North Antrim

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Map and graph by Conal Kelly


This constituency is the rural north-eastern corner of Northern Ireland. It takes in the Ballymoney/Ballycastle areas of Causeway Coast and Glens District Council, and the western (Ballymena) part of Mid and East Antrim District Council. The member of parliament since 2024 has been Jim Allister (TUV); he defeated Ian Paisley jr (DUP), who had been the MP since 2010, and whose father first won the seat, defeating the UUP incumbent, in 1970. The DUP, TUV, UUP, SF, and Alliance each hold one Assembly seat here. See 1983-1992 North Antrim results, 1973-1982 North Antrim results and 1950-1970 North Antrim results.

In the boundary revisions, North Antrim swapped territory with East Antrim and comes out a bit smaller. But changes that look big on the map don’t always have much effect on the ground.

2024 Westminster election

Jim Allister (TUV) 11,642 (28.3%)
Ian Paisley (DUP) 11,192 (27.2%, -23.7%)
Philip McGuigan (SF) 7,714 (18.7%, +7.4%)
Sian Mulholland (Alliance) 4,488 (10.9%, -3.4%)
Jackson Minford (UUP) 3,901 (9.5%, -7.5%)
Helen Maher (SDLP) 1,661 (4.0%, -1.9%)
Ráichéal Mhic Niocaill (Aontú) 451 (1.1%)
Tristan Morrow (Ind) 136 (0.3%)

Electorate 74,697; total vote 41,361 (55.4%); valid vote 41,185; invalid 176 (0.4%)

The most surprising result of the night - 54 years of Ian Paisley, father and son, representing North Antrim came to an end with a massive surge of votes for Jim Allister.

If cast in a five-seat STV election, these votes would probably give the TUV and DUP two seats each, and SF one.

2019 Westminster notional result on new boundaries:

DUP 20,650 (50.8%)
UUP 6,885 (16.9%)
Alliance 5,811 (14.3%)
SF 4,609 (11.3%)
SDLP 2,404 (5.9%)
Ind 246 (0.6%)
Conservative 17 (0.0%)

See spreadsheets from the 2011 Assembly election, the 2010 Westminster election, the 2007 Assembly election, the 2005 Westminster election, the 2003 Assembly election, the 2001 Westminster election, the 1998 Assembly election, the 1997 Westminster election and the 1996 Forum/talks election. See also the detailed guide to the 2007 election by "Sammy Morse".



DUP UUP Cons Alliance Ind SDLP SF
2019 actual

20,860 8,139
6,231 246 2,943 5,632


47.4% 18.5% 0.0% 14.1% 0.6% 6.7% 12.8%
From North Antrim
To North Antrim 20,378 6,797
5,648 246 2,390 4575
From North Antrim To East Antrim -482 -1342
-583
-553 -1057
From East Antrim To North Antrim 272 88 17 164
15 34
2019 notional

20,650 6,885 17 5,811 246 2,404 4,609


50.8% 16.9% 0.0% 14.3% 0.6% 5.9% 11.3%


3.5% -1.5% 0.0% 0.2% 0.0% -0.8% -1.4%



Recent election results


DUP UUP TUV
Oth U Alliance Oth SDLP SF
2024w 27.2%
9.5%
28.3%

10.9%
1.4%
4.0%
18.7%
2022a 25.7% 20.5% 21.3%
9.5% 0.8% 3.8% 18.5%
2019w 47.4% 18.5%

14.1% 0.6% 6.7% 12.8%
2019lg
30.6% 16.9% 16.6%
0.8% 7.8% 7.9% 4.1% 15.3%
2017w 58.9% 7.2% 6.8%
5.6%
5.3% 16.3%
2017a
40.6% 12.5% 16.0%

5.4% 2.2% 7.3% 15.8%
2016a
43.1% 10.7% 17.9%
2.7% 3.2% 1.9% 7.5% 12.9%
2015w
43.2% 12.1% 15.7%
4.1% 5.6%  0.1% 7.0% 12.3%
2014lg
30.0% 22.8% 16.0%
1.0% 4.0% 6.6% 6.8% 12.8%
2011a
47.6% 11.7% 11.7%

4.6%   9.1% 15.3%
2011lg
42.5% 15.9% 10.7%

1.0% 7.9% 9.3% 12.6%
2010w 46.4% 10.9% 16.8%
1.4% 3.2%   8.8% 12.4%
2007a
50.9% 14.8%
4.3% 2.9% 1.5% 11.1% 14.4%
2005w 56.8% 15.0%

3.1%
11.0% 14.2%
2005lg 51.7% 19.7%
0.2% 0.9% 4.8% 9.6% 13.1%

NB that the figures for elections before 2010 are projections. Figures for the previous boundaries can be found at the bottom of this page.
NB also that the UUP supported a Conservative candidate in 2010 (hence change of colour in above table).

2022 Assembly election (five seats)

@Robin Swann (UUP) 9,530 (18.8%)
@Philip McGuigan (SF) 9,348 (18.5%)
@Jim Allister (TUV) 8,282 (16.4%)

@Mervyn Storey (DUP) 6,747 (13.3%)
@Paul Frew (DUP) 6,242 (12.3%)
Patricia O'Lynn (Alliance) 4,810 (9.5%)

Matthew Armstrong (TUV) 2,481 (4.9%)
Eugene Reid (SDLP) 1,919 (3.8%)
Bethany Ferris (UUP) 856 (1.7%)
Paul Veronica (Green) 343 (0.7%)
Laird Shingleton (Ind) 66 (0.1%)

@ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved.
DUP 12,989 (25.7%, -14.9%) 1 seat (-1)
TUV 10,763 (21.3%, +5.3%) 1 seat
UUP 10,386 (20.5%, +8.0%) 1 seat
SF 9,348 (18.5%, +2.7%) 1 seat
Alliance 4,810 (9.5%, +4.1%) 1 seat
SDLP 1,919 (3.8%, -3.5%)
Green 343 (0.7%, -0.4%)
Ind 66 (0.1%)

Electorate: 81,935
Votes cast: 51,220 (62.5%, -0.7%), spoilt votes 596 (1.2%)
Valid votes: 50,624, quota 8,438

In the third closest result of the election, Alliance took the last seat by 288.45 votes ahead of the DUP; possibly the least anticipated of the party's gains, and Jim Allister's undistributed surplus of 187.99 votes would have made it even narrower. O'Lynn was the first woman elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly from North Antrim, even going back to 1973 and 1982. North Antrim was both the TUV's and UUP's best result of the election.

2019 Westminster election

*Ian Paisley (DUP) 20,860 (47.4%, -11.5%)
@Robin Swann (UUP) 8,139 (18.5%, +11.3%)
Patricia O'Lynn (Alliance) 6,231 (14.1%, +8.5%)
Cara McShane (SF) 5,632 (12.8%, -3.5%)
Margaret Anne McKillop (SDLP) 2,943 (6.7%, +1.4%)
Stephen Palmer (Ind) 246 (0.6%, +0.6%)

* outgoing MP.
@ member of the Assembly.

Electorate: 77,134; Total Poll: 44,355 (57.5%); Invalid Votes: 304 (0.7%); Valid Votes: 44,051

A comfortable victory for Paisley, albeit on a reduced share of the vote. The absence of the TUV seems to have favoured the UUP, with DUP votes also going to Alliance here as elsewhere. In a five-seat Assembly election, these votes would give the DUP two seats and the UUP one. The last two seats would be between a third DUP, SF and Alliance.

I do not know if independent candidate Stephen Palmer is the same person as Thomas Stephen Palmer, an independent candidate here in 2015.

2019 local government election

From the 2011 census, North Antrim includes:

The entire Mid and East Antrim DEA of Ballymena
The entire Mid and East Antrim DEA of Bannside
96% of the Mid and East Antrim DEA of Braid
and
The entire Causeway Coast and Glens DEA of Ballymoney
76% of the Causeway Coast and Glens DEA of The Glens
28% of the Causeway Coast and Glens DEA of Causeway

With some adjustment for voter community background, I project the 2019 results as:

DUP 12,155 (30.6%)
UUP 6,708 (16.9%)
TUV 6,582 (16.6%)
SF 6,092 (15.3%)
Alliance 3,084 (7.8%)
Inds 3,051 (7.7%)
SDLP 1,635 (4.1%)
UKIP 305 (0.8%)
Green 94 (0.2%)

If cast in a five-seat STV election, those votes would give the DUP two seats and the UUP, TUV and SF one each.

2017 Westminster election

*Ian Paisley (DUP) 28,521 (58.9%, +15.7%)
Cara McShane (SF) 7,878 (16.3%, +4.0%)
Jackson Minford (UUP) 3,482 (7.2%, -4.9%)
Timothy Gaston (TUV) 3,282 (6.8%, -8.9%)
Patricia O'Lynn (Alliance) 2,723 (5.6%, ±0)
Declan O'Loan (SDLP) 2,574 (5.3%, -1.7%)

* outgoing MP.
@ member of the Assembly

Electorate: 75,657; Total Poll: 48,580 (64.2%); Invalid Votes: 112 (0.2%); Valid Votes: 48,468

A convincing vistory for the incumbent. In a five-seat Assembly election, these votes would have elected three DUP MLAs, one SF and a fourth Unionist, most likely a fourth DUP candidate.

2017 Assembly election (five seats)

@Philip Mcguigan (SF) 7,600 (15.8%)
@Paul Frew (DUP) 6,975 (14.5%)
@Mervyn Storey (DUP) 6,857 (14.3%)
@Jim Allister (TUV) 6,214 (12.9%)
@Robin Swann (UUP) 6,022 (12.5%)

@Phillip Logan (DUP) 5,708 (11.9%)
Connor Duncan (SDLP) 3,519 (7.3%)
Patricia O'Lynn (Alliance) 2,616 (5.4%)
Timothy Gaston (TUV) 1,505 (3.1%)
Mark Bailey (Green) 530 (1.1%)
Monica Digney (Ind) 435 (0.9%)
Adam Mcbride (Ind) 113 (0.2%)

@ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved.
DUP 19,540 (40.6%, -2.5%) 2 seats (-1)
TUV 7,719 (16.0%, -1.9%) 1 seat
SF 7,600 (15.8%, +2.9%) 1 seat
UUP 6,022 (12.5%, +1.8%) 1 seat
SDLP 3,519 (7.3%, -0.2%)
Alliance 2,616 (5.4%, +2.2%)
Ind 548 (1.1%)
Green 530 (1.1%, -0.2%)

Electorate: 76,739
Votes cast: 48,518 (63.2%, +10.3%), spoilt votes 424 (0.9%)
Valid votes: 48,094, quota 8,016

Not a terribly surprising result, with Philip Logan of the DUP finishing a massive 1,206 votes behind his running mate Mervyn Storey. On the last count, the 1820 votes transferred from the SDLP to SF were further transferred; they broke 1560 non-transferable, 155 to Jim Allister of the TUV, and only 105 to the three DUP candidates (53 to Storey, 32 to Frew and 20 to Logan).

2016 Brexit referendum

Total electorate: 76,913.
Turnout: 49,740 (64.7%), 7/18.
Invalid votes: 20 (0.04%)
Votes to REMAIN: 18,782 (37.8%)
Votes to LEAVE: 30,938 (62.2%).
Highest LEAVE vote in Northern Ireland.

2016 Assembly election (six seats)

@Paul Frew (DUP) 5,429 (13.2%)
@Jim Allister (TUV) 5,399 (13.2%)
@Mervyn Storey (DUP) 5,382 (13.1%)
@Daithi McKay (Sinn Féin) 5,297 (12.9%)
Phillip Logan (DUP) 3,635 (8.9%)
@Robin Swann (UUP) 3,585 (8.7%)
Connor Duncan (SDLP) 3,093 (7.5%)
@David McIlveen (DUP) 3,209 (7.8%)
Timothy Gaston (TUV) 1,955 (4.8%)
Stephen McFarland (Alliance) 1,318 (3.2%)
Donna Anderson (UKIP) 1,027 (2.5%)
Andrew Wright (UUP) 821 (2.0%)
Jennifer Breslin (Green) 513 (1.3%)
Kathryn Johnston (NI Labour) 243 (0.6%)
James Simpson (Conservatives) 92 (0.2%)

@ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved.
DUP 17,655 (43.1%, -4.5%) 3 seats
TUV 7,354 (17.9%, +6.2%) 1 seat
Sinn Féin 5,297 (12.9%, -2.4%) 1 seat
UUP 4,406 (10.7%, -1.0%) 1 seat
SDLP 3,093 (7.5%, -1.6%)
Alliance 1,318 (3.2%, -1.4%)
UKIP 1,027 (2.5%,)
Green 513 (1.3%)
NI Labour 243 (0.6%)
Conservatives 92 (0.2%)

Electorate 78,337
Votes cast: 41,464 (52.9%); spoilt votes 466 (1.1%)
Valid votes: 40,998; quota 5,857

Incumbent DUP MLA David McIlveen lost his seat to party colleague Philip Logan. Connor Duncan of the SDLP was a long way (1587.14 votes) behind SF's Daithi McKay for the last seat.

2015 Westminster election

*Ian Paisley (DUP) 18,107 (43.2%, -3.2%)
Timothy Gaston (TUV) 6,561 (15.7%, -1.1%)
Daithí McKay (SF) 5,143 (12.3%, -0.1%)
Robin Swann (UUP) 5,054 (12.1%, +1.1%)
Declan O'Loan (SDLP) 2,925 (7.0%, -1.8%)
Jayne Dunlop (Alliance) 2,351 (5.6%, +2.4%)
Robert Hill (UKIP) 1,341 (3.2%)
Carol Freeman (Conservative) 368 (0.9%)
Thomas Palmer (Independent) 57 (0.1%)
Electorate: 75,876; Total Poll: 42,116 (55.5%); Invalid Votes: 209 (0.5%); Valid Votes: 41,907

A solid defence by Paisley.

If cast in a six-seat Assembly election, thses votes would give the DUP three seats, and one each to TUV, SF and UUP.

2014 local government election

From the 2011 census, North Antrim includes:

The entire Mid and East Antrim DEA of Ballymena
The entire Mid and East Antrim DEA of Bannside
96% of the Mid and East Antrim DEA of Braid
and
The entire Causeway Coast and Glens DEA of Ballymoney
76% of the Causeway Coast and Glens DEA of The Glens
28% of the Causeway Coast and Glens DEA of Causeway

With some adjustment for voter community background, I project the 2014 results as:

DUP 12470 (30%)
UUP 9482 (23%)
TUV 6694 (16%)
SF 5327 (13%)
SDLP 2820 (7%)
Inds 2461 (6%)
Alliance 1662 (4%)
NI21 286 (1%)
PUP 177 (0.4%)
Cons 129 (0.3%)
UKIP 79 (0.2%)
If cast in a six-seat STV election, those votes would certainly give the DUP two seats and the UUP, TUV and SF one each. The last would certainly go to a fifth Unionist, with the UUP best placed to pick up.

2011 Assembly election (six seats)

Paul Frew (DUP) 6,581 (16.3%)
@Daithí McKay (SF) 6,152 (15.3%)
@Mervyn Storey (DUP) 6,083 (15.1%)
Jim Allister (TUV) 4,061 (10.1%)
@Declan O'Loan (SDLP) 3,682 (9.1%)
David McIlveen (DUP) 3,275 (8.1%)
Evelyne Robinson (DUP) 3,256 (8.1%)
Robin Swann (UUP) 2,518 (6.2%)
Bill Kennedy (UUP) 2,189 (5.4%)
Jayne Dunlop (Alliance) 1,848 (4.6%)
Audrey Patterson (TUV) 668 (1.7%)

@ member of the Assembly when it was dissolved.
DUP 19,195 (47.6%, -3.3%) 3 seats
SF 6,152 (15.3% +0.9%) 1 seat
TUV 4,729 (11.7%) 1 seat (+1)
UUP 4,707 (11.7%, -3.1%) 1 seat
SDLP 3,682 (9.1%, -2.0%) (-1)
Alliance 1,848 (4.6%, +1.8%)

Electorate 74,760
Votes cast: 40,983 (54.8%); spoilt votes 670 (1.6%)
Valid votes: 40,313; quota 5,760

Jim Allister (TUV) took Declan O'Loan of the SDLP's seat by 613 votes, failing to reach the quota but encuring that his party did at least win one vote in the Assembly. Given the boundary changes, it was never likely that Nationalists could hold both seats here.

2011 local government election

My projection of votes cast in Ballymena, Ballymoney and Moyle apart from the three wards in East Antrim:

DUP 17,103 (42.5%)
UUP 6,415 (15.9%)
SF 5,063 (12.6%)
TUV 4,293 (10.7%)
SDLP 3,752 (9.3%)
Alliance 416 (1.0%)
Inds 3,194 (7.9%)

In a six-seat STV election, these votes would give the DUP three seats and the UUP and SF one each, with the last seat probably going to the TUV.

2010 Westminster election (one seat)

@Ian Paisley [jr] (DUP) 19,672 (46.4%, -10.2%)
Jim Allister (TUV) 7,114 (16.8%)
@Daithi McKay (Sinn Féin) 5,265 (12.4%, -1.8%)
Irwin Armstrong (UCUNF) 4,634 (10.9%, -4.1%)
Declan O'Loan (SDLP) 3,738 (8.8%, -2.2%)
Jayne Dunlop (Alliance) 1,368 (3.2%, +0.1%)
Lyle Cubitt (Independent) 606 (1.4%)
Electorate: 73,338; Total Poll: 42,579 (58.1%); Invalid Votes: 182 (0.4%); Valid Votes: 42,397

@ elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly from this constituency

This was the TUV's best result in Northern Ireland, but leader Jim Allister failed to make the necessary breakthrough. On these figures he would win a seat in an Assembly election, and the DUP would win three; Sinn F�in would win one and the last would probably go to the UUP, the SDLP losing out.

2007 Assembly Election (7 March, six seats)

Full details of each count are available here.

*Ian Paisley [sr] MP (DUP) 7716 (17.4%)
Daithi McKay (SF) 7065 (15.9%)
*Ian Paisley [jr] (DUP) 6106 (13.8%)
*Mervyn Storey (DUP) 5171 (11.7%)
*Robert Coulter (UUP) 5047 (11.4%)
Declan O'Loan (SDLP) 3281 (7.4%)
Deirdre Nelson (DUP) 2740 (6.2%)
Orla Black (SDLP) 2129 (4.8%)
Lyle Cubitt (UKUP) 1848 (4.2%)
Robert Swann (UUP) 1281 (2.9%)
Jayne Dunlop (Alliance) 1254 (2.8%)
Paul McGlinchey (Independent) 383 (0.9%)
James Gregg (Independent) 310 (0.7%)

*Elected in 2003 from North Antrim
DUP 21,733 (49.0%, +3.1%) 3 seats
SF 7,095 (15.9%, +1.9%) 1 seat
UUP 6,328 (14.3%, -7.4%) 1 seat
SDLP 5,410 (12.2%, -1.4%) 1 seat
UKUP 1,848 (4.2%, +3.3%)
Alliance 1,254 (2.8%, +0.9%)
Inds 693 (1.6%)

Electorate 72,814 
Votes cast 44,655 (61.3%); spoilt votes 324 (0.7%) 
Valid votes 44,331; quota 6,334

No change here, though voting trends from elsewhere in the election were reflected in North Antrim too. On the last count, Nelson (DUP) was 2406 votes behind O'Loan (SDLP) with O'Loan 164 votes over the quota and an undistributed UUP surplus of 245.

2005 Westminster election (5 May, 1 seat)

*@ Ian Paisley (DUP) 25,156 (54.8% +4.9%)
@Philip McGuigan (Sinn Fein) 7,191 (15.7% +5.9%)
Rodney McCune (UUP) 6,637 (14.5% -6.5%)
@Sean Farren (SDLP) 5,585 (12.2% -4.6%)
Jayne Dunlop (Alliance) 1,357 (3.0% +0.4%)
Turnout 46,226

* outgoing MP.
@ Member of the Assembly

These votes, if cast in a six-seat STV election, would give the DUP three seats and the UUP and SF one each, with the last seat between the SDLP and a fourth DUP candidate.

2005 Local Government Election (5 June)

First preference votes cast in the whole of the Ballymena, Ballymoney and Moyle council areas were as follows:

DUP 22,086 (48.6%)
UUP 8,388 (18.4%)
Sinn Fein 6,527 (14.4%)
SDLP 5,650 (12.4%)
Independents 2,329 (5.1%)
Alliance 404 (0.9%)
PUP 94 (0.2%)

It is easy enough to extrapolate from the local council elections because the North Antrim constituency includes three whole district councils. If the same votes had been cast in a six-seat STV election, the DUP would have won three seats, and the UUP, SF and the SDLP one each.

2003 Assembly election (26 November; six seats)

Also available: details of each count with analysis of all transfers.
*Ian Paisley Sr (DUP) 8732 (19.8%)
*Ian Paisley Jr (DUP) 7898 (17.9%)
*Robert Coulter (UUP) 6385 (14.5%)
Philip McGuigan (SF) 6195 (14.0%)
*Sean Farren (SDLP) 3648 (8.3%)
Mervyn Storey (DUP) 3605 (8.2%)
James Currie (UUP) 3153 (7.1%)
Declan O'Loan (SDLP) 2361 (5.4%)
Jayne Dunlop (Alliance) 867 (2.0%)
*Gardiner Kane (Ind) 623 (1.4%)
Nathaniel Small (UKUP) 402 (0.9%)
Billy McCaughey (PUP) 230 (0.5%)
DUP 20,235 (45.9%, +8.3%) 3 seats
UUP 9,538 (21.6%, -0.7%) 1 seat
SF 6,195 (14.0%, +5.9%) 1 seat
SDLP 6,009 (13.6%, -3.3%) 1 seat
Alliance 867 (2.0%, -2.6%)
Ind 623 (1.4%)
UKUP 402 (0.9%)
PUP 230 (0.5%, -0.8%)

Electorate 70,489 
Votes cast 44,632 (63.3%); spoilt votes 533 (1.2%) 
Valid votes 44,099; quota 6,300

Reaction: The UUP lost a seat to Sinn Fein. On the final count James Currie was 930 votes behind Sean Farren, with an undistributed SF surplus of 197 which would have widened the distance.

North Antrim had lost 8.19% of its electorate in the great electoral register shake-out, varying from 15.96% in the Knocklayd ward of Moyle to 4.13% in the Craigywarren ward of Ballymena. 15 constituencies lost more voters, only Fermanagh-South Tyrone and Mid Ulster lost fewer.

2001 Westminster Election (7 June; 1 seat)

*Ian Paisley (DUP) 24,539 (49.9%) Best result in Northern Ireland
Lexie Scott (UUP) 10,315 (21.0%)
@Sean Farren (SDLP) 8,283 (16.8%)
@John Kelly (Sinn Fein) 4,822 (9.8%)
Jayne Dunlop (Alliance) 1,258 (2.6%)

Electorate: 74,451; votes cast: 49,545 (66.5%); spoilt votes: 328 (0.6%)
Valid votes: 49,217; DUP majority 14,224

* outgoing MP
@ Member of the Assembly

Not a surprising result. A six-seat Assembly election on these figures would give the DUP three seats, and the UUP and SDLP one each, with the last seat between the DUP and UUP.

2001 Local Government Election (7 June)

First preference votes cast in the whole of the Ballymena, Ballymoney and Moyle council areas were as follows:

DUP 19774 (41%) Best equivalent result in Northern Ireland
UUP 11905 (24%)
SDLP 8644 (18%)
SF 2513 (5%)
Alliance 317 (1%)
PUP 206 (0.4%)
NIUP 186 (0.4%)
Independents 5097 (10%)
Total valid votes 48642

It is easy enough to extrapolate from the local council elections because the North Antrim constituency includes three whole district councils. If the same votes had been cast in a six-seat STV election, the DUP would have won three seats, the UUP two and the SDLP one.

1998 Assembly Election (25 June; six seats)

Also available: details of each count with analysis of all transfers.
 
*Ian Paisley (DUP) 10,590 
*Sean Farren (SDLP) 6,433 
*Robert Coulter (UUP) 5,407 
*Ian Paisley Jr (DUP) 4,459 
Gardiner Kane (DUP) 3,638 
James Leslie (UUP) 3,458 
William Wright (United Unionist) 3,297 
Jayne Dunlop (All) 2,282 
Patricia Campbell (UUP) 2,199 
James McCarry (SF) 2,024 
Joe Cahill (SF) 2,021 
Malachy McCamphill (SDLP) 1,982 
Richard Rodgers (PUP) 641 
Oliver McMullan (Ind Nat) 478 
Maurice McAllister (UDP) 400 
Chris McCaughan (Ind) 194 
John Wright (NLP) 156 
Thomas Palmer (Ind) 38 
DUP 18,687 (37.60%) 3 seats
     Best result for DUP in Northern Ireland
UUP 11,064 (22.26%) 2 seats
SDLP 8,415 (16.93%) 1 seat
SF 4,045 (8.14%) 
United Unionist 3,297 (6.63%) 
Alliance 2,282 (4.59%) 
PUP 641 (1.29%) 
Ind Nat 478 (0.96%) 
UDP 400 (0.80%) 
Inds 232 (0.47%) 
NLP 156 (0.31%) 

Electorate: 73,247 
Votes cast 50,561 (69.0%); spoilt votes: 864 (1.7%) 
Valid votes: 49,697; quota: 7,100

* elected in 1996 Forum/talks election from North Antrim

Not a very surprising result, though a good one for the DUP. Their third candidate finished on 5,818 votes to SF's 5,154, but with an undistributed UUP surplus of 480 to be taken into account the final margin was pretty comfortable.

1997 Local Government Election

First preference votes cast in the whole of the Ballymena, Ballymoney and Moyle council areas were as follows:

Ulster Unionist Party 11,954 votes (32%)
Democratic Unionist Party 11,839 votes (32%)
Social Democratic and Labour Party 7,565 votes (20%)
Sinn Féin 962 votes (3%)
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 447 votes (1%)
Ulster Party 184 votes (1%)
Progressive Unionist Party 180 votes (1%)
Women's Coalition 66 votes (0.19%)
Others 4,188 votes (11%)
Total valid votes 37,385 (51.42% of the electorate)

1997 Westminster Election (one seat)

*ƒ Ian Paisley Sr (Democratic Unionist Party) 21,495 (47%) Best result for DUP in Northern Ireland
James Leslie (Ulster Unionist Party) 10,921 (24%)
ƒ Sean Farren (Social Democratic and Labour Party) 7,333 (16%)
James McCarry (Sinn Féin) 2,896 (6%)
David Alderdice (Alliance Party of Northern Ireland) 2,845 (6%)
Bronagh Hinds (Northern Ireland Women's Coalition) 580 (1%)
John Wright (Natural Law Party) 116 (0.25%)
Turnout 46,186 (63.78%)

* outgoing MP
 ƒ Member of the Forum

1996 Forum Election (five seats)

Also available: full list of 1996 candidates

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) 16,448 (37%); Ian Paisley sr, Ian Paisley jr elected Best result for DUP in Northern Ireland
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) 11,195 (25%); Robert Coulter, Joe Gaston elected
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) 7,185 (16%); Sean Farren elected
Sinn Féin (SF) 2,579 (6%)
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI) 2,518 (6%)
United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKU) 1,185 (3%)
Ulster Democratic Party (UDP) 768 (2%)
Independent McMullan 670 (2%)
Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) 665 (1%)
Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (NIWC) 272 (1%)
Conservative Party (Con) 259 (1%)
Labour (Lab) 187 (0.42%)
Ulster Independence Movement (UIM) 167 (0.38%)
Green Party 150 (0.34%)
Democratic Partnership 114 (0.26%)
Workers Party (WP) 60 (0.13%)
Democratic Left (DL) 40 (0.09%)
Natural Law Party (NLP) 14 (0.03%)
Independent Chambers 13 (0.03%)

Electorate: 71,799; votes cast: 44,560 (62.0%); spoilt votes: 71 (0.1%); valid votes: 44,489

Ian Paisley Sr had been elected to the old Northern Ireland House of Commons in 1970 representing the Bannside constituency; he was elected to the 1973 Assembly, the 1975 Convention, and the 1982 Assembly from North Antrim.

Results 1996-2007


DUP UUP Oth U Alliance Oth SDLP SF
2007a
49% 14% 4% 3% 2% 12% 16%
2005w 55% 14%
3%
12% 16%
2005lg 49% 18% 0% 1% 5% 12% 14%
2003a 46% 22% 2% 2%
14% 14%
2001w 50% 21%
3%
17% 10%
2001lg 41% 24% 1% 1% 10% 18% 5%
1998a 38% 22% 8% 5% 2% 17% 8%
1997lg 32% 32% 1% 1% 11% 20% 3%
1997w 47% 24%
6% 1% 16% 6%
1996f 37% 25% 6% 6% 4% 16% 6%

See also: Full 1998 results from North Antrim | The Boundary Commission's Provisional Recommendations | Boundary Commission 2003 | Jim Riley's analysis of votes and seats in the 1998 Assembly election | The constituencies

Other sites based at ARK: ORB (Online Research Bank) | CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet) | Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey

Your comments, please! Send an email to me at nicholas.whyte@gmail.com.
 
This page has been developed with the support of a project grant from the New Initiatives Fund of the Electoral Commission. However, any views expressed on this page or, in particular, other pages of this website are those of the author and not necessarily shared by The Electoral Commission.

Nicholas Whyte, 3 June 1998; last updated 7 May 2022 by Conal Kelly.



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