Strangford (UK Parliament constituency)

Last updated

Strangford
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Strangford2024Constituency.svg
Strangford as of 2024
Major settlementsNewtownards, Comber
Current constituency
Created 1983
Member of Parliament Jim Shannon (DUP)
Created from North Down, Belfast South and Belfast East [1]

Strangford is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

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.

In 2024, for the first time, the town of Strangford is included in the constituency due to boundary changes, after previously being in South Down.

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. At its creation the constituency was formed from the local government district of Ards, and the Castlereagh districts of Beechill, Fourwinds, Hillfoot, Lower Braniel, Minnowburn, Moneyreagh, Newtownbreda, and Upper Braniel. [3]

In 1995, the Commission controversially 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 and from the 1997 general election it was made up of parts of the districts of Ards, Castlereagh and Down.

For the 2010 general election the electoral wards which made up the constituency were: [4]

For the 2024 general election, boundaries changed. The current electoral wards are: [5]

ConstituencyWard
StrangfordBallynahinch
Ballyward-Strangford
Crossgar and Killyleagh
Derryboy
Drumaness
Kilmore
Quoile-Strangford
Strangford-Strangford
Ballygowan
Ballywalter
Carrowdore-Strangford
Comber North
Comber South
Comber West
Conway Square
Cronstown
Glen
Gregstown
Killinchy
Kircubbin
Loughries-Strangford
Movilla
Portaferry
Portavogie
Scrabo
West Winds

History

For the history of the equivalent constituencies prior to 1950 please see Down (UK Parliament constituency) and from 1950 until 1983, please see North Down.

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 2001, the UUP were clearly ahead of the DUP in the Westminster elections, but elections to regional assemblies and local government were much closer. In 2001 the sitting MP John Taylor stood down 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.

Members of Parliament

The first Member of Parliament for the seat was John Taylor of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). After the 2001 general election, he was succeeded by Iris Robinson (the wife of Peter Robinson) of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Robinson resigned in January 2010 after a scandal involving financial dealings. [6] However, no by-election was held, as the next general election was held in May. Jim Shannon (DUP) has held the seat since 2010.

ElectionMember [7] Party
1983 John Taylor Ulster Unionist
2001 Iris Robinson Democratic Unionist *
2010 Jim Shannon

* Note: Iris Robinson left the DUP shortly before taking Chiltern Hundreds to leave the Commons. The seat was vacant from 13 January 2010 until the general election on 6 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
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 [8]
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 [9] [10]
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 [11] [12]
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 [13] 2,2376.6New
NI Conservatives Johnny Andrews [14] 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 [15]
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 [16]
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 [17]
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 [18]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John David 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 [19]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John David 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 [20]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John David 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 [21]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John David Taylor 32,627 94.2 +45.4
"For the Anglo-Irish Agreement""Peter Barry" (Wesley Robert Williamson) [22] 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 [23]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
UUP John David 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. ↑ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Strangford
  3. ↑ Crewe, Ivor (1983). British Parliamentary Constituencies – A Statistical Companion . faber and faber. ISBN   0-571-13236-7.
  4. ↑ The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 National Archives
  5. ↑ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland – EONI". eoni.org.uk. 3 June 2024 Total Electorate (XLS). Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  6. ↑ Iris Robinson 'to step down as MP and MLA next week' BBC News, 9 January 2010
  7. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)
  8. ↑ "Strangford Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  9. ↑ "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.
  10. ↑ "Election 2017 Results - Election Polling". www.electionpolling.co.uk.
  11. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ↑ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland – EONI". eoni.org.uk.
  13. ↑ "Joe Jordan and Robert Hill join Ukip in Northern Ireland". BBC News. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  14. ↑ "Tories pick Andrews as Westminster candidate for Strangford". NI Conservatives. 21 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "By-election Result". United Kingdom Election Results.
  22. ↑ Nicholas Whyte (13 May 2003). "Westminster by-elections, 23 January 1986". Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive . Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  23. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

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