1977 Belfast City Council election

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1977

1977 Belfast City Council election

←  1973 18 May 1977 1981  →
All 51 seats to Belfast City Council 26 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Ulster Unionist Alliance SDLP Seats won 15 13 8 Seat change 10 5 1   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Party DUP Republican Clubs Unionist Party NI Seats won 7 3 2 Seat change 5 1 2   Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party   Party Ind. Unionist Independent Others Seats won 2 1 0 Seat change 0 1 5
Lord Mayor before election Myles Humphreys Ulster Unionist Lord Mayor James Stewart Ulster Unionist

Elections to Belfast City Council were held on 18 May 1977 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used nine district electoral areas to elect a total of 51 councillors, most representing the more heavily populated north and west.

The UUP remained the largest party, and James Stewart became Lord Mayor. The narrow unionist majority of one on the council resulted in David Cook from Alliance becoming Lord Mayor in 1978, the first non-unionist Lord Mayor since 1898.

Election results

Belfast Local Election Result 1977 ^[1]

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Ulster Unionist	15	1	11	10	29.4	26.8	30,087	23.9
	Alliance	13	5	0	5	25.5	18.6	20,929	5.2
	SDLP	8	1	0	1	15.7	18.9	20,920	7.5
	DUP	7	5	0	5	13.7	13.3	14,926	11.0
	Republican Clubs	3	1	0	1	5.9	4.7	5,238	0.7
	Unionist Party NI	2	2	0	2	3.9	5.0	5,584	New
	Ind. Unionist	2	0	0	0	3.9	4.1	4,567	1.1
	Independent	1	1	0	1	2.0	2.6	3,431	2.6
	NI Labour	0	0	2	2	0.0	2.6	2,959	2.9
	UUUP	0	0	0	0	0.0	2.3	2,557	New
	Vanguard	0	0	1	1	0.0	0.7	780	0.1
	Communist	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.1	115	0.0
	British Ulster Dominion Party	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.1	114	New
	Independent Socialist	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.1	107	0.1

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

^[1]

Results of the Belfast City Council election, 1977
by district

Ward	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	Total Cllrs
	UUP		Alliance		SDLP		DUP		RC		UPNI		Others
Area A	29.2	2	20.1	2	8.5	1	21.5	2	1.7	0	5.9	0	13.1	0	7
Area B	33.0	3	30.7	2	0.0	0	11.0	1	0.0	0	15.1	1	10.2	0	7
Area C	25.3	2	33.8	3	6.4	0	10.2	0	0.0	0	10.0	1	14.3	0	6
Area D	0.0	0	13.5	1	69.2	4	0.0	0	16.4	1	0.0	0	0.9	0	6
Area E	35.1	2	9.0	1	0.0	0	18.3	1	0.0	0	0.0	0	37.6	2	6
Area F	31.2	2	10.7	1	27.8	1	14.7	1	14.4	1	0.0	0	1.2	0	6
Area G	29.2	2	3.2	1	29.9	1	21.1	1	13.2	1	0.0	0	3.4	0	6
Area H	29.8	2	16.9	2	21.1	1	11.7	1	0.0	0	2.8	0	17.7	1	7
Total	26.8	15	18.6	13	18.6	8	13.3	7	4.7	3	5.0	2	13.0	3	51

District results

Area A

1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard, 1 x NILP
1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP
1973-1977 Change: DUP (two seats), Alliance and SDLP gain from UUP (two seats), Vanguard and NILP

Area A - 7 seats ^[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
	Alliance	Basil Glass	16.03%	2,580
	Ulster Unionist	Grace Bannister *	14.70%	2,367
	DUP	Raymond McCrea	11.88%	1,912	1,914.31	1,918.6	1,918.66	1,918.66	1,918.66	1,963.81	2,076.21
	Ulster Unionist	William Blair*	6.37%	1,026	1,035.66	1,270.56	1,275.07	1,276.07	1,290.28	1,349.33	1,465.68	1,466.9	1,709.49	1,774.11	2,358.11
	DUP	Robert Newman	9.62%	1,549	1,549.63	1,552.33	1,552.33	1,554.33	1,601.78	1,618.78	1,631.23	1,682.47	1,708.38	1,724.38	1,764.02	1,798.02	2,368.02
	Alliance	Denis Loretto	4.14%	667	1,109.47	1,115.17	1,130.01	1,152.43	1,156.85	1,168.42	1,174.29	1,174.29	1,187.64	1,542.09	1,602.75	1,649.75	1,711.71	1,723.71
	SDLP	Alasdair McDonnell	8.47%	1,364	1,397.6	1,398.2	1,408.56	1,566.55	1,567.55	1,571.55	1,571.55	1,571.55	1,573.55	1,633.23	1,636.23	1,638.23	1,643.44	1,644.44
	Unionist Party NI	Thomas Jordan	5.93%	954	970.8	979.5	979.5	981.5	988.65	1,002.88	1,015.48	1,016.7	1,055.08	1,122.16	1,195.53	1,300.53	1,481.48	1,609.48
	UUUP	Benjamin Horan*	4.20%	676	679.99	687.79	687.79	687.79	897.24	954.05	960.26	963.92	990.78	1,013.78	1,100.7	1,202.7
	Ulster Unionist	Thomas Gildea*	3.00%	483	486.78	524.88	527.88	527.88	534.03	573.53	651.89	656.16	936.8	978.4
	NI Labour	Brian Garrett	3.69%	594	610.17	614.37	667.21	697.63	699.84	715.84	719.14	719.14	728.14
	Ulster Unionist	Walter Shannon	2.81%	452	454.52	475.07	476.07	476.07	480.43	489.03	654.82	656.04
	Ulster Unionist	Alfred Shaw	2.35%	378	379.89	393.84	396.84	396.84	400.14	409.74
	Ind. Unionist	William Elliott*	2.35%	379	380.05	385.75	387.38	387.38	388.38
	UUUP	Philip Moles	2.14%	345	345.84	347.79	347.79	349
	Republican Clubs	Terence McGrattan	1.73%	278	280.73	280.88	280.88
	NI Labour	Derek Peters	0.58%	93	95.94	96.54
Electorate: 24,230  Valid: 16,097 (66.43%)  Spoilt: 801  Quota: 2,013  Turnout: 16,898 (69.74%)

Area B

1973: 5 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x United Loyalist
1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UPNI, 1 x DUP
1973-1977 Change: Alliance, UPNI and DUP gain from UUP (two seats) and United Loyalist

Area B - 7 seats ^[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	Unionist Party NI	Joshua Cardwell *	15.11%	2,722
	Alliance	Oliver Napier	15.00%	2,703
	Ulster Unionist	Thomas Patton *	12.26%	2,209	2,268.58
	Alliance	Michael Brown*	7.55%	2,045	2,120.6	2,350.44
	Ulster Unionist	John Allen*	10.56%	1,903	1,994.08	2,004.79	2,008.51	2,010.4	2,196.94	2,249.22	2,662.22
	DUP	Henry Evans	5.87%	1,058	1,069.52	1,070.88	1,090.88	1,090.88	1,095.41	1,105.58	1,114.2	1,118.2	1,947.41	2,707.41
	Ulster Unionist	Dorothy Dunlop	3.45%	622	683.02	691.69	697.77	699.45	934.73	963.93	1,274.06	1,620.06	1,637.13	1,979.01	2,337.01
	Alliance	David Wonnacott	4.33%	781	812.5	984.88	989.41	1,073.62	1,083.29	1,487.12	1,524.51	1,535.51	1,541.4	1,573.3	1,595.3
	UUUP	Reg Empey	5.44%	981	1,013.22	1,016.11	1,182.4	1,182.75	1,211.09	1,227.99	1,249.29	1,264.29	1,374.54
	DUP	Thomas McIntyre	5.11%	920	927.2	928.05	957.23	957.23	966.59	977.77	982.56	984.56
	Ulster Unionist	William Corry*	3.69%	664	716.02	722.31	725.67	726.3	817.75	833.09
	NI Labour	William Gunning	3.50%	631	645.76	659.02	660.2	662.93	664.11
	Ulster Unionist	Joseph Hanna	3.00%	541	562.78	565.16	571.86	572.56
	UUUP	Stanley Morgan	1.32%	237	245.1	246.29
Electorate: 37,176  Valid: 18,017 (48.46%)  Spoilt: 724  Quota: 2,253  Turnout: 18,741 (50.41%)

Area C

1973: 4 x UUP, 2 x Alliance
1977: 3 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 1 x UPNI
1973-1977 Change: Alliance and UPNI gain from UUP (two seats)

Area C - 6 seats ^[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	Alliance	David Cook *	18.93%	2,748
	Ulster Unionist	Andrew Cairns	8.86%	1,287	1,290.6	1,293.6	1,321.84	1,340.84	1,346.84	1,387.08	1,547.8	1,579.8	1,981.52	1,981.52	2,330.52
	Alliance	William Jeffrey	6.14%	892	1,368.64	1,368.64	1,372.88	1,389.88	1,514.04	1,537.28	1,551.48	1,554.48	1,571.96	2,037.16	2,076.12
	Alliance	Muriel Pritchard*	8.78%	1,274	1,394.24	1,398.24	1,401.24	1,435.72	1,529.12	1,543.12	1,554.8	1,557.8	1,582	2,002.28	2,047.44
	Ulster Unionist	Mary Crooks	7.87%	1,142	1,148.72	1,151.72	1,180.72	1,212.72	1,217.2	1,307.44	1,445.68	1,496.68	1,824.92	1,833.92	2,035.64
	Unionist Party NI	Victor Brennan	9.96%	1,446	1,455.84	1,458.84	1,479.84	1,493.84	1,519.56	1,568.56	1,609.04	1,623.04	1,702	1,727	1,928.44
	DUP	Alexander McMeekin	6.01%	872	872	884	957	976.24	978.24	990.24	1,010.24	1,493.24	1,523.48	1,525.48	1,650.72
	Vanguard	Raymond Jordan	5.37%	780	784.32	788.32	825.56	876.56	882.56	914.56	963.8	1,022.8	1,068.04	1,072.04
	SDLP	Mary Scott	6.36%	923	937.4	938.4	938.4	950.4	992.4	994.4	996.4	997.4	999.4
	Ulster Unionist	John William Kennedy*	4.34%	630	634.08	635.08	657.08	665.08	672.08	726.08	952.04	975.04
	DUP	William Spence	4.16%	604	604	607	629	667	673	691	697
	Ulster Unionist	John Gilmore	4.26%	619	624.76	626.76	639.76	652.76	660.76	682.76
	Ind. Unionist	John Webster*	2.34%	340	340.96	343.96	349.2	369.2	371.2
	NI Labour	Ronald Macartney	2.27%	330	335.76	335.76	336.76	348.76
	Independent	William Weir	2.16%	313	313.72	314.72	319.72
	UUUP	Reginald Johnston	1.37%	199	199.96	276.96
	UUUP	James Robinson	0.82%	119	119
Electorate: 29,635  Valid: 14,518 (48.99%)  Spoilt: 523  Quota: 2,075  Turnout: 15,041 (50.75%)

Area D

1973: 4 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance
1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance
1973-1977 Change: No change

Area D - 6 seats ^[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	SDLP	Paddy Devlin *	53.13%	7,087
	SDLP	Cormac Boomer	6.79%	905	2,925.84
	SDLP	Liam Hunter	3.58%	477	1,741.64	2,290.74
	SDLP	Mary Sullivan	5.70%	760	1,669.72	2,006.4
	Alliance	Dan McGuinness	9.26%	1,235	1,612.72	1,664.78	1,827.8	1,891.3	1,915.19
	Republican Clubs	Bernard McDonagh	7.06%	942	1,119.08	1,129.34	1,158.22	1,178.72	1,189.17	1,496.57	1,607.82
	Republican Clubs	Martin Lynch	5.42%	723	862.08	873.48	905.02	944.58	955.79	1,228.61	1,338.67
	Alliance	Robert Turkington	4.31%	575	660.88	667.34	745.62	762.5	785.68	824.15
	Republican Clubs	Kevin Smyth	3.95%	527	622	629.98	660	675.04	682.45
	Independent Socialist	Gerard Campbell	0.80%	107	187.56	212.64	235.44
Electorate: 35,266  Valid: 13,338 (37.82%)  Spoilt: 1,594  Quota: 1,906  Turnout: 14,932 (42.34%)

Area E

1973: 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x NILP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x United Loyalist, 1 x Independent Unionist
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent, 1 x Independent Unionist
1973-1977 Change: UUP and Independent gain from NILP and United Loyalist

Area E - 6 seats ^[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
	Ulster Unionist	Billy Bell	24.38%	3,297
	Independent	James Weir	16.15%	2,184
	DUP	Fred Proctor*	12.98%	1,755	1,860.84	1,873.52	1,874.36	1,898.12	2,512.12
	Alliance	Samuel Egerton	9.04%	1,223	1,263.32	1,352.32	1,497.22	1,506.88	1,513.84	1,518.84	1,561.28	2,084.28
	Ulster Unionist	Alfie Ferguson	2.71%	366	1,106.04	1,118.98	1,123.04	1,323.24	1,366.76	1,497.76	1,566.38	1,748.98
	Ind. Unionist	Hugh Smyth *	8.43%	1,140	1,174.44	1,179.44	1,180.42	1,214.98	1,240.58	1,353.58	1,657.4	1,714.82
	Ulster Unionist	David Smylie*	4.93%	667	798.46	811.88	812.16	1,062.46	1,109.5	1,249.5	1,390.36	1,501.78
	NI Labour	George Chambers	5.98%	809	872.84	930.52	998.84	1,022.92	1,031.32	1,051.32	1,108.2
	Independent	Hugh Stockman	5.31%	718	741.94	767.36	785.98	801.98	822.08	891.08
	DUP	Bill Lavery	5.29%	715	760.78	765.88	767.42	784.94
	Ulster Unionist	James Sands	3.05%	412	577.48	859.58	590.56
	Independent	Peter Emerson	1.75%	236	248.6
Electorate: 30,109  Valid: 13,522 (44.91%)  Spoilt: 706  Quota: 1,932  Turnout: 14,228 (47.25%)

Area F

1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Republican Clubs
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance
1973-1977 Change: Alliance gain from UUP

Area F - 6 seats ^[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
	SDLP	Owen Allen	18.81%	1,886
	Ulster Unionist	James Stewart *	16.76%	1,681
	Republican Clubs	Jim Sullivan*	10.96%	1,099	1,113.16	1,113.31	1,131.55	1,433.35
	Ulster Unionist	Harry Fletcher*	10.78%	1,081	1,082.92	1,185.22	1,193.67	1,194.67	1,504.97
	DUP	William Dickson	9.46%	949	958.36	975.01	981.61	982.61	1,009.76	1,474.76
	Alliance	Will Glendinning	10.74%	1,077	1,142.04	1,152.09	1,173.96	1,188.27	1,211.97	1,221.92	1,287.92	1,316.92
	SDLP	Thomas Lappin	8.97%	899	1,232.84	1,233.29	1,247.49	1,265.24	1,267.48	1,270.38	1,273.38	1,277.38
	DUP	John Parkes	5.24%	525	525.72	534.27	538.57	538.57	575.67
	Ulster Unionist	Thomas Murphy*	3.68%	369	369.48	470.88	480.88	480,88
	Republican Clubs	Sean O'Hare	3.45%	346	355.12	355.87	369.11
	Communist	James Stewart	1.15%	115	117.4	119.2
Electorate: 21,177  Valid: 10,027 (47.35%)  Spoilt: 1,013  Quota: 1,433  Turnout: 11,040 (52.13%)

Area G

1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance
1973-1977 Change: DUP and Republican Clubs gain from UUP and Independent Unionist

Area G - 6 seats ^[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7
	SDLP	Gerry Fitt *	29.81%	3,006
	Republican Clubs	Seamus Lynch	13.12%	1,323	2,124.04
	Alliance	Mary McKeown*	3.17%	320	1,051.6	1,632.54
	DUP	Frederick Ashby	13.66%	1,377	1,380.72	1,381.34	1,383.2	1,445.2
	Ulster Unionist	Herbert Ditty*	10.34%	1,043	1,049.2	1,050.44	1,057.88	1,093.74	1,203.74	1,519.74
	Ulster Unionist	Cecil Walker	7.73%	779	779.62	782.72	792.64	812.74	1,027.38	1,318.68
	DUP	George Haffey	7.36%	742	743.24	743.24	743.86	772.86	889.1	968.72
	Ulster Unionist	Margaret Laird*	5.87%	592	598.82	598.82	605.64	662.36	774.98
	Ulster Unionist	Samuel Millar*	5.11%	515	515.62	518.72	532.36	618.84
	Ind. Unionist	Hugh Kidd*	3.84%	387	396.92	398.16	406.22
Electorate: 20,959  Valid: 10,084 (48.11%)  Spoilt: 886  Quota: 1,441  Turnout: 10,970 (52.34%)

Area H

1973: 5 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP
1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1977-1981 Change: Alliance, DUP and Independent Unionist gain from UUP (three seats)

Area H - 7 seats ^[2]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
	SDLP	Paschal O'Hare	14.52%	2,414
	Ind. Unionist	Frank Millar *	13.96%	2,321
	Ulster Unionist	John Carson *	13.53%	2,250
	Ulster Unionist	Myles Humphreys *	11.68%	1,942	1,942.14	2,000.11	2,016.76	2,073.53	2,360.53
	Alliance	John Cushnahan	11.21%	1,865	1,881.1	1,883.19	1,885.3	1,887.4	1,896.08	1,901.08	1,902.19	2,104.19
	DUP	William Annon	9.06%	1,507	1,507.14	1,561.59	1,590.34	1,597.55	1,608.82	1,613.82	2,041.03	2,048.37	2,064.18	2,290.18
	Alliance	Robert Jamison	5.68%	944	951.14	956.75	959.75	961.15	977.02	990.02	995.79	1,116.18	1,323.08	1,680.41	1,770.41
	SDLP	Alban Maginness	6.61%	1,099	1,406.44	1,406.99	1,407.99	1,408.2	1,408.2	1,409.2	1,409.42	1,444.26	1,445.26	1,451.31	1,461.31
	Ulster Unionist	Mary Creighton*	1.99%	331	331	367.85	399.16	469.65	577.41	821.41	848.99	925.06	1,160.88
	Unionist Party NI	Joseph Gibson	2.78%	462	462.14	472.48	482.7	486.69	506.04	515.04	522.41	546.63
	NI Labour	Alan Carr	3.02%	502	504.24	508.97	513.41	515.23	517.34	518.34	519.74
	DUP	Cynthia McDowell	2.65%	441	441	472.13	484.46	486.77	492.07	495.07
	Ulster Unionist	James Kennett	2.64%	439	439	455.17	458.83	466.39
	Dominion Party	Alexander Beattie	0.69%	114	114	124.78
Electorate: 35,074  Valid: 16,631 (47.42%)  Spoilt: 684  Quota: 2,079  Turnout: 17,315 (49.37%)

References

1. "Local Government Elections 1973 - 1981: Belfast" . Retrieved 8 July 2021.
2. "Local Government Results 1977". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.