Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)

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Fermanagh and South Tyrone
County constituency
Fermanagh and South Tyrone shown within Northern Ireland
Created: 1950
MP: Michelle Gildernew
Party: Sinn Féin
Type: House of Commons
Districts: Fermanagh, Dungannon and South Tyrone
EP constituency: Northern Ireland

Fermanagh & South Tyrone is a Parliamentary Constituency in the British House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

Fermanagh countryside
Enlarge
Fermanagh countryside

The seat was created in 1950 when the old Fermanagh & Tyrone two MP constituency was abolished as part of the final move to single member seats. As the name implies, the seat includes all of County Fermanagh and the southern part of County Tyrone. Of the post 1973 districts, it initially contained all of Fermanagh and Dungannon and South Tyrone.

In boundary changes proposed by a review in 1995, a portion of Dungannon and South Tyrone (then simply called Dungannon) district was transferred to the Mid Ulster constituency.

At the time of writing the Boundary Commission has proposed alterations to the Northern Ireland constituencies, however no changes are proposed for Fermanagh & South Tyrone.

[edit] History

For the history of the constituency prior to 1950, see Fermanagh and Tyrone (constituency).

Throughout its history, Fermanagh and South Tyrone has seen a precarious balance between unionists and nationalist voters, though in recent years the nationalists have advanced significantly to be in a clear majority. Many elections have seen a candidate from one community triumph due to candidates from the other community splitting the vote.

Perhaps because of this, Fermanagh and South Tyrone has repeatedly had the highest turnout of any constituency in Northern Ireland.

The seat was initially won by the Irish Nationalist Party in 1950 and 1951, the closely contested 1951 election seeing a 93.4% turnout - a UK record for any election.

In 1955, the constituency was won by Philip Clarke of Sinn Féin in, however he was unseated on petition on the basis that his convictions for IRA activity made him ineligible, and it was granted to the Ulster Unionist candidate.

In 1970 the seat was won by Frank McManus standing on the "Unity" ticket which sought to unite nationalist voters behind a single candidate. However in the February 1974 general election the Social Democratic and Labour Party contested the seat, dividing the nationalist vote and allowing Harry West of the Ulster Unionist Party to win with the support of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party.

In the October 1974 general election a nationalist pact was agreed and Frank Maguire won, standing as an Independent Republican. He retained his seat in the 1979 general election, when both the Unionist and Nationalist votes were split, the former by the intervention of Ernest Baird, leader of the short-lived United Ulster Unionist Party, and the latter by Austin Currie, who defied the official SDLP decision to not contest the seat. Maguire died in early 1981.

The ensuing by-election took place amidst the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike and is widely considered to be the single most important and prominent by-election in modern Ireland. In order to test public opinion, the IRA Officer Commanding in Long Kesh, Bobby Sands was nominated as an Anti-H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner. Harry West also stood for the Ulster Unionist Party but no other candidates contested the by-election. On April 9, 1981, Sands won with 30,492 votes against 29,046 for West. 26 days later Sands died of starvation.

Speedy legislation barred "convicted felons" from standing for Parliament and so in the new by-election Sands' agent Owen Carron stood as a "Proxy Political Prisoner". The Ulster Unionist Party nominated Ken Maginnis. The second by-election in August was also contested by the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, the Workers' Party Republican Clubs, a candidate standing on a label of General Amnesty and another as The Peace Lover. The turnout was even higher, with most of the additional votes going to the additional parties standing, and Carron was elected.

These victories had the effect of pushing Republicans towards the Armalite and ballot box strategy. In the 1982 elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly Carron headed up the Sinn Féin slate for the constituency and was elected.

Republicans suffered a reversal in the 1983 general election when the Social Democratic and Labour Party contested the seat. Maginnis won and held the seat for the Ulster Unionist Party for the next eighteen years until he retired. By this point boundary changes had resulted in a broad 50:50 balance between Unionists and Nationalists and it was expected that a single Unionist candidate would hold the seat in the 2001 general election. James Cooper was nominated by the Ulster Unionist Party.

However on this occasion it was the unionist vote that was to be split. Initially Maurice Morrow of the Democratic Unionist Party was nominated to stand, with the DUP fiercely opposing the UUP's support for the Good Friday Agreement. However Morrow then withdrew in favour of Jim Dixon, a survivor of the Enniskillen bombing who stood as an Independent Unionist opposed to the Agreement. Dixon polled 6,843 votes, far in excess of the mere 53 vote lead that Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew had over Cooper. Subsequently the result was challenged amid allegations that a polling station had been kept open for longer than the deadline, allowing more people to vote, but the courts did not uphold the challenge.

Ahead of the 2005 general election there was much speculation that a single Unionist candidate could retake the seat. However the UUP and DUP ran opposing candidates and in the event Gildernew held her seat.

[edit] Westminster elections

[edit] Members of Parliament

The Member of Parliament since the 2001 general election is Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin. Between 1983 and 2001 the MP was Ken Maginnis of the Ulster Unionist Party who retired at that election.

Constituency created (1950)
1950 Cahir Healy Nationalist
1955 Philip Christopher Clarke Sinn Féin - subsequently unseated on petition
1955 Lord Robert Grosvenor Ulster Unionist
1964 James Hamilton, Marquess of Hamilton Ulster Unionist
1970 Frank McManus Unity
1974 Harry West Ulster Unionist
1974 Frank Maguire Independent Republican
1981 (by-election) Bobby Sands Anti-H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner
1981 (second by-election) Owen Carron 1981-82: Anti-H-Block Proxy Political Prisoner
1982-83: Sinn Féin
1983 Ken Maginnis Ulster Unionist
2001 Michelle Gildernew Sinn Féin

[edit] Elections

[edit] Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Michelle Gildernew 18,638 38.2 +4.1
Democratic Unionist Arlene Foster 14,056 28.8 N/A
Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott 8,869 18.2 -15.8
Social Democratic & Labour Tommy Gallagher 7,230 14.8 -3.9
Majority 4,582 9.4
Turnout 48,793 72.6 -5.4
Sinn Féin hold Swing
General Election 2001: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Michelle Gildernew 17,739 34.1 +11.0
Ulster Unionist James Cooper 17,686 34.0 -17.5
Social Democratic & Labour Tommy Gallagher 9,706 18.7 -4.2
Independent Jim Dixon 6,843 13.2 N/A
Majority 53 0.1
Turnout 51,974 78.0 +3.2
Sinn Féin gain from Ulster Unionist Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Ken Maginnis 24,862 51.5
Sinn Féin Gerry McHugh 11,174 23.1
Social Democratic & Labour Tommy Gallagher 11,060 22.9
Alliance (NI) S. Farry 977 2.0
Natural Law S. Gillan 217 0.4
Majority 13,688
Turnout 74.8
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

Boundary changes took effect from the 1997 general election.

General Election 1992: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Ken Maginnis 26,923 48.8
Social Democratic & Labour Tommy Gallagher 12,810 23.2
Sinn Féin Francie Molloy 12,604 22.9
Independent Progressive Socialist David Kettyles 1,094 2.0
Alliance (NI) Eric Bullick 950 1.7
New Agenda Gerry Cullen 747 1.4
Majority 14,113 25.6
Turnout 78.5
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Ken Maginnis 27,446 49.6
Sinn Féin Paul Corrigan 14,623 26.4
Social Democratic & Labour Rosemary Flanagan 10,581 19.1
Workers Party David Kettyles 1,784 3.2
Alliance (NI) John Haslett 950 1.7
Majority 12,823 23.2
Turnout 80.3
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1986
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Ken Maginnis 27,857
Sinn Féin Owen Carron 15,278
Social Democratic & Labour Austin Currie 12,081
Workers Party David Kettyles 864
Majority 12,579
Turnout
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1983: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Ken Maginnis 28,630 47.6
Sinn Féin Owen Carron 20,954 34.8
Social Democratic & Labour Rosemary Flanagan 9,923 16.5
Workers Party David Kettyles 649 1.1
Majority 7,676 12.8
Turnout 88.6
Ulster Unionist gain from Independent Swing

Minor boundary changes took effect from the 1983 general election.

By-election, August 1981: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Anti H-Block Owen Carron 31,278 49.1 -3.1
Ulster Unionist Ken Maginnis 29,048 45.6 -4.2
Alliance (NI) Seamus Close 1,930 3.0 N/A
Republican Clubs Tom Moore 1,132 1.8 N/A
General Amnesty Martin Green 249 0.4 N/A
The Peace Lover Simon Hall-Raleigh 90 0.1 N/A
Majority 2,230
Turnout 88.6 1.7
Anti H-Block hold Swing
By-election, April 1981: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Anti H-Block Bobby Sands 30,493 51.2 N/A
Ulster Unionist Harry West 29,046 48.8 +20.8
Majority 1,447 2.4 N/A
Turnout
Anti H-Block gain from Independent Republican Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Republican Frank Maguire 22,398 36.0
Ulster Unionist Raymond Ferguson 17,411 28.0
Social Democratic & Labour Austin Currie 10,785 17.3
United Ulster Unionist E. Baird 10,607 17.0
Alliance (NI) P. Acheson 1,070 1.7
Majority 4,987 8.0
Turnout 87.1
Independent Republican hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Republican Frank Maguire 32,795 51.8
Ulster Unionist Harry West 30,285 47.9
Communist (Ireland, M-L) A. J. Evans 185 0.3
Majority 2,510 4.0
Turnout 88.7
Independent Republican gain from Ulster Unionist Swing
General Election February 1974: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Harry West 26,858 43.6
Unity Frank McManus 16,229 26.3
Social Democratic & Labour D. Haughey 15,410 25.0
Pro-Assembly Unionist H. Brown 3,157 5.1
Majority 10,629 17.2
Turnout 88.4
Ulster Unionist gain from Unity Swing
General Election 1970: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Unity Frank McManus 32,837 51.1
Ulster Unionist James Hamilton 31,390 48.9
Majority 1,447 2.3
Turnout 92.1
Unity gain from Ulster Unionist Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist James Hamilton 29,352 54.0
Unity J. J. Donnelly 14,645 26.9
Independent Republican Rory Brady (Ruairí Ó Brádaigh) 10,370 19.1
Majority 14,707 27.1
Turnout 86.0
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1964: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist James Hamilton 30,010 55.1
Independent Republican A. Mulloy 14,645 26.9
Liberal G. E. FitzHerbert 6,006 11.0
Labour (NI) B. W. Gamble 2,339 4.3
Majority 13,872 25.5
Turnout 85.6
Ulster Unionist hold Swing

[edit] Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Ulster Unionist Lord Robert Grosvenor 32,080 81.4
Sinn Féin J. H. Martin 7,348 18.6
Majority 24,732 62.7
Turnout 61.6
Ulster Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1955: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Philip Clarke 30,529 50.2
Ulster Unionist Lord Robert Grosvenor 30,268 49.8
Majority 261 0.4
Turnout 92.6
Sinn Féin gain from Irish Nationalist Swing

After the election, Philip Clarke was found ineligible by an election court, and Lord Robert Grosvenor was declared elected in his place.

General Election 1951: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Nationalist Cahir Healy 32,717 52.1
Ulster Unionist G. F. Patterson 30,268 47.9
Majority 2,635 4.2
Turnout 93.4
Irish Nationalist hold Swing
General Election 1950: Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Irish Nationalist Cahir Healy 32,188 51.9
Ulster Unionist H. S. C. Richardson 29,877 48.1
Majority 2,311 3.8
Turnout
Irish Nationalist hold Swing

[edit] Assemblies and Forum elections

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

Changes 2003 - present

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 Fermanagh & South Tyrone. 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. Fermanagh & South Tyrone elected 5 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 Fermanagh & South Tyrone were:

In 1973 elections were held to the Assembly set up under the Sunningdale Agreement. The six members elected from Fermanagh & South Tyrone 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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