Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council

The Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council is made up of 80% of the previous Lisburn District Council, and 60% of the previous Castlereagh District Council (the other voters in each case were moved to the new Belfast council area).

The 2019 election was somewhat of a setback for DUP in Lisburn and Castlereagh. While it remains their strongest performance across all 11 councils, they saw a dip of almost 4% in their share of the first preference vote and lost a total of five seats. The UUP bucked the trend elsewhere and managed to pick up three additional seats in Downshire East, Lisburn North, and Lisburn South. Alliance managed to almost double their share of the vote to 23.6% and made modest gains in Castlereagh East and Killultagh. This represents Alliance's best performance across all 11 council contests. Sinn Féin gained representation on the council for the first time with wins in Castlereagh South and Killultagh. As was the case elsewhere, the TUV will not be represented on the new council, losing their one and only seat in Castlereagh East to Alliance.

map
Map by Conal Kelly



Summary

Electoral Area 2019 Results 2014 Results
Castlereagh East 3 DUP, 2 Alliance, 1 UUP
3 DUP, 1 Alliance, 1 UUP, 1 TUV
Downshire East
2 DUP, 2 UUP, 1 Alliance
3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance
Downshire West
2 DUP, 2 UUP, 1 Alliance
2 DUP, 2 UUP, 1 Alliance
Lisburn South
3 DUP, 2 UUP, 1 Alliance
4 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance
Lisburn North 2 DUP, 2 UUP, 1 Alliance, 1 SDLP
3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, 1 NI21
Killultagh 2 DUP, 1 Alliance, 1 UUP, 1 SF
3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 SDLP
Castlereagh South 2 Alliance, 1 DUP, 1 SDLP, 1 SF, 1 Green, 1 UUP
2 Alliance, 2 SDLP, 2 DUP, 1 UUP

chart

Party Support by Electoral Area

DEA

Largest Party by Electoral Area


Votes by Party

2019 Results 2014 Results 2011 Notional Results
DUP 18,455 (36.7%) 15 councillors
Alliance 11,883 (23.6%) 9 councillors
UUP 8,837 (17.6%) 11 councillors
SDLP 4,364 (8.7%) 2 councillors
SF 2,717 (5.4%) 2 councillors
TUV 1,167 (2.3%)
Green 878 (1.7%) 1 councillor
Ind 878 (1.7%)
Cons 592 (1.2%)
UKIP 255 (0.5%)
DVP 242 (0.5%)

DUP 18,520 (40.4%) 20 councillors
UUP 7,311 (16.0%) 8 councillors
Alliance 5,492 (12.0%) 7 councillors
SDLP 3,658 (8.0%) 3 councillors
NI21 3,173 (6.9%) 1 councillor
TUV 2,720 (5.9%) 1 councillor
SF 2,150 (4.7%)
UKIP 824 (1.8%)
Green 699 (1.5%)
PUP 695 (1.5%)
Conservatives 376 (0.8%)
Inds 169 (0.4%)

DUP: 22,217 (47.4%), 20 councillors
UUP: 8,021 (17.1%), 7 councillors
Alliance: 7,354 (15.7%), 6 councillors
SDLP: 4,232 (9.0%), 4 councillors
SF: 3,017 (6.4%) 3 councillors
Green: 945 (2.0%)
Cons: 332 (0.7%)
TUV: 282 (0.6%)
BNP: 154 (0.3%)
PBP: 50 (0.1%)
Ind: 288 (0.6%)

Electorate: 102,151; votes cast: 50,747 (49.7%); invalid votes:
479 (0.9%); valid votes: 50,268
Electorate: 94,903; votes cast: 46,362 (48.9%); invalid votes: 585
(1.3%); valid votes: 45,777


2011 Census: 32,296 "Catholic" (23.95%); 90,206 "Protestant" (66.90%); 1,442 Other (1.07%); 10,897 None (8.08%)

The 2011 notional results given above were my best guess projection of the 2011 votes onto the new boundaries - a "backcast" rather than a forecast. This was particularly difficult in this case, given the cross-cutting of old and new boundaries. I am pretty sure in retrospect that I overestimated the Nationalist vote in Lisburn North, where we commentators debated hotly whether there were one or two Nationalist seats; in the event, there were none. I still think that the SDLP and SF underperformed on their 2011 record, but I admit that it's a debatable point.

See also results for:
Lisburn: 1993-2011, 1985-89, and 1973-81

Castlereagh: 1993-2011, 1985-89, and 1973-81.


Castlereagh East (6 seats)

Westminster seat: East Belfast and Strangford
Includes these wards: Ballyhanwood, Carrowreagh, Dundonald, Enler, Graham's Bridge, and Moneyreagh.

2019 (2 May)

Alliance gain from TUV.

First Count:
Martin Gregg (Alliance) 1,212
Sharon Skillen (DUP) 1,174
Tim Morrow (Alliance) 936
David Drysdale (DUP) 849
John Laverty (DUP) 813
Hazel Legge (UUP) 723
Tommy Jeffers (DUP) 638
Andrew Girvin (TUV) 637
Votes by Party:
DUP 3,474 (49.8%) 3 seats - best DUP result of the election
Alliance 2,148 (30.8%) 2 seats
UUP 723 (10.4%) 1 seat
TUV 637 (9.1%)

Electorate: 14,963; votes cast: 7,047 (47.1%); invalid votes: 65 (0.9%); valid votes: 6,982; quota: 998.

Laverty (DUP) was 208.01 ahead of his running mate Jeffers for the last seat, with another DUP surplus of 83.92 undistributed. Castlereagh East represents the DUP's best performance across all 80 Electoral Areas in 2019.

2014 (25 May)

First Count:
Tommy Jeffers (DUP) 881
David Drysdale (DUP) 823
Sharon Skillen (DUP) 787
Lynda Spratt (DUP) 700
Andrew Girvin (TUV) 683
Hazel Legge (UUP) 580
Tim Morrow (Alliance) 521
Izzy Giles (PUP) 492
Martin Gregg (Green) 442
Stephen Donnan (Alliance) 301
Mark Devenney (NI21) 241
Robert Campbell (Independent) 75
Sandra Wilson (Independent) 61
Votes by Party:
DUP 3,191 (48.4%) 3 seats
Alliance 822 (12.5%) 1 seat
TUV 683 (10.4%) 1 seat
UUP 580 (8.8%) 1 seat
PUP 492 (7.5%)
Green 442 (6.7%)
NI21 241 (3.7%)
Inds 136 (2.1%)

Electorate 13,645; votes cast 6,690 (49.0%); spoilt votes 103 (1.5%); valid votes 6,587; quota: 942.

Spragg (DUP) finished 126 votes behind Legge (UUP), who had benefited from Green/Alliance transfers.

Irish Observer and Faha both projected 4 DUP, 2 Alliance; this can be seen as a gain for both TUV and the UUP from the other two parties.


Downshire East (5 seats)

Westminster seat: Lagan Valley
Includes these wards: Ballymacbrennan, Dromara, Drumbo, Hillhall, and Ravernet.

2019 (2 May)

UUP gain from DUP.

First Count:
Aaron McIntyre (Alliance) 1,318
Andrew Gowan (DUP) 1,133
James Baird (UUP) 950
Uel Mackin (DUP) 905
Alex Swan (UUP) 726
Janet Gray (DUP) 721
Owen Beckett (SDLP) 422
Votes by Party:
DUP 2,759 (44.7%) 2 seats
UUP 1,676 (27.1%) 2 seats
Alliance 1,318 (21.3%) 1 seat
SDLP 422 (6.8%)

Electorate: 12,214; votes cast: 6,222 (50.9%); invalid votes: 47 (0.8%); valid votes: 6,175; quota: 1,030.

Mackin (DUP) was 179.25 ahead of his running mate Gray for the last seat, with undistributed surpluses of 51.75 (UUP) and 103 (DUP). The DUP was marginally closer to three quotas than the UUP to two but the Alliance and SDLP transfers favored the UUP significantly.

2014 (25 May)

First Count:
Luke Poots (DUP) 1,245
James Baird (UUP) 734
Uel Mackin (DUP) 734
Aaron McIntyre (Alliance) 691
Janet Gray (DUP) 480
Alex Swan (UUP) 432
Christina Dobson (NI21) 426
Tom Mateer (TUV) 413
Roy Young (DUP) 371
Glenn Wilson (NI21) 271
Peter Lindsay (UKIP) 199
Votes by Party:
DUP 2,830 (47.0%) 3 seats
UUP 1,166 (19.5%) 1 seat
NI21 697 (11.6%) - best NI21 result in Northern Ireland
Alliance 691 (11.5%) 1 seat
TUV 413 (6.9%)
UKIP 199 (3.3%)

Electorate 11,563; votes cast 6,062 (52.4%); spoilt votes 72 (1.2%); valid votes 5,990 (as officially reported); quota: 1,000.

NB that there must be a mistake in the above figures. The number of votes for each candidate adds to 5996 (and indeed this is the total given at the bottom of each column on the official results sheet and fits the quota of 1,000). But in that case either the figure for the total number of votes cast, or the number of spoilt votes, or both, must be wrong.

McIntyre (Alliance) finished 20.40 votes ahead of Dobson (NI21). Although the two NI21 candidates began slightly ahead of Alliance, less than 200 of Wilson's 279 votes transferred to Dobson on elimination, and Alliance got 35, establishing a lead of over 100 which was then whittled down by DUP transfers.

Irish Observer and Faha both projected 3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, which was the actual result.


Downshire West (5 seats)

Westminster seat: Lagan Valley
Includes these wards: Blaris, Hillsborough, Lagan, Maze, and Moira.

2019 (2 May)

No change.

First Count:
Owen Gawith (Alliance) 1,616
Caleb McCready (DUP) 1,012
John Palmer (UUP) 915
Allan Ewart (DUP) 670
Jim Dillon (UUP) 667
Vince Curry (DUP) 647
Morgan Crone (SDLP) 308
Luke Robinson (Green) 230
Neil Johnston (Cons) 169
Votes by Party:
DUP 2,329 (37.4%) 2 seats
Alliance 1,616 (25.9%) 1 seat
UUP 1,582 (25.4%) 2 seats
SDLP 308 (4.9%)
Green 230 (3.7%)
Cons 169 (2.7%)

Electorate: 12,385; votes cast: 6,301 (50.9%); invalid votes: 67 (1.1%); valid votes: 6,234; quota: 1,040.

Ewart (DUP) was just 33.27 ahead of his running mate Curry for the last seat, with a UUP surplus of 31.06 undistributed. Stage 6 saw the SDLP candidate eliminated by the narrowest of margins. Just 0.51 of a vote separated Crone of the SDLP from Curry of the DUP. The Alliance vote mushroomed to 25.9% and over 1.5 quotas. A second Alliance candidate would have at least been in the running for an additional seat.

2014 (25 May)

First Count:
Jim Dillon (UUP) 912
Allan Ewart (DUP) 880
John Palmer (DUP) 768
Alexander Redpath (UUP) 671
Owen Gawith (Alliance) 493
Neil Johnston (Cons) 376
Colin Preen (DUP) 347
Jonny Miller (TUV) 335
Rebecca McBride (UKIP) 286
Dee French (SDLP) 231
Roger Duncan (NI21) 206
Neil McNickle (NI21) 148
Luke Robinson (Green) 119
Votes by Party:
DUP 1,995 (34.6%) 2 seats
UUP 1,583 (27.4%) 2 seats
Alliance 493 (8.5%) 1 seat
Cons 376 (6.5%)
NI21 354 (6.1%)
TUV 335 (5.8%)
UKIP 286 (5.0%)
SDLP 231 (4.0%)
Green 119 (2.1%)

Electorate 11,673; votes cast 5,832 (50.0%); spoilt votes 60 (1.0%); valid votes 5,772; quota: 963.

Johnston (Cons) finished a long way behind Gawith (Alliance), 367.17 votes. The initial gap between them of 117 had widened with SDLP and NI21 transfers. A DUP surplus of 117 and a UUP surplus of 9, which might have narrowed the gap, remained undistributed.

Irish Observer and Faha both projected 3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, so this is effectively a gain from the DUP by the UUP.


Lisburn South (6 seats)

Westminster seat: Lagan Valley
Includes these wards: Ballymacash, Ballymacoss, Knockmore, Lagan Valley, Lisnagarvey, and Old Warren.

2019 (2 May)

UUP gain from DUP.

First Count:
Amanda Grehan (Alliance) 929
Jenny Palmer (UUP) 877
Andrew Ewing (DUP) 738
Alan Givan (DUP) 735
Tim Mitchell (UUP) 715
Paul Porter (DUP) 706
Brendan Corr (SDLP) 649
Jonny Orr (Ind) 534
Alison Chittick (TUV) 384
Rhoda Walker (DUP) 354
Ricky Taylor (DVP) 242
Helen Love (UKIP) 99
Votes by Party:
DUP 2,533 (36.4%) 3 seats
UUP 1,592 (22.9%) 2 seats
Alliance 929 (13.3%) 1 seat
SDLP 649 (9.3%)
Ind 534 (7.7%)
TUV 384 (5.5%)
DVP 242 (3.5%)
UKIP 99 (1.4%)

Electorate: 15,521; votes cast: 7,044 (45.4%); invalid votes: 82 (1.2%); valid votes: 6,962; quota: 995.

Givan (DUP) was 118 ahead of Corr (SDLP) for the last seat, with undistributed surpluses of 2 (DUP), 15 (UUP), and 27 (also UUP), which would have widened the final margin.

2014 (25 May)

First Count:
Tim Mitchell (UUP) 874
Alan Givan (DUP) 813
Paul Porter (DUP) 768
Andrew Ewing (DUP) 696
Rhoda Walker (DUP) 565
Alan Carlisle (DUP) 494
Andrew Moore (TUV) 469
David Cairns (NI21) 442
Amanda Grehan (Alliance) 430
Conor Quinn (SDLP) 423
James McMurray (Green) 138
Andrew Doran (NI21) 115
Votes by Party:
DUP 3,336 (53.6%) 4 seats - DUP's best vote share in NI
UUP 874 (14.0%) 1 seat
NI21 557 (8.9%)
TUV 469 (7.5%)
Alliance 430 (6.9%) 1 seat
SDLP 423 (6.8%)
Green 128 (2.2%)

Electorate 14,566; votes cast 6,321 (43.4%); spoilt votes 94 (1.5%); valid votes 6,227; quota: 890.

Grehan (Alliance) finished 29.92 votes ahead of Cairns (NI21), with a DUP surplus of 28 not distributed (which would have made little difference). The turning point was the elimination of the SDLP, of whose 438 votes 238 went to Alliance and only 89 to NI21, reversing the margin between them.

One can speculate that if NI21 had run a single candidate they might have won the non-Unionist seat here.

Irish Observer and Faha both projected 4 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, which was the actual result.


Lisburn North (6 seats)

Westminster seat: Lagan Valley
Includes these wards: Derryaghy, Harmony Hill, Hilden, Lambeg, Magheralave, and Wallace Park.

2019 (2 May)

UUP & SDLP gain from DUP & NI21.

First Count:
Stephen Martin (Alliance) 1,483
Jonathan Craig (DUP) 1,187
Johnny McCarthy (SDLP) 852
Scott Carson (DUP) 846
Nicholas Trimble (UUP) 719
Joe Duffy (SF) 654
Stuart Hughes (UUP) 578
Lindsay Reynolds (DUP) 425
Gary Hynds (Cons) 423
Alan Love (UKIP) 156
Votes by Party:
DUP 2,458 (33.6%) 2 seats
Alliance 1,483 (20.3%) 1 seat
UUP 1,297 (17.7%) 2 seats
SDLP 852 (11.6%) 1 seat
SF 654 (8.9%)
Cons 423 (5.8%)
UKIP 156 (2.1%)

Electorate: 15,356; votes cast: 7,412 (48.3%); invalid votes: 89 (1.2%); valid votes: 7,323; quota: 1,047.

Hughes (UUP) was 341.48 ahead of Duffy (SF) for the last seat, with undistributed surpluses of 13.81 (DUP) and 30.14 (UUP), which would have widened the final margin. The UUP performed well to deliver two seats on just 1.2 quotas.

2014 (25 May)

First Count:
Brian Bloomfield (UUP) 1,026
Margaret Tolerton (DUP) 735
Stephen Martin (Alliance) 711
Scott Carson (DUP) 684
Jenny Palmer (DUP) 534
Yvonne Craig (DUP) 526
Jacqui McGeough (SF) 493
Nicola Turtle (SDLP) 466
Alan Love (UKIP) 339
Johnny McCarthy (NI21) 329
John McCall (TUV) 300
Colin McCord (NI21) 237
Matt Brennan (PUP) 203
Jonny Orr (Independent) 33
Votes by Party:
DUP 2,479 (37.47) 3 seats
UUP 1,026 (16.0%) 1 seat
Alliance 711 (10.7%) 1 seat
NI21 566 (8.6%) 1 seat
SF 493 (7.5%)
SDLP 466 (7.0%)
UKIP 339 (5.1%)
TUV 300 (4.5%)
PUP 203 (3.1%)
Ind 33 (0.5%)

Electorate 14,284; votes cast 6,725 (47.1%); spoilt votes 109 (1.6%); valid votes 6,616; quota: 946.

In the closest result of the election, Palmer (DUP) beat her running mate Craig (also DUP) by 3.3 votes.

McCarthy (NI21) rose from tenth place to win the fourth seat largely thanks to Nationalist transfers. On the sixth count, Turtle (SDLP) was less than 14 votes behind McGeough (SF) when she was eliminated, with 208 of her 484 votes goiing to Alliance (electing Martin, and going on to elect McCarthy), 126 to SF and 30 directly to NI21. If SF had been behind the SDLP at that stage, their transfers would almost certainly have given the SDLP the second non-Unionist seat.

Irish Observer projected 2 DUP, 2 SF, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, and Faha 3 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 Alliance, 1 SDLP. Both were well off the mark with respect to the strength of the Nationalist parties (and so was I).

Killultagh (5 seats)

Westminster seat: Lagan Valley
Includes these wards: Ballinderry, Glenavy, Maghaberry, Stonyford, and White Mountain.

2019 (2 May)

Alliance & SF gain from DUP and SDLP.

First Count:
David Honeyford (Alliance) 1,524
Thomas Beckett (DUP) 1,006
Gary McCleave (SF) 994
James Tinsley (DUP) 979
William Leathem (DUP) 871
Ross McLernon (UUP) 707
Ally Haydock (SDLP) 695
Alexander Redpath (UUP) 632
Stuart Brown (Ind) 107
Votes by Party:
DUP 2,856 (38.0%) 2 seats
Alliance 1,524 (20.3%) 1 seat
UUP 1,339 (17.8%) 1 seat
SF 994 (13.2%) 1 seat
SDLP 695 (9.2%)
Ind 107 (1.4%)

Electorate: 14,361; votes cast: 7,591 (52.9%); invalid votes: 76 (1.0%); valid votes: 7,515; quota: 1,253.

Tinsley (DUP) was 158.12 ahead of his running mate Leathem for the last seat, with no undistributed surpluses. The successful Alliance candidate had come last here in 2014 under the NI21 banner.

2014 (25 May)

First Count:
Thomas Beckett (DUP) 1,216
Robbie Butler (UUP) 1,180
James Tinsley (DUP) 864
Mary Kate Quinn (SF) 854
William Leathem (DUP) 809
Patrick Catney (SDLP) 698
Jonnie McCrea (Alliance) 455
David Honeyford (NI21) 399
Votes by Party:
DUP 2,889 (44.6%) 3 seats
UUP 1,180 (18.2%) 1 seat
SF 854 (13.2%)
SDLP 698 (10.8%) 1 seat
Alliance 455 (7.0%)
NI21 399 (6.2%)

Electorate 12,863; votes cast 6,534 (50.8%); spoilt votes 59 (0.9%); valid votes 6,475; quota: 1,080.

Quinn (SF) finished 117.85 votes behind Tinsley (DUP) on the last count. Catney (SDLP) started 156 votes behind her with less than two-thirds of a quota, but took 297 of 654 Alliance transfers on the last count, Quinn getting only 30, which won him the Nationalist seat.

Irish Observer projected 2 DUP, 1 SF, 1 UUP, 1 SDLP, and Faha 2 DUP, 1 UUP, 1 SDLP, 1 Alliance. Either way it's a good result for the DUP and a disappointing one for Alliance and SF.


Castlereagh South (7 seats)

Westminster seat: East Belfast, South Belfast, and Strangford
Includes these wards: Beechill, Cairnshill, Carryduff East, Carryduff West, Galwally, Knockbracken, and Newtownbreda.

2019 (2 May)

SF & Greens gain from SDLP & DUP.

First Count:
Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance) 1,629
Nathan Anderson (DUP) 1,503
Michelle Guy (Alliance) 1,236
Ryan Carlin (SF) 1,069
John Gallen (SDLP) 975
Simon Lee (Green) 648
Michael Henderson (UUP) 628
Rachael McCarthy (SDLP) 463
Jason Elliiott (DUP) 335
Geraldine Rice (Ind) 237
Vasundhara Kamble (DUP) 208
Nicola Girvin (TUV) 146
Votes by Party:
Alliance 2,865 (31.6%) 2 seats
DUP 2,046 (22.5%) 1 seat
SDLP 1,438 (15.8%) 1 seat
SF 1,069 (11.8%) 1 seat
Green 648 (7.1%) 1 seat
UUP 628 (6.9%) 1 seat
Ind 237 (2.6%)
TUV 146 (1.6%)

Electorate: 17,351; votes cast: 9,130 (52.6%); invalid votes: 53 (0.6%); valid votes: 9,077; quota: 1,135.

Henderson (UUP) was 79.08 ahead of Elliiott (DUP) for the last seat, with an SDLP surplus of 30.68 undistributed, which would have widened the final margin. Alliance had just over 2.5 quotas. It would have interesting if they fielded a third candidate. The fact that both of their councillors elected here in 2014 had left the party and were standing against it may have been an issue.

Also of note, Castlereagh South had the lowest proportion of invalid votes at 0.58%, compared to 1.4% for all of Northern Ireland and the highest being Dungannon at 3.9%.

2014 (25 May)

First Count:
Geraldine Rice (Alliance) 1,221
John Gallen (SDLP) 964
Nathan Anderson (DUP) 942
Michael Henderson (UUP) 902
Brian Hanvey (SDLP) 876
Nuala Toman (SF) 803
Vasundhara Kamble (Alliance) 669
Wallace Douglas (TUV) 520
Ben Mallon (DUP) 499
Vikki Nelson (DUP) 359
Elizabeth McCord (NI21) 290
Adam Murray (NI21) 69
Votes by Party:
Alliance 1,890 (23.0%) 2 seats
SDLP 1,840 (22.7%) 2 seats
DUP 1,800 (22.2%) 2 seats
UUP 902 (11.1%) 1 seat
SF 803 (9.9%)
TUV 520 (6.4%)
NI21 359 (4.4%)

Electorate 16,309; votes cast 8,198 (50.3%); spoilt votes 88 (1.1%); valid votes 8,110; quota: 1,015.

Hanvey (SDLP) finished 108.39 votes ahead of Toman (SF). Two DUP surpluses totalling 81 votes remained undistributed; this would have widened the margin a bit.

Irish Observer projected 2 DUP, 2 SDLP, 2 Alliance, 1 UUP, which was the actual result. Faha projected 3 SDLP, 2 DUP, 1 Alliance, 1 UUP, which would certainly have been a possible outcome if the SDLP had had a third candidate..


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