1997 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

On 1 May 1997, the 1997 United Kingdom general election was held in Northern Ireland, to elect all 659 members of the House of Commons, including the 18 Northern Ireland seats. This was an increase of one seat in Northern Ireland, where the House of Commons as a whole had increased from 650 to 659 seats.

1,177,969 people were eligible to vote, up 53,069 from the 1992 general election. 67.39% of eligible voters turned out (when including spoiled ballots), down 2.6 percentage points from the last general election.

The Labour Party led by Tony Blair won a large majority with 418 of 659 seats, returning to office after 18 years of Conservative Party government. In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin gained two seats, beginning a steady growth in support in elections to the House of Commons.

Less than a year after this election, on 10 April 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed, providing for a Northern Ireland Assembly and devolved government through the Northern Ireland Executive.

Results summary

++PartySeatsAggregate Votes Total Gains LossesNet Of all (%)Total Of all (%)Difference 10 1 0 1 55.6 258,349 32.7 1.8 3 0 1 1 16.7 190,814 24.1 0.6 2 2 0 2 11.1 126,921 16.1 6.1 2 0 1 1 11.1 107,348 13.6 0.5 1 colspan="2" 1 5.6 12,817 1.6 0 0 0 — 62,972 8.0 0.7 0 0 0 — 10,934 1.4 1.4 0 0 0 — 9,858 1.2 4.5 0 colspan="3" — 3,024 0.4 0 0 0 — 2,766 0.3 0.2 0 0 0 — 2,210 0.3 0.1 0 0 0 — 539 0.1 0 colspan="3" — 81 0.0 0 0 0 — 2,136 0.3 0.5 Total 18 790,762 67.1 2.7

MPs elected Constituency Party MPEast Antrim Roy BeggsNorth Antrim Ian PaisleySouth Antrim Clifford ForsytheBelfast East Peter RobinsonBelfast North Cecil WalkerBelfast South Martin SmythBelfast West Gerry AdamsNorth Down Robert McCartneySouth Down Eddie McGradyFermanagh and South Tyrone Ken MaginnisFoyle John HumeLagan Valley Jeffrey DonaldsonEast Londonderry William RossMid Ulster Martin McGuinnessNewry and Armagh Seamus MallonStrangford John TaylorWest Tyrone William ThompsonUpper Bann David Trimble

By-elections Constituency Date Incumbent Party Winner Party CauseSouth AntrimClifford Forsythe William McCrea Death

See also 1997 United Kingdom general election in England 1997 United Kingdom general election in Scotland 1997 United Kingdom general election in Wales

References