North Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

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For other constituencies of the same name, see North Antrim.

North Antrim
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Outline map
Boundary of North Antrim in Northern Ireland
Current constituency
Created1950
Member of ParliamentIan Paisley Jr (DUP)
Created fromAntrim
1885–1922
Created fromAntrim
Replaced byAntrim

North Antrim is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Ian Paisley Jr of the DUP.

Boundaries[edit]

Map
Map of current boundaries
Giant's Causeway

1950–1974: The Boroughs of Ballymena and Larne, the Urban Districts of Ballycastle, Ballymoney, and Portrush, the Rural Districts of Ballycastle, Ballymena, and Ballymoney, and in the Rural District of Larne the electoral divisions of Ardclinis, Ballycor, Carncastle, Glenarm North, Glenarm South, Glencloy, and Kilwaughter.

1974–1983: The Boroughs of Ballymena, Carrickfergus, and Larne, the Urban Districts of Ballycastle, Ballymoney, Portrush, and Whitehead, the Rural Districts of Ballycastle, Ballymena, and Ballymoney, and in the Rural District of Larne the electoral divisions of Ardclinis, Ballycor, Carncastle, Eden, Glenarm North, Glenarm South, Glencloy, Glynn, Islandmagee North, Islandmagee South, Kilwaughter, Middle Division, Raloo, and Templecorran.

1983–2010: The District of Ballymena, the District of Ballymoney, and the District of Moyle.

2010–present: The District of Ballymena, the District of Ballymoney, and the District of Moyle wards of Armoy, Ballylough, Bushmills, Bonamargy and Rathlin, Carnmoon, Dalriada, Dunseverick, Glenshesk, Glentaisie, Kinbane, Knocklayd, Moss Side, and Moyarget.

North Antrim has always been a county constituency comprising the northern part of County Antrim in the north-east of Northern Ireland. It has the sea to the north and east and parts of the border with County Londonderry to the west – the County Antrim town of Portrush is included in the East Londonderry constituency (although it was in this seat until 1983).

North Antrim constituency, 1885 – 1922

From 1885, this constituency was one of four county divisions carved out of the former constituency of Antrim. It comprised the baronies of Cary, Dunluce Lower, Dunluce Upper and Kilconway and returned one Member of Parliament from 1885 until 1922, when it was merged into a new Antrim constituency.

North Antrim 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 constituency is largely rural. Amongst the features within its boundaries are Rathlin Island and Giant's Causeway.

Rathlin Island

The Boundary Commission initially proposed alterations for the boundaries of North Antrim prior to the 2010 general election. It was proposed to transfer Ballycastle and the Glens, including Rathlin Island, in Moyle to East Antrim and rename that seat Antrim Coast & Glens. However that proposal raised many questions, with some arguing that the Glens have no natural ties to Jordanstown. Following consultation and revision, the constituency alterations were passed through the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituencies Order.

History[edit]

North Antrim is an overwhelmingly unionist seat. It first existed from 1885 to 1922. From 1886 to 1974 the Conservative and Unionist members of the United Kingdom House of Commons formed a single Parliamentary party.

Unusually for Ireland, the Liberal Party retained significant strength in this constituency after the split over Home Rule in 1886. The Irish Parliamentary Party never contested the seat.

In 1906 the constituency was won by a Russellite Unionist, at least somewhat linked to the Liberal Party. Although the Unionists regained the seat when the sitting MP retired, the constituency was one of very few Unionist/Liberal marginals in Ireland at both 1910 elections.

A victory for the Unionist candidate in 1918 by 9,621 votes to Sinn Féin's 2,673 votes demonstrated the strength of the unionist support in the area.

In 1922, the constituency reverted to being part of the two member Antrim seat (as it had been before 1885). North Antrim was re-created in 1950 as a larger seat than it had been in its first incarnation. County Antrim, excluding the parts in the Belfast constituencies, was split into two divisions instead of four as previously. The 1950 North Antrim was comparable to the North and Mid Antrim divisions which had existed from 1885 to 1922.

Since 1950 the Westminster elections have been relatively uncompetitive. In 1951, it was one of the last four seats to be uncontested in a UK general election. More recently, one man repeatedly won by a large majority: Ian Paisley was first elected as a Protestant Unionist Party candidate in the 1970 general election after narrowly defeating sitting member Henry Clark. The following year that party changed to the Democratic Unionist Party and Paisley easily held the seat for 40 years until his retirement in 2010. This is the longest continuous period for which the current holding party has held any Northern Irish seat. In elections at all levels, the DUP have frequently had their highest share of the vote in North Antrim and have rarely been seriously challenged.

In March 2010 Ian Paisley announced that he would step down at the 2010 general election. His son Ian Paisley Jr was selected by the DUP to replace him as candidate.[1] Former DUP MEP Jim Allister announced that he would contest the constituency for the Traditional Unionist Voice.[2] Paisley Jr was elected with a significantly reduced majority.

In July 2018 North Antrim was the site of the first recall petition UK held in the under the provisions of the Recall of MPs Act 2015. This petition was launched following a critical report into Paisley Jr's conduct in respect to an undeclared trip to Sri Lanka, and Paisley Jr subsequently being suspended from the Commons for 30 days. The petition was signed by 9.4% of the electorate, short of the 10% required to unseat Paisley Jr and trigger a by-election.

Members of Parliament[edit]

The Member of Parliament since the 2010 general election is Ian Paisley Jr of the DUP. He succeeded his father, the Rev. Dr. Ian Paisley, who was initially elected in the 1970 general election as a member of the Protestant Unionist Party, which became the DUP the following year.

North Antrim has had comparatively few MPs in its lifetime compared to other parliamentary constituencies. Sir Hugh O'Neill had sat for one of the predecessor seats of Mid Antrim between 1915 and 1922 and Antrim between 1922 until 1950, making this one of the few seats where four individuals between them represented the seat continuously over a period of ninety years.

Election Member Party
1885 Edward Macnaghten Conservative
1887 by-election Sir Charles Lewis Bt
1891 Irish Unionist
1892 Charles Connor
1895 Colonel Hugh McCalmont
1899 by-election William Moore
1906 Robert Glendinning Russellite Unionist
1910 (Jan) Peter Kerr-Smiley Irish Unionist
1922 Constituency abolished. See Antrim
1950 Constituency recreated
1950 Sir Hugh O'Neill Ulster Unionist
1952 by-election Phelim O'Neill
1959 Henry Clark
1970 Ian Paisley Protestant Unionist
1971 Democratic Unionist
2010 Ian Paisley Jr
2018 Independent
2018 Democratic Unionist

Elections[edit]

Elections in the 1880s[edit]

1885 general election: North Antrim[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Conservative Edward MacNaghten 3,233 44.3
Liberal William Pirrie Sinclair 2,149 29.5
Independent John Pinkerton 1,915 26.2
Majority 1,084 14.8
Turnout 7,297 81.5
Registered electors 8,948
Irish Conservative win (new seat)
1886 general election: North Antrim[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Conservative Edward MacNaghten 4,429 69.9 +25.6
Liberal Samuel Craig McElroy 1,910 30.1 +0.6
Majority 2,519 39.8 +25.0
Turnout 6,339 70.8 -10.7
Registered electors 8,948
Irish Conservative hold Swing +12.4
1887 North Antrim by-election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Conservative Charles Lewis 3,858 56.7 -13.2
Liberal Samuel Craig McElroy 2,526 37.1 +7.0
Ind. Unionist William Atcheson Traill 424 6.2 New
Majority 1,332 19.6 -20.2
Turnout 6,808 71.6 +0.8
Registered electors 9,505
Irish Conservative hold Swing -10.1
  • Caused by MacNaghten being appointed Lord of Appeal.

Elections in the 1890s[edit]

1892 general election: North Antrim[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Charles Connor 4,666 69.7 -0.2
Liberal William Huston Dodd 2,027 30.3 +0.2
Majority 2,639 39.4 -0.4
Turnout 6,693 74.1 +3.3
Registered electors 9,035
Irish Unionist hold Swing -0.2
1895 general election: North Antrim[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Hugh McCalmont Unopposed
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold
1899 North Antrim by-election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Moore Unopposed
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold

Elections in the 1900s[edit]

1900 general election: North Antrim[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist William Moore Unopposed
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold
1906 general election: North Antrim[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Russellite Unionist Robert Glendinning 3,757 55.9 New
Irish Unionist William Moore 2,969 44.1 N/A
Majority 788 11.8 N/A
Turnout 6,726 85.9 N/A
Registered electors 7,829
Russellite Unionist gain from Irish Unionist Swing N/A

Elections in the 1910s[edit]

January 1910 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Peter Kerr-Smiley 3,519 52.9 -8.8
Liberal William James Baxter 3,135 47.1 New
Majority 384 5.8 N/A
Turnout 7,516 88.5 +2.6
Registered electors
Irish Unionist gain from Russellite Unionist Swing N/A
December 1910 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Peter Kerr-Smiley 3,557 54.5 +1.6
Liberal William Macafee 2,974 45.5 -1.6
Majority 583 9.0 +3.2
Turnout 7,516 86.9 -1.6
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold Swing
1918 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Unionist Peter Kerr-Smiley 9,621 78.3 +23.8
Sinn Féin Patrick McCarry 2,673 21.7 New
Majority 6,948 56.6 +47.6
Turnout 12,294 64.3 -22.6
Registered electors
Irish Unionist hold Swing N/A

Elections in the 1950s[edit]

1950 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Hugh O'Neill Unopposed
Registered electors 68,759
Ulster Unionist win (new seat)
1951 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Hugh O'Neill Unopposed
Registered electors 68,448
Ulster Unionist hold
1952 North Antrim by-election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Phelim O'Neill Unopposed
Registered electors
Ulster Unionist hold
1955 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Phelim O'Neill 41,763 86.0 N/A
Sinn Féin John Dougan 6,809 14.0 New
Majority 34,954 72.0 N/A
Turnout 48,572 72.2 N/A
Registered electors 67,315
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
1959 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Henry Clark 42,807 94.9 +8.9
Sinn Féin John Dougan 2,280 5.1 –8.9
Majority 40,527 89.8 +17.8
Turnout 45,087 64.5 –7.7
Registered electors 69,880
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s[edit]

1964 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Henry Clark 40,372 90.1 −4.8
Independent Republican Seán Caughey 4,424 9.9 New
Majority 35,948 80.2 −9.6
Turnout 44,796 63.3 −1.2
Registered electors 70,762
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
1966 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Henry Clark 31,927 78.1 –12.0
Ulster Liberal Richard Moore 8,941 21.9 New
Majority 22,986 56.2 –24.0
Turnout 40,868 56.7 –6.4
Registered electors 72,039
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s[edit]

1970 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Protestant Unionist Ian Paisley 24,130 41.2 New
Ulster Unionist Henry Clark 21,451 36.6 −41.5
NI Labour Patrick McHugh 6,476 11.0 New
National Democratic Alasdair McDonnell 4,312 7.4 New
Ulster Liberal Richard Moore 2,269 3.9 −18.0
Majority 2,679 4.6 N/A
Turnout 58,638 73.4 +16.7
Registered electors 79,930
Protestant Unionist gain from Ulster Unionist Swing
February 1974 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 41,282 63.5 +22.1
Pro-Assembly Unionist T. E. Utley 13,651 21.0 New
SDLP Mary McAlister 10,056 15.5 New
Majority 27,631 42.5 +37.9
Turnout 64,989 63.1 –10.3
Registered electors 104,168
DUP hold Swing
October 1974 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 43,186 72.6 +9.1
Alliance Hugh Wilson 8,689 14.6 New
SDLP Mary McAlister 7,616 12.8 −2.7
Majority 34,497 58.0 +15.5
Turnout 59,491 57.3 −5.8
Registered electors 103,737
DUP hold Swing
1979 general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 33,941 51.7 −20.9
Ulster Unionist Jeremy Burchill 15,398 23.4 New
Alliance Hugh Wilson 7,797 11.9 -2.7
SDLP Sean Farren 4,867 7.4 −5.4
Irish Independence John Turnley 3,689 5.6 New
Majority 18,543 28.3 −29.7
Turnout 65,692 64.3 +7.0
Registered electors 102,202
DUP hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s[edit]

1983 general election: North Antrim[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 23,922 54.2 +2.5
Ulster Unionist Robert Coulter 10,749 24.3 +0.9
SDLP Sean Farren 6,193 14.0 +6.6
Sinn Féin Pearse McMahon 2,860 6.5 New
Ecology Malcolm Samuel 451 1.0 New
Majority 13,173 29.9 +1.6
Turnout 44,175 69.8 +5.5
Registered electors 63,228
DUP hold Swing
By-election 1986: North Antrim[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 33,937 97.4 +43.2
"For the Anglo-Irish Agreement" "Peter Barry" (Wesley Williamson)[7] 515 2.6 New
Majority 33,024 94.8 +64.9
Turnout 34,452 53.5 −16.3
Registered electors 65,157
DUP hold Swing N/A
1987 general election: North Antrim[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 28,283 68.7 +14.5
SDLP Sean Farren 5,149 12.5 −1.5
Alliance John Williams 5,140 12.4 New
Sinn Féin Sean Reagan 2,633 6.4 -0.1
Majority 23,234 56.2 +26.3
Turnout 41,205 62.8 −7.0
Registered electors 65,733
DUP hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s[edit]

1992 general election: North Antrim[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 23,152 50.9 ―17.8
Ulster Unionist Joe Gaston 8,216 18.1 New
SDLP Sean Farren 6,512 14.3 ―1.8
Alliance John Williams 3,442 7.6 ―4.8
NI Conservatives Thomas Sowler 2,263 5.0 New
Sinn Féin James McGarry 1,916 4.2 ―2.2
Majority 14,936 32.8 ―23.4
Turnout 45,501 65.8 +3.0
Registered electors 69,114
DUP hold Swing
1997 general election: North Antrim[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 21,495 46.5 ―4.4
Ulster Unionist James Leslie 10,921 23.6 +5.5
SDLP Sean Farren 7,333 15.9 +1.6
Sinn Féin James McGarry 2,896 6.3 +2.1
Alliance David Alderdice 2,845 6.2 ―1.4
NI Women's Coalition Bronagh Hinds 580 1.3 New
Natural Law John Wright 116 0.3 New
Majority 10,574 22.9 ―9.9
Turnout 46,186 63.8 ―2.0
Registered electors 72,491
DUP hold Swing ―5.0

Elections in the 2000s[edit]

2001 general election: North Antrim[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 24,539 49.9 +3.4
Ulster Unionist Lexie Scott 10,315 21.0 ―2.6
SDLP Sean Farren 8,283 16.8 +0.9
Sinn Féin John Kelly 4,822 9.8 +3.5
Alliance Jayne Dunlop 1,258 2.6 ―3.6
Majority 14,224 28.9 +6.0
Turnout 49,217 66.1 +2.3
Registered electors 74,451
DUP hold Swing +3.0
2005 general election: North Antrim[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 25,156 54.8 +4.9
Sinn Féin Philip McGuigan 7,191 15.7 +5.9
Ulster Unionist Rodney McCune 6,637 14.5 ―6.5
SDLP Sean Farren 5,585 12.2 ―4.6
Alliance Jayne Dunlop 1,357 3.0 +0.4
Majority 17,965 39.1 ―10.2
Turnout 45,926 61.7 ―4.4
Registered electors 73,938
DUP hold Swing ―0.5

Elections in the 2010s[edit]

2010 general election: North Antrim[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley Jr 19,672 46.4 ―10.4
TUV Jim Allister 7,114 16.8 New
Sinn Féin Daithí McKay 5,265 12.4 ―1.8
UCU-NF Irwin Armstrong 4,634 10.9 ―4.1
SDLP Declan O'Loan 3,738 8.8 ―2.2
Alliance Jayne Dunlop 1,368 3.2 +0.2
Independent Lyle Cubitt 606 1.4 New
Majority 12,558 29.6 ―9.5
Turnout 42,397 57.8 ―7.3
Registered electors 73,338
DUP hold Swing
2015 general election: North Antrim[15][16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley Jr 18,107 43.2 ―3.2
TUV Timothy Gaston[17] 6,561 15.7 ―1.2
Sinn Féin Daithí McKay 5,143 12.3 ―0.1
Ulster Unionist Robin Swann 5,054 12.1 +1.1
SDLP Declan O'Loan 2,925 7.0 ―1.8
Alliance Jayne Dunlop 2,351 5.6 +2.4
UKIP Robert Hill 1,341 3.2 New
NI Conservatives Carol Freeman 368 0.9 New
Independent Thomas Palmer 57 0.1 New
Majority 11,546 27.5 ―2.1
Turnout 41,907 55.2 ―2.6
Registered electors 75,876
DUP hold Swing ―1.0
2017 general election: North Antrim[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley Jr 28,521 58.9 +15.7
Sinn Féin Cara McShane 7,878 16.3 +4.0
Ulster Unionist Jackson Minford 3,482 7.2 ―4.9
TUV Timothy Gaston 3,282 6.8 ―8.9
Alliance Patricia O'Lynn 2,723 5.6 0.0
SDLP Declan O'Loan 2,574 5.3 ―1.7
Majority 20,643 42.6 +15.1
Turnout 48,460 64.1 +8.9
Registered electors 75,657
DUP hold Swing +5.8
2019 general election: North Antrim[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley Jr 20,860 47.4 ―11.5
Ulster Unionist Robin Swann 8,139 18.5 +11.3
Alliance Patricia O'Lynn 6,231 14.1 +8.5
Sinn Féin Cara McShane 5,632 12.8 ―3.5
SDLP Margaret McKillop 2,943 6.7 +1.4
Independent Stephen Palmer 246 0.6 New
Majority 12,721 28.9 ―13.7
Turnout 44,051 57.1 ―7.0
Registered electors 77,147
DUP hold Swing ―11.4

Elections in the 2020s[edit]

Next general election: North Antrim
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Majority
Turnout
Registered electors
Swing

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ian Paisley jnr picked to fight father's seat". BBC News. 9 March 2010.
  2. ^ "Allister calls for election power-sharing test". Belfast Telegraph. 5 July 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 325, 383. ISBN 0901714127.
  4. ^ "1952 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  6. ^ Results of Byelections in the 1983-87 Parliament in the United Kingdom Election Results website maintained by David Boothroyd
  7. ^ Nicholas Whyte (13 May 2003). "Westminster by-elections, 23 January 1986". Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  8. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  10. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF).
  15. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "UK Parliamentary Election Result - Belfast East". The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland - EONI.
  17. ^ "TUV announces Gaston as Westminster candidate". Northern Ireland World. 28 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Election of a Member of Parliament for the NORTH ANTRIM Constituency - Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office of Northern Ireland. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  19. ^ "North Antrim Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2019.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Constituency represented by the father of the House
1951–1952 		Succeeded by

55°07′16″N 6°19′44″W / 55.121°N 6.329°W / 55.121; -6.329

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