 5,155 9.3 New
Majority 45,192 81.4 N/A
Turnout 55,502 65.3 N/A
Registered electors 84,939
UUP hold Swing
General election 1951: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Douglas Savory Unopposed
Registered electors 79,533
UUP hold
General election 1950: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Douglas Savory 41,023 83.6
NI Labour Edward Brown 8,068 16.4
Majority 32,955 67.2
Turnout 49,091 63.3
Registered electors 77,499
UUP win (new seat)

Elections in the 1910s

[edit]
1918 general election: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Craig 13,270 85.1 N/A
Sinn Féin Kevin O'Shiel 2,318 14.9 New
Majority 10,952 70.2 N/A
Turnout 15,558 67.1 N/A
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
December 1910 general election: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Craig Unopposed
Registered electors 9,900
Irish Unionist hold
January 1910 general election: South Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Craig 5,310 69.41 N/A
Liberal William Moffat Clow 2,340 30.59 New
Majority 2,970 38.82 N/A
Turnout 7,650 77.27 N/A
Registered electors 9,900
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1900s

[edit]
1906 general election: South Antrim[21]: 326–327, 383 
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Craig Unopposed
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold
1903 South Antrim by-election[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Craig 4,464 55.25 +0.86
Russellite Unionist Samuel Robert Keightley 3,615 44.75 New
Majority 849 10.50 +1.72
Turnout 8,079 78.93 +13.86
Registered electors 10,236
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A
1900 general election: South Antrim[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Ellison-Macartney 3,674 54.39 N/A
Ind. Unionist Samuel Lawther 3,081 45.61 New
Majority 593 8.78 N/A
Turnout 6,755 65.07 N/A
Registered electors 10,381
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1890s

[edit]
1895 general election: South Antrim[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Ellison-Macartney Unopposed
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold
1892 general election: South Antrim[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Ellison-Macartney Unopposed
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold

Elections in the 1880s

[edit]
1886 general election: South Antrim[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Conservative William Ellison-Macartney Unopposed
Registered electors 10,824
Irish Conservative hold
1885 general election: South Antrim[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Conservative William Ellison-Macartney 5,047 57.8
Liberal John Dougherty Barbour 3,680 42.2
Majority 1,367 15.6
Turnout 8,727 80.6
Registered electors 10,824
Irish Conservative win (new seat)

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Whyte, Dr Nicholas. "Westminster elections in NI since 1920". www.ark.ac.uk.
  2. ^ Whyte, Nicholas. "South Antrim 1973-82". www.ark.ac.uk.
  3. ^ Almanac of British Politics, 3rd ed, Robert Waller
  4. ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 2008". Legislation.gov.uk.
  5. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  6. ^ "Election of a Member of Parliament for the SOUTH ANTRIM Constituency - Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office of Northern Ireland. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ^ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland - EONI". www.eoni.org.uk.
  9. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  10. ^ Candidates Archived 18 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Sinn Féin
  11. ^ Byrne: It's time for real change in South Antrim, SDLP
  12. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1997-2002 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  15. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ Results of Byelections in the 1983-87 Parliament in the United Kingdom Election Results website maintained by David Boothroyd
  19. ^ Nicholas Whyte (13 May 2003). "Westminster by-elections, 23 January 1986". Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.

References

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54°43′16″N 6°14′28″W / 54.721°N 6.241°W / 54.721; -6.241

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