Belfast East (UK Parliament constituency)

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Belfast East
Borough constituency
Belfast East shown within Northern Ireland
Created: 1885, 1922
MP: Peter Robinson
Party: Democratic Unionist
Type: House of Commons
Districts: Belfast, Castlereagh
EP constituency: Northern Ireland

Belfast East is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It has always elected various brands of Unionist MPs.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

The seat was created in 1922 when, as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut. The seat is centred on the east section of Belfast and also contains part of the district of Castlereagh.

[edit] Proposed Boundary changes

At the time of writing the Boundary Commission has proposed alterations for the boundaries of constituencies in Northern Ireland. It is proposed to expand Belfast East further into Castlereagh, taking in areas currently contained in Strangford, however almost all of these areas were part of Belfast East until 1983. A small part of the constituency has been proposed for transfer to Belfast South.

At the boundary commission local enquiry which took place in September 2005 the proposal to add the ward of Cregagh to South Belfast proved hugely controversial, being strongly opposed by the DUP but supported by the Ulster Unionists. It was also one of the issues which generated the most negative comments in the written submissions with a petition representing half of Cregagh's residents opposing its move for example.

Alliance put forth two proposals: one for a three seat Belfast which would abolish this seat and a four seat solution in which Hillfoot and Moneyreagh would join S.Belfast instead of Cregagh/Wynchurch. They were supported on the latter issue by the DUP. The SDLP and Sinn Féin were generally supportive of the commissions proposals, although Sinn Féin in their written representation suggested moving Ballymaccarrett ward from East to South Belfast.

The Commission's revised recommendations, published in May 2006, have maintained Cregagh ward in East Belfast. Hillfoot and Wynchurch are to be transferred to South Belfast with the 5 wards around Dundonald joining East Belfast. As revised recommendations are rarely changed it is likely that these boundaries will be the final recommendations.

[edit] History

Belfast East is an overwhelmingly unionist constituency with nationalist parties routinely failing to get more than 10% of the vote combined. The main interest has been the contest between unionist parties and the fortunes of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.

Dominated by the giant Samson and Goliath cranes of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, the constituency is socially mixed. There are large expanses of small Victorian terraced housing near Belfast City Centre and around the shipyard in Ballymacarrett. These areas have seen significant refurbishment, and in some places demolition and redevelopment, in recent years sparking a sharp rise in house prices. This is contrasted by a large amount of solidly lower-middle class housing and some exclusive residential districts such as Stormont and the much mocked Cherryvalley. This social polarisation is to a large degree reflected by the political polarisation, at least within the broader unionist family, in the seat. The small Catholic population is split between the Short Strand enclave and minorities in the more middle-class parts of the seat.

The seat was consistently held by the Ulster Unionist Party until the 1974 general election when the sitting MP, Stanley McMaster, defended it as a Pro-Assembly Unionist against a united anti-Sunningdale Agreement coalition which nominated William Craig of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party. Craig won the seat and held it for five years, moving to the UUP in February 1978.

In the 1979 general election the constituency witnessed a very close three way fight between Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party, William Craig for the UUP and Oliver Napier for the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Less than 1000 votes separated the three candidates - the closest the Alliance has ever come to winning a Westminster seat. Robinson beat Craig by the narrow margin of 64 votes. Also of note was that over 90% of the votes cast went to parties that had not contested the seat at the previous election - in part due to realignments of the parties.

Robinson has held the seat ever since but the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland continued to poll well thereafter, and in 1987 John Alderdice polled 32.1% of the vote - the highest ever for the Alliance in a Westminster election. However in recent years their vote has declined and in 2005 they finished a distant third.

In the 2001 Alliance proposed a pro-Good Friday Agreement pact with the Ulster Unionist Party in the hopes of getting UUP support in Belfast East. However the UUP did not agree and so both parties stood. Robinson was re-elected with 42.5% of the vote, with the UUP, Alliance and Progressive Unionist Party carving up the pro-Agreement pro-union vote between them, but it is doubtful that an unopposed Alliance candidate could have consolidated all of that vote to beat Robinson. With the subsequent decline of all three parties, the DUP look likely to retain the seat for the foreseeable future.

Of all eighteen constituencies in Northern Ireland, East Belfast has the highest percentage of Methodists.

[edit] Westminster elections

[edit] Members of Parliament

The Member of Parliament since the 1979 general election is Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party. He defeated William Craig who sat for the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party from the February 1974 general election until 1978 then for the Ulster Unionist Party from 1978 until the 1979 election.

Year Member Party
1885 Edward Samuel Wesley de Cobain Ulster Unionist
1892 Gustav Wilhelm Wolff Ulster Unionist
1910 Robert James McMordie Ulster Unionist
1914 Robert Gordon Sharman-Crawford Ulster Unionist
Abolished 1918; revived 1922
1922 Herbert Dixon Ulster Unionist
1940 H.P. Harland Ulster Unionist
1945 T.L. Cole Ulster Unionist
1950 Alan McKibbin Ulster Unionist
1959 Stanley McMaster Ulster Unionist
1974 William Craig Vanguard Progressive Unionist 1974 - 1978
Ulster Unionist 1978 - 1979
1979 Peter Robinson Democratic Unionist

[edit] Elections

[edit] Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson 15,152 49.1 +6.6
Ulster Unionist Reg Empey 9,275 30.1 +6.9
Alliance (NI) Naomi Long 3,746 12.2 -3.6
Sinn Féin Deborah Devenny 1,029 3.3 -0.1
Social Democratic & Labour Mary Muldoon 844 2.7 +0.3
Conservative Alan Greer 434 1.4 -0.8
Workers Party Joe Bell 179 0.6 +0.3
Rainbow Dream Ticket Lynda Gilby 172 0.6 +0.4
Majority 5,877 19.1
Turnout 30,831 58.0 -5.0
Democratic Unionist hold Swing
General Election 2001: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson 15,667 42.5 -0.1
Ulster Unionist Tim Lemon 8,550 23.2 -2.1
Alliance (NI) David Alderdice 5,832 15.8 -8.0
Progressive Unionist David Ervine 3,669 10.0 N/A
Sinn Féin Joe O'Donnell 1,237 3.4 +1.3
Social Democratic & Labour Ciara Farren 880 2.4 +0.8
Conservative Terry Dick 800 2.2 -0.2
Workers Party Joe Bell 123 0.3 N/A
Vote For Yourself Rainbow George Weiss 71 0.2 N/A
Majority 7,117 19.3
Turnout 36,829 63.0 -0.2
Democratic Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson 16,640 42.6
Ulster Unionist Reg Empey 9,886 25.3
Alliance (NI) Jim Hendron 9,288 23.8
Conservative S. Dines 928 2.4
Sinn Féin D. Corr 810 2.1
Social Democratic & Labour P. Lewsley 629 1.6
Former Captain NI Football Team Derek Dougan 541 1.4
Workers Party Joe Bell 237 0.6
Natural Law D. Collins 70 0.2
Majority 6,754
Turnout 63.2
Democratic Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1992: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson 18,437 51.5
Alliance (NI) John Alderdice 10,650 29.8
Conservative David Greene 3,314 9.3
Independent Ulster Unionist Dorothy Dunlop 2,256 6.3
Sinn Féin Joe O'Donnell 679 1.9
Workers Party Joe Bell 327 0.9
Natural Law G. Redden 128 0.4
Majority 7,787
Turnout 67.7
Democratic Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson 20,372 61.9
Alliance (NI) John Alderdice 10,574 32.1
Workers Party Frank Cullen 1,314 4.0
Sinn Féin Joe O'Donnell 649 2.0
Majority 9,798 29.8
Turnout 60.2
Democratic Unionist hold Swing
Belfast East by-election, 1986
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson 27,607
Alliance (NI) Oliver Napier 5,917
Workers Party Frank Cullen 578
Majority 21,690
Turnout 60.2
Democratic Unionist hold Swing

Note: The by-election was caused by the decision of all Unionist MPs to resign their seats and seek re-election on a platform of opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.

General Election 1983: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson 17,631 45.3
Ulster Unionist Jeremy Burchill 9,642 24.8
Alliance (NI) Oliver Napier 9,373 24.1
Sinn Féin Denis Donaldson 682 1.8
Labour and Trade Union Muriel Tang 584 1.5
Social Democratic & Labour P. Prendiville 519 1.3
Workers Party Frank Cullen 421 1.1
New Agenda H. Boyd 59 0.2
Majority 7,989 20.5
Turnout 70.0
Democratic Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Unionist Peter Robinson 15,994 31.4
Ulster Unionist William Craig 15,930 31.2
Alliance (NI) Oliver Napier 15,066 29.6
Unionist Party NI N. Agnew 2,017 4.0
Labour (NI) G. Chambers 1,982 3.9
Majority 64 0.1
Turnout 67.6
Democratic Unionist gain from Vanguard Progressive Unionist Swing
General Election October 1974: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Vanguard Progressive Unionist William Craig 31,594 59.1
Unionist Party NI P. J. McLachlan 14,417 27.0
Labour (NI) David Bleakley 7,415 13.9
Majority 17,177 32.2
Turnout 67.1
Vanguard Progressive Unionist hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Vanguard Progressive Unionist William Craig 27,817 48.4
Pro-Assembly Unionist Stanley McMaster 20,077 34.9
Labour (NI) David Bleakley 8,122 14.1
Social Democratic & Labour D. Gillespie 1,502 2.6
Majority 7,740 13.5
Turnout 71.9
Vanguard Progressive Unionist gain from Ulster Unionist Swing
General Election 1970: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Stanley McMaster 26,778 59.5
Labour (NI) David Bleakley 18,259 40.5
Majority 8,519 18.9
Turnout 75.6
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Stanley McMaster 21,283 54.7
Labour (NI) M. McBirney 17,650 45.3
Majority 3,633 9.3
Turnout 68.2
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1964: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Stanley McMaster 24,804 58.8
Labour (NI) S. J. Watt 15,555 36.9
Independent Republican D. McConnell 1,827 4.3
Majority 9,249 21.9
Turnout 72.5
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Stanley McMaster 26,510 60.1
Labour (NI) J. S. Gardner 16,412 37.2
Sinn Féin B. Boswell 1,204 2.7
Majority 9,249 21.9
Turnout 90.7
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
Belfast East by-election, 1959
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Stanley McMaster 19,524
Labour (NI) J. S. Gardner 14,264
Majority 5,260
Turnout
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1955: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Alan McKibbin 26,938 62.5
Labour (NI) Thomas Boyd 13,041 30.2
Sinn Féin L. Mulcahy 3,156 7.3
Majority 13,897 32.2
Turnout 70.4
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1951: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Alan McKibbin 28,881 61.7
Labour (NI) Thomas Boyd 17,910 38.3
Majority 10,971 23.5
Turnout 74.5
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1950: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Alan McKibbin 29,844 63.3
Labour (NI) Thomas Boyd 17,338 36.7
Majority 12,506 26.6
Turnout 76.6
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Thomas Cole 21,443 56.4 N/A
Labour (NI) Thomas Boyd 17,338 43.6 N/A
Majority 4,869 12.8 N/A
Turnout 38,017 63.2 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
In the Belfast East by-election, 1940, H. P. Harland was elected unopposed.

[edit] Elections in the 1930s

In the 1935 UK general election, Herbert Dixon was elected unopposed.
General Election 1931: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Herbert Dixon 28,431 75.1 0.0
Labour (NI) John Campbell 9,410 24.9 N/A
Majority 19,021 50.3 + 0.1
Turnout 37,841 66.2 + 0.5
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Belfast East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Herbert Dixon 27,855 75.1 N/A
Liberal Denis Ireland 9,230 24.9 N/A
Majority 18,625 50.2 N/A
Turnout 37,085 65.7 N/A
Ulster Unionist hold Swing N/A
In the 1922, 1923 and 1924 UK general elections, Herbert Dixon was elected unopposed.

[edit] Assemblies and Forum elections

The six MLAs for the constituency elected in the 2003 election are:

In the 1998 election the six MLAs elected were:

In the 1996 election to the Northern Ireland Peace Forum, 5 Forum members were elected from East Belfast. They were as follows:

In 1982 elections were held for an Assembly for Northern Ireland to hold the Secretary of State to account, in the hope that this would be the first step towards restoring devolution. East Belfast elected 6 members as follows:

In 1975 elections were held to a Constitutional Convention which sought (unsuccessfully) to generate a consensus on the future of the province. The six members elected from East Belfast were:

In 1973 elections were held to the Assembly set up under the Sunningdale Agreement. The six members elected from East Belfast were:

[edit] Sources

[edit] See also

Constituencies in Northern Ireland
DUP

Belfast East | Belfast North | East Antrim | East Londonderry | Lagan Valley | North Antrim | South Antrim | Strangford | Upper Bann
Sinn Féin

Belfast West | Fermanagh and South Tyrone | Mid Ulster | Newry and Armagh | West Tyrone
SDLP

Belfast South | Foyle | South Down
UUP

North Down
Northern Ireland European constituency: DUP (1) | Sinn Féin (1) | UUP (1)
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