Strangford (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Strangford
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Strangford2024Constituency.svg
Strangford as of 2024
Districts of Northern Ireland
Major settlements
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of Parliament Jim Shannon (DUP)
Created from

Strangford is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom on the electoral system of first past the post from 1885 to 1922.

Contents

The constituency's current MP is Jim Shannon of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who has served since the 2010 election.

Constituency profile

Strangford covers the settlements either side of Strangford Lough.

The constituency has been represented by Unionist candidates since it was formed. There have not been significant votes for parties outside the traditional unionist block, although the Alliance has saved its deposit in every election.

The main interest in elections has been the contest between the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Until the 2001 general election, the UUP were clearly ahead of the DUP in Westminster elections, but elections to regional assemblies and local government were much closer. In 2001 the sitting MP John Taylor retired and the contest to succeed him was fierce. The seat was won by Iris Robinson for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the subsequent 2003 assembly election saw the DUP increase their vote further.

The seat is strongly unionist, and one of 7 areas of Northern Ireland which voted to leave the European Union. [2]

Boundaries

The seat was created after boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from parts of North Down.

In 1995, the Commission recommended abolishing the constituency and dividing it between North Down and new constituencies of Mid Down, and Castlereagh and Newtownards. This was successfully opposed in local enquiries.[ citation needed ]

From 2024, for the first time, the town of Strangford is included in the constituency having previously being in South Down.

1983–1997The district of Ards; and

in the district of Castlereagh, the wards of Beechill, Fourwinds, Hillfoot, Lower Braniel, Minnowburn, Moneyreagh, Newtownbreda, and Upper Braniel. [3] [4]

1997–2010In the district of Ards, the wards of Ballygowan, Ballyrainey, Ballywalter, Bradshaw's Brae, Carrowdore, Central, Comber East, Comber North, Comber West, Glen, Gregstown, Killinchy, Kircubbin, Lisbane, Loughries, Movilla, Portaferry, Portavogie, Scrabo, and Whitespots;

in the district of Castlereagh, the wards of Ballyhanwood, Carrowreagh, Carryduff East, Carryduff West, Dundonald, Enler, Graham's Bridge and Moneyreagh; and

in the district of Down, the wards of Derryboy, Killyleagh, and Saintfield. [5]

2010–2024In the district of Ards, the wards of Ballygowan, Ballyrainey, Ballywalter, Bradshaw's Brae, Carrowdore, Central, Comber East, Comber North, Comber West, Glen, Gregstown, Killinchy, Kircubbin, Lisbane, Loughries, Movilla, Portaferry, Portavogie, Scrabo, and Whitespots;

in the district of Castlereagh, the ward of Moneyreagh; and

in the district of Down, the wards of Ballymaglave, Ballynahinch East, Derryboy, Killyleagh, Kilmore, and Saintfield. [6]

2024–In Ards and North Down, the wards of Ballygowan, Ballywalter, the part of the Carrowdore ward to the south of the southern boundary of the 2010–2024 North Down constituency, Comber North, Comber South, Comber West, Conway Square, Cronstown, Glen, Gregstown, Killinchy, Kircubbin, the part of the Loughries ward to the west of the southern boundary of the 2010–2024 North Down constituency, Movilla, Portaferry, Portavogie, Scrabo, and West Winds;

and in Newry, Mourne and Down, the wards of Ballynahinch, the part of the Ballyward ward to the north of the Ballyward split line, Crossgar and Killyleagh, Derryboy, Drumaness, Kilmore, the part of the Quoile ward to the north of the Quoile split line, the Strangford ward, except for the relevant area. [7] [8]

Members of Parliament

ElectionMember [9] Party
1983 John Taylor UUP
1986 b
1987
1992
1997
2001 Iris Robinson * DUP
2005
2010Vacant
2010 Jim Shannon DUP
2015
2017
2019
2024

* Iris Robinson left the DUP shortly before taking the Chiltern Hundreds to leave the Commons. [10] The seat was vacant from 13 January 2010 until the general election on 6 May 2010. Robinson resigned in January 2010 after a scandal involving financial dealings. [11] However, no by-election was held, as the next general election was held in May 2010.

Election results

Strangford Westminster election results 1983-2024 Strangford Westminster.png
Strangford Westminster election results 1983–2024

Elections in the 2020s

2024 general election: Strangford [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DUP Jim Shannon 15,559 40.0 −0.5
Alliance Michelle Guy 10,42826.8+0.6
UUP Richard Smart3,94110.1+0.9
TUV Ron McDowell3,1438.1New
Sinn Féin Noel Sands2,7937.2−0.4
SDLP Will Polland1,7834.6−5.4
Green (NI) Alexandra Braidner7031.8±0.0
Independent Garreth Falls2560.7New
Independent Gareth Burns1570.4New
NI Conservatives Barry Hetherington1460.4−3.0
Majority 5,13113.2−5.6
Turnout 38,90952.2−4.6
Registered electors 74,525
DUP hold Swing −0.55

Elections in the 2010s

2019 general election: Strangford [13]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DUP Jim Shannon 17,705 47.2 −14.8
Alliance Kellie Armstrong 10,63428.4+13.7
UUP Phillip Smith 4,02310.7−0.7
SDLP Joe Boyle1,9945.3−0.9
NI Conservatives Grant Abraham 1,4763.9+2.6
Green (NI) Maurice Macartney7902.1+0.5
Sinn Féin Ryan Carlin5551.5−1.3
UKIP Robert Stephenson3080.8New
Majority 7,07118.8−28.5
Turnout 37,48556.0−4.4
Registered electors 66,938
DUP hold Swing −14.3
2017 general election: Strangford [14] [15]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DUP Jim Shannon 24,036 62.0 +17.6
Alliance Kellie Armstrong 5,69314.7+0.9
UUP Mike Nesbitt 4,41911.4−2.9
SDLP Joe Boyle2,4046.2−0.7
Sinn Féin Carole Murphy1,0832.8+0.2
Green (NI) Ricky Bamford6071.6New
NI Conservatives Claire Hiscott5071.3−5.1
Majority 18,34347.3+17.2
Turnout 38,74960.4+7.6
Registered electors 64,327
DUP hold Swing +8.4
2015 general election: Strangford [16] [17]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DUP Jim Shannon 15,053 44.4 −1.5
UUP Robert Burgess4,86814.3−13.5
Alliance Kellie Armstrong 4,68713.8+5.1
SDLP Joe Boyle2,3356.9+0.2
UKIP Joe Jordan [18] 2,2376.6New
NI Conservatives Johnny Andrews [19] 2,1676.4New
TUV Stephen Cooper1,7015.0−0.6
Sinn Féin Sheila Bailie8762.6−1.0
Majority 10,18530.1+12.0
Turnout 33,92452.8−0.9
Registered electors 64,289
DUP hold Swing +6.0
2010 general election: Strangford [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DUP Jim Shannon 14,926 45.9 −8.8
UCU-NF Mike Nesbitt 9,05027.8+2.6
Alliance Deborah Girvan2,8288.7+0.5
SDLP Claire Hanna 2,1646.7±0.0
TUV Terry Williams1,8145.6New
Sinn Féin Michael Coogan1,1613.6−0.1
Green (NI) Barbara Haig5621.7New
Majority 5,87618.1−17.4
Turnout 32.50553.7−3.4
Registered electors 60,539
DUP hold Swing −7.6

Elections in the 2000s

2005 general election: Strangford [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DUP Iris Robinson 20,921 56.5 +13.7
UUP Gareth McGimpsey7,87221.3−19.0
Alliance Kieran McCarthy 3,3329.0+2.3
SDLP Joe Boyle2,4966.7+0.6
NI Conservatives Terry Dick1,4623.9New
Sinn Féin Dermot Kennedy9492.6+0.4
Majority 13,04935.2+32.7
Turnout 37,03253.6−6.3
Registered electors 68,570
DUP hold Swing +16.4
2001 general election: Strangford [22]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
DUP Iris Robinson 18,532 42.8 +12.6
UUP David McNarry 17,42240.3−4.0
Alliance Kieran McCarthy 2,9026.7−6.4
SDLP Danny McCarthy2,6466.1−0.6
Sinn Féin Liam Johnston9302.2+1.0
NI Unionist Cedric Wilson 8221.9New
Majority 1,1102.5
Turnout 43,25459.9+0.4
Registered electors 72,192
DUP gain from UUP Swing −8.3

Elections in the 1990s

1997 general election: Strangford [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John Taylor 18,431 44.3 −4.7
DUP Iris Robinson 12,57930.2+10.3
Alliance Kieran McCarthy 5,46713.1−3.0
SDLP Peter O'Reilly2,7756.7New
NI Conservatives Gilbert Chalk1,7434.2−10.0
Sinn Féin Garret O'Fachtna5031.2New
Natural Law Sarah Mullins1210.3−0.4
Majority 5,85214.1−15.0
Turnout 41,61959.5−5.5
Registered electors 70,073
UUP hold Swing −7.6
Notional 1992 Election Result: Strangford
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP N/A20,47349.0N/A
DUP N/A8,29519.9N/A
Alliance N/A6,73616.1N/A
NI Conservatives N/A5,94514.2N/A
OthersN/A2950.7N/A
Majority 12,17829.1N/A
1992 general election: Strangford [24]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John Taylor 19,517 43.6 −32.3
DUP Sammy Wilson 10,60623.7New
Alliance Kieran McCarthy 7,58516.9−3.4
NI Conservatives Stephen Eyre 6,78215.1New
Natural Law David Shaw2950.7New
Majority 8,91119.9−35.7
Turnout 44,78565.0+7.4
Registered electors 68,901
UUP hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

1987 general election: Strangford [25]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John Taylor 28,199 75.9 +27.1
Alliance Addie Morrow 7,55320.3+4.5
Workers' Party Imelda Elizabeth Hynds1,3853.7New
Majority 20,64655.6+36.8
Turnout 37,13757.6−7.3
Registered electors 64,429
UUP hold Swing
1986 Strangford by-election [26]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John Taylor 32,627 94.2 +45.4
"For the Anglo-Irish Agreement""Peter Barry" (Wesley Robert Williamson) [27] 1,9935.8New
Majority 30,63488.4+69.6
Turnout 34,62055.0−9.9
Registered electors 62,854
UUP hold Swing
1983 general election: Strangford [28]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John Taylor 19,086 48.8
DUP Simpson Gibson 11,71630.0
Alliance Addie Morrow 6,17115.8
SDLP James Curry1,7134.4
Independent Labour Samuel Raymond Heath4301.1
Majority 7,37018.8
Turnout 39,11664.9
Registered electors 60,179
UUP win (new seat)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "'Strangford', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Strangford: Seat Details". Electoral Calculus .
  3. ↑ Schedule (a) County constituencies, "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 1982 (No. 1838)" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk . The National Archives. 22 December 1982.
  4. ↑ Crewe, Ivor (1983). British Parliamentary Constituencies – A Statistical Companion . faber and faber. ISBN   0-571-13236-7.
  5. ↑ "Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 1995: Schedule", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 23 November 1995, SI 1995/2992 (sch.)
  6. ↑ "Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 2008: Schedule", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 11 June 2008, SI 2008/1486 (sch.)
  7. ↑ "Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023: Schedule 2", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 15 November 2023, SI 2023/1230 (sch.2)
  8. ↑ "Electorate Statistics by Ward 2024". Electoral Office of Northern Ireland – EONI. 3 June 2024 Total Electorate (XLS). Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  9. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)
  10. ↑ "Parliamentary career for Mrs Iris Robinson". UK Parliament.
  11. ↑ "Iris Robinson 'to step down as MP and MLA next week'". BBC News. 9 January 2010.
  12. ↑ "General election for the constituency of Strangford on 4 July 2024". UK Parliament.
  13. ↑ "Strangford Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  14. ↑ "Election of a Member of Parliament for the STRANGFORD Constituency - Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office of Northern Ireland. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  15. ↑ "Strangford Constituency". Election Polling.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland – EONI". eoni.org.uk.
  18. ↑ "Joe Jordan and Robert Hill join Ukip in Northern Ireland". BBC News. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  19. ↑ "Tories pick Andrews as Westminster candidate for Strangford". NI Conservatives. 21 October 2014.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  23. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "By-election Result". United Kingdom Election Results.
  27. ↑ Nicholas Whyte (13 May 2003). "Westminster by-elections, 23 January 1986". Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive . Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  28. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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