October 1974 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

On 10 October 1974, the October 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.

This was the second general election to take place in 1974, as Harold Wilson who was leading a minority government sought to secure a majority for the Labour Party. He was successful, but only by a very narrow margin, which dissipated over the course of the parliament.

In Northern Ireland, the United Ulster Unionist Council continued to support an arrangement between the Ulster Unionist Party, the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party and the Democratic Unionist Party not to contest against each other in their joint opposition to the Sunningdale Agreement, while former Prime Minister of Northern Ireland Brian Faulkner led the new Unionist Party of Northern Ireland in favour of a coalition-based executive under the Agreement. Enoch Powell, formerly an MP for Wolverhampton South West from 1959 to February 1974, was elected for South Down. Powell had left the Conservative Party in opposition to the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities.

On the nationalist side, the SDLP held its seat in Belfast West, and stood aside in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, allowing for the defeat of UUP leader Harry West by Independent Nationalist Frank Maguire.

Candidates

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

Affiliation CandidatesSocial Democratic and Labour Party 9Ulster Unionist Party 7Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 5Republican Clubs 5Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party 3Northern Ireland Labour Party 3Democratic Unionist Party 2Unionist Party of Northern Ireland 2Marxist-Leninist (Ireland) 3Independent Republican 1Independent Unionist 1Volunteer Political Party 1Independent 1Total 43

Results

+PartySeatsAggregate Votes Total Gains Losses Net Of total (%) Total Of total (%) Change (%) 6 0 1 1 50.0 256,065 36.5 4.2 1 0 0 8.3 154,193 22.4 0.2 3 0 0 25.0 92,622 13.1 2.5 1 0 0 8.3 59,451 8.5 0.3 0 0 0 — 44,644 6.4 3.2 1 1 0 1 8.3 32,795 4.7 3.9 0 0 0 — 21,633 3.1 1.0 0 0 0 — 20,454 3.1 10.0 0 0 0 — 11,539 1.6 0.6 0 colspan="3" — 4,982 0.7   Volunteer 0 colspan=3 — 2,690 0.4 0 colspan="3" — 540 0.1 0 0 0 — 846 0.1 0.1 Total 12 0 100.0 702,094 100.0 0.0 Registered voters, and turnout 1,036,523 67.7 2.2

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 Enoch PowellFermanagh and South Tyrone Frank MaguireLondonderry William RossMid Ulster John Dunlop

Notes

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

References