On 28 February 1974, the February 1974 United Kingdom general election was held in Northern Ireland, to elect all 635 members of the House of Commons, with 12 constituencies being in Northern Ireland.

Boundary Review

As part of the second periodic review of Westminster constituencies, the boundaries were changed in Northern Ireland, with the number of constituencies being unchanged in number to those used between 1955 and 1970. There were also some changes to the 12 constituency boundaries in Northern Ireland, and more widely across the United Kingdom.

As a result, however, there were no parties in Northern Ireland saw any any notional seat changes as a result of the otherwise minor alterations in seat boundaries.

Candidates

Below is a table summarising the candidates of the February 1974 general election in Northern Ireland.

Affiliation CandidatesSocial Democratic and Labour Party 12Ulster Unionist Party 7Pro-Assembly Unionist 7Northern Ireland Labour Party 5Republican Clubs 4Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party 3Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 3Democratic Unionist Party 2Unity 2Independent 1Independent Republican 1Independent Socialist 1Total 48

Analysis

The election took place soon after the Sunningdale Agreement, signed 9 December 1973. On 1 January 1974, an Executive was formed under the terms of the Agreement, based on the result of the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election, with Ulster Unionist Party leader Brian Faulkner as Chief Executive. It had six members from the UUP, four from the nationalist SDLP and one from the Alliance Party. These parties had both been founded in 1970.

Later in January 1974, the Ulster Unionist Council voted against participation in the Executive and Faulkner lost the leadership of the UUP to Harry West. West formed the United Ulster Unionist Council with the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (VUPP), founded in 1972 by William Craig, and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), founded in 1971 by Ian Paisley. They agreed that only one anti-Sunningdale Unionist would stand in each constituency. This strategy proved successful, with the UUUC winning 11 of the 12 seats. Seven supporters of Faulkner stood as Pro-Assembly Unionists, including outgoing MPs Stanley McMaster and Rafton Pounder.

On the nationalist side, former Republican Labour Party leader Gerry Fitt had formed the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Fitt held his seat in Belfast West, but the split in the nationalist vote in Fermanagh and South Tyrone allowed Harry West to gain a seat from Unity. Bernadette McAliskey, who had held a seat for Unity since 1969 for Mid Ulster, contested as an independent but lost, again where a split in the nationalist vote allowed a new Unionist MP to gain.

In the election as a whole, the Conservative Party failed to return to government and the Labour Party formed a minority government led by Harold Wilson as Prime Minister.

Results

+PartySeatsAggregate Votes Total Gains Losses Net Of total (%) Total Of total (%) Change (%) 7 1 2 1 58.3 232,103 32.1 22.1 1 colspan=2 1 8.3 160,437 22.2 0 colspan="3" — 94,301 13.0 3 colspan="2" 3 25.0 75,944 10.5 1 0 0 8.3 58,656 8.1 3.7 0 colspan="3" — 22,660 3.1 0 0 2 2 — 17,593 2.5 15.6 0 0 0 — 17,284 2.4 10.2 0 colspan="3" — 16,672 2.3 0 colspan="3" — 15,152 2.1 0 colspan=3 — 5,662 0.8 0 0 0 — 1,162 0.2 0.3   Other 0 colspan=2 1 — 0 0.0 Total 12 0 100.0 717,626 100.0 0.0 Registered voters, and turnout 1,027,155 69.9 6.7

MPs elected Constituency Party MPAntrim North Ian PaisleyAntrim South James MolyneauxArmagh Harold McCuskerBelfast East William CraigBelfast North John CarsonBelfast South Robert BradfordBelfast West Gerry FittDown North Jim KilfedderDown South Lawrence OrrFermanagh and South Tyrone Harry WestLondonderry William RossMid Ulster John Dunlop

Notes

See also February 1974 United Kingdom general election in England February 1974 United Kingdom general election in Scotland February 1974 United Kingdom general election in Wales

References