Strangford (UK Parliament constituency)

Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983 onwards

For other constituencies of the same name, see Strangford (disambiguation).

Strangford

county constituency
for the House of Commons

Boundary of Strangford in Northern Ireland

Major settlements| Newtownards, Comber
Current constituency
Created| 1983
Member of Parliament| Jim Shannon (DUP)
Created from| North Down, Belfast South and Belfast East[1]

Strangford (Irish: Loch Cuan, Ulster Scots: Strangfurd) is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Jim Shannon of the DUP.

## Constituency profile[edit]

Strangford covers the settlements either side of Strangford Lough. Despite the name, the town of Strangford is in the neighbouring South Down constituency.

The seat is strongly unionist, and one of 7 areas of Northern Ireland which voted to leave the European Union.[2]

## Boundaries[edit]

Map of current boundaries

The seat was created after boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from parts of North Down. At its creation the constituency was formed from the local government district of Ards, and the Castlereagh districts of Beechill, Fourwinds, Hillfoot, Lower Braniel, Minnowburn, Moneyreagh, Newtownbreda, and Upper Braniel.[3]

In 1995, the Commission controversially recommended abolishing the constituency and dividing it between North Down and new constituencies of Mid Down, and Castlereagh and Newtownards. This was successfully opposed in local enquiries and from the 1997 general election it was made up of parts of the districts of Ards, Castlereagh and Down.

For the 2010 general election the electoral wards which make up the constituency are:[4]

* Ballygowan, Ballyrainey, Ballywalter, Ballyhalbert, Bradshaw's Brae, Carrowdore, Central, Comber East, Comber North, Comber West, Glen, Gregstown, Killinchy, Kircubbin, Lisbane, Loughries, Movilla, Portaferry, Portavogie, Scrabo and Whitespots, from the Ards district.
* From the Down district; Ballymaglave, Ballynahinch East, Derryboy, Killyleagh, Kilmore and Saintfield
* The Moneyreagh ward from Castlereagh district

## History[edit]

For the history of the equivalent constituencies prior to 1950 please see Down (UK Parliament constituency) and from 1950 until 1983, please see North Down.

The constituency has been represented by Unionist candidates since it was formed. There have not been significant votes for parties outside the traditional unionist block, although the Alliance has saved its deposit in every election.

The main interest in elections has been the contest between the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Until 2001, the UUP were clearly ahead of the DUP in the Westminster elections, but elections to regional assemblies and local government were much closer. In 2001 the sitting MP John Taylor stood down and the contest to succeed him was fierce. The seat was won by Iris Robinson for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the subsequent 2003 assembly election saw the DUP increase their vote further.

## Members of Parliament[edit]

The first Member of Parliament for the seat was John Taylor of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). After the 2001 general election, he was succeeded by Iris Robinson (the wife of Peter Robinson) of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Robinson resigned in January 2010 after a scandal involving financial dealings.[5] However, no by-election was held, as the next general election was held in May.

Election | Member[6] | Party

|
|

| 1983 | John Taylor | Ulster Unionist
| 2001 | Iris Robinson | Democratic Unionist*
| 2010 | Jim Shannon

* Note: Iris Robinson left the DUP shortly before taking Chiltern Hundreds to leave the Commons. The seat was vacant from 13 January 2010 until the general election on 6 May 2010.

## Election results[edit]

Strangford Westminster Election Results 1983-2019

### Elections in the 2020s[edit]

General election 2024: Strangford  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| Alliance | Michelle Guy[7] |  |  |
| TUV | Ron McDowell[8] |  |  |
| SDLP | Will Polland[9] |  |  |
| DUP | Jim Shannon[10] |  |  |
| UUP | Richard Smart[11] |  |  |
Majority  |  |  |
Turnout |  |  |
Registered electors |  |  |
|  | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 2010s[edit]

General election 2019: Strangford[12] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| DUP | Jim Shannon | 17,705  | 47.2  | ―14.8
| Alliance | Kellie Armstrong | 10,634  | 28.4  | +13.7
| UUP | Phillip Smith | 4,023  | 10.7  | ―0.7
| SDLP | Joe Boyle  | 1,994  | 5.3  | ―0.9
| NI Conservatives | Grant Abraham  | 1,476  | 3.9  | +2.6
| Green (NI) | Maurice Macartney  | 790  | 2.1  | +0.5
| Sinn Féin | Ryan Carlin  | 555  | 1.5  | ―1.3
| UKIP | Robert Stephenson  | 308  | 0.8  | New
Majority  | 7,071  | 18.8  | ―28.5
Turnout | 37,485  | 56.0  | ―4.4
Registered electors | 66,938  |  |
| DUP hold | Swing | ―14.3  |
General election 2017: Strangford[13][14] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| DUP | Jim Shannon | 24,036  | 62.0  | +17.6
| Alliance | Kellie Armstrong | 5,693  | 14.7  | +0.9
| UUP | Mike Nesbitt | 4,419  | 11.4  | ―2.9
| SDLP | Joe Boyle  | 2,404  | 6.2  | ―0.7
| Sinn Féin | Carole Murphy  | 1,083  | 2.8  | +0.2
| Green (NI) | Ricky Bamford  | 607  | 1.6  | New
| NI Conservatives | Claire Hiscott  | 507  | 1.3  | ―5.1
Majority  | 18,343  | 47.3  | +17.2
Turnout | 38,749  | 60.4  | +7.6
Registered electors | 64,327  |  |
| DUP hold | Swing | +8.4  |
General election 2015: Strangford[15][16] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| DUP | Jim Shannon | 15,053  | 44.4  | ―1.5
| UUP | Robert Burgess  | 4,868  | 14.3  | ―13.5
| Alliance | Kellie Armstrong | 4,687  | 13.8  | +5.1
| SDLP | Joe Boyle  | 2,335  | 6.9  | +0.2
| UKIP | Joe Jordan[17] | 2,237  | 6.6  | New
| NI Conservatives | Johnny Andrews[18] | 2,167  | 6.4  | New
| TUV | Stephen Cooper  | 1,701  | 5.0  | ―0.6
| Sinn Féin | Sheila Bailie  | 876  | 2.6  | ―1.0
Majority  | 10,185  | 30.1  | +12.0
Turnout | 33,924  | 52.8  | ―0.9
Registered electors | 64,289  |  |
| DUP hold | Swing | +6.0  |
General election 2010: Strangford[19] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| DUP | Jim Shannon | 14,926  | 45.9  | ―8.8
| UCU-NF | Mike Nesbitt | 9,050  | 27.8  | +2.6
| Alliance | Deborah Girvan  | 2,828  | 8.7  | +0.5
| SDLP | Claire Hanna | 2,164  | 6.7  | ±0.0
| TUV | Terry Williams  | 1,814  | 5.6  | New
| Sinn Féin | Michael Coogan  | 1,161  | 3.6  | ―0.1
| Green (NI) | Barbara Haig  | 562  | 1.7  | New
Majority  | 5,876  | 18.1  | ―17.4
Turnout | 32.505  | 53.7  | ―3.4
Registered electors | 60,539  |  |
| DUP hold | Swing | ―7.6  |

### Elections in the 2000s[edit]

General election 2005: Strangford[20] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| DUP | Iris Robinson | 20,921  | 56.5  | +13.7
| UUP | Gareth McGimpsey  | 7,872  | 21.3  | ―19.0
| Alliance | Kieran McCarthy | 3,332  | 9.0  | +2.3
| SDLP | Joe Boyle  | 2,496  | 6.7  | +0.6
| NI Conservatives | Terry Dick  | 1,462  | 3.9  | New
| Sinn Féin | Dermot Kennedy  | 949  | 2.6  | +0.4
Majority  | 13,049  | 35.2  | +32.7
Turnout | 37,032  | 53.6  | ―6.3
Registered electors | 68,570  |  |
| DUP hold | Swing | +16.4  |
General election 2001: Strangford[21] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| DUP | Iris Robinson | 18,532  | 42.8  | +12.6
| UUP | David McNarry | 17,422  | 40.3  | ―4.0
| Alliance | Kieran McCarthy | 2,902  | 6.7  | ―6.4
| SDLP | Danny McCarthy  | 2,646  | 6.1  | ―0.6
| Sinn Féin | Liam Johnston  | 930  | 2.2  | +1.0
| NI Unionist | Cedric Wilson | 822  | 1.9  | New
Majority  | 1,110  | 2.5  | N/A
Turnout | 43,254  | 59.9  | +0.4
Registered electors | 72,192  |  |
| DUP gain from UUP | Swing | ―8.3  |

### Elections in the 1990s[edit]

General election 1997: Strangford[22] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UUP | John David Taylor | 18,431  | 44.3  | ―4.7
| DUP | Iris Robinson | 12,579  | 30.2  | +10.3
| Alliance | Kieran McCarthy | 5,467  | 13.1  | ―3.0
| SDLP | Peter O'Reilly  | 2,775  | 6.7  | New
| NI Conservatives | Gilbert Chalk  | 1,743  | 4.2  | ―10.0
| Sinn Féin | Garret O'Fachtna  | 503  | 1.2  | New
| Natural Law | Sarah Mullins  | 121  | 0.3  | ―0.4
Majority  | 5,852  | 14.1  | ―15.0
Turnout | 41,619  | 59.5  | ―5.5
Registered electors | 70,073  |  |
| UUP hold | Swing | ―7.6  |
Notional 1992 Election Result: Strangford  Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UUP | N/A | 20,473  | 49.0  | N/A
| DUP | N/A | 8,295  | 19.9  | N/A
| Alliance | N/A | 6,736  | 16.1  | N/A
| NI Conservatives | N/A | 5,945  | 14.2  | N/A
| Others  | N/A | 295  | 0.7  | N/A
Majority  | 12,178  | 29.1  | N/A
General election 1992: Strangford[23] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UUP | John David Taylor | 19,517  | 43.6  | ―32.3
| DUP | Sammy Wilson | 10,606  | 23.7  | New
| Alliance | Kieran McCarthy | 7,585  | 16.9  | ―3.4
| NI Conservatives | Stephen John Arthur Eyre  | 6,782  | 15.1  | New
| Natural Law | David Shaw  | 295  | 0.7  | New
Majority  | 8,911  | 19.9  | ―35.7
Turnout | 44,785  | 65.0  | +7.4
Registered electors | 68,901  |  |
| UUP hold | Swing |  |

### Elections in the 1980s[edit]

General election 1987: Strangford[24] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UUP | John David Taylor | 28,199  | 75.9  | +27.1
| Alliance | Addie Morrow | 7,553  | 20.3  | +4.5
| Workers' Party | Imelda Elizabeth Hynds  | 1,385  | 3.7  | New
Majority  | 20,646  | 55.6  | +36.8
Turnout | 37,137  | 57.6  | ―7.3
Registered electors | 64,429  |  |
| UUP hold | Swing |  |
1986 Strangford by-election[25] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UUP | John David Taylor | 32,627  | 94.2  | +45.4
| "For the Anglo-Irish Agreement"  | "Peter Barry" (Wesley Robert Williamson)[26] | 1,993  | 5.8  | New
Majority  | 30,634  | 88.4  | +69.6
Turnout | 34,620  | 55.0  | ―9.9
Registered electors | 62,854  |  |
| UUP hold | Swing |  |
General election 1983: Strangford[27] Party  | Candidate  | Votes  | %  | ±%

|
|
|
|

| UUP | John David Taylor | 19,086  | 48.8  |
| DUP | Simpson Gibson | 11,716  | 30.0  |
| Alliance | Addie Morrow | 6,171  | 15.8  |
| SDLP | James Curry  | 1,713  | 4.4  |
| Independent Labour | Samuel Raymond Heath  | 430  | 1.1  |
Majority  | 7,370  | 18.8  |
Turnout | 39,116  | 64.9  |
Registered electors | 60,179  |  |
| UUP win (new seat)

## See also[edit]

* List of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland

## References[edit]

1. ^ "'Strangford', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
2. ^ Electoral Calculus https://www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/fcgi-bin/seatdetails.py?seat=Strangford
3. ^ Crewe, Ivor (1983). British Parliamentary Constituencies – A Statistical Companion. faber and faber. ISBN 0-571-13236-7.
4. ^ The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 National Archives
5. ^ Iris Robinson 'to step down as MP and MLA next week' BBC News, 9 January 2010
6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 5)
7. ^ @allianceparty (25 April 2024). "Congratulations to @MichelleGuy4 on being selected as Alliance's General Election candidate for Strangford!" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
8. ^ "Speech by Jim Allister at launch of TUV/Reform UK campaign". TUV - Traditional Unionist Voice. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
9. ^ The SDLP [@SDLPlive] (26 May 2024). "Will Polland has been selected as the SDLP candidate in Strangford for the Westminster election…" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
10. ^ "x.com". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 29 May 2024.
11. ^ Mike Nesbitt [@mikenesbittni] (28 May 2024). "Top, top man. The future" (Tweet) - via Twitter.
12. ^ "Strangford Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
13. ^ "Election of a Member of Parliament for the STRANGFORD Constituency - Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office of Northern Ireland. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
14. ^ "Election 2017 Results - Election Polling". www.electionpolling.co.uk.
15. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
16. ^ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland - EONI". www.eoni.org.uk.
17. ^ "Joe Jordan and Robert Hill join Ukip in Northern Ireland". BBC News. 18 November 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
18. ^ "Tories pick Andrews as Westminster candidate for Strangford". NI Conservatives.
19. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
20. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
21. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
22. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
23. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
24. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
25. ^ "By-election Result". United Kingdom Election Results.
26. ^ Nicholas Whyte (13 May 2003). "Westminster by-elections, 23 January 1986". Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
27. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

## External links[edit]

* Politics Resources (Election results from 1922 onwards)
* Electoral Calculus (Election results from 1955 onwards)
* 2017 Election House Of Commons Library 2017 Election report
* A Vision Of Britain Through Time (Constituency elector numbers)
* Politics Resources

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Current Westminster constituencies in Northern Ireland (18)

Democratic Unionist (7)|

* Belfast East
* East Antrim
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* North Antrim
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* Strangford
* Upper Bann

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* Belfast North
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* Fermanagh and South Tyrone
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* Newry and Armagh
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Social Democratic and Labour (2)|

* Belfast South
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Alliance (1)|

* North Down

Independent Unionist (1)|

* Lagan Valley

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Parliamentary constituencies in County Down

Parliament of Ireland
to 1800|

* County Down (????–1800)
* Bangor (1613–1800)
* Downpatrick (1586–1800)
* Hillsborough (1662–1800)
* Killyleagh (1613–1800)
* Newry (????–1800)
* Newtownards (????–1800)

Westminster
1801–present|

| Historic|

* Down (1801–85, 1922–50)
* East Down (1885–1922)
* Mid Down (1918–22)
* North Down (1885–1922, 1950–)
* South Down (1885–1922, 1950–)
* West Down (1885–1922)
* Downpatrick (1801–85)
* Newry (1801–1918)

|

Current|

* Lagan Valley (1983–)
* Newry & Armagh (1983–)
* Strangford (1983–)

Dáil Éireann
Revolutionary era 1919–1922|

| First Dáil
1919–21|

| Seats taken|

(none)

|

Seats not taken|

* East Down
* Mid Down
* North Down
* South Down
* West Down

Second Dáil
1921–22|

| One or more seats taken|

Down

|

No seats taken|

(none)

Parliament of Northern Ireland
1921–72|

* Ards (1929–72)
* Bangor (1969–72)
* Down (1921–29)
* East Down (1929–72)
* Iveagh (1929–72)
* Lagan Valley (1969–72)
* Larkfield (1969–72)
* Mid Down (1929–72)
* Mourne (1929–72)
* North Down (1929–72)
* South Down (1929–72)
* West Down (1929–72)

Northern Ireland Assemblies|

| Assembly 1973–74
Constitutional Convention 1975–76
Assembly 1982–86|

* North Down
* South Down

|

Northern Ireland Forum 1996–98
Assembly (1998–present)|

* North Down
* South Down
* Lagan Valley
* Newry & Armagh
* Strangford
* Upper Bann

European Parliament
1979-2020|

* Northern Ireland

Constituencies in Ireland by county

Republic of Ireland|

* Carlow
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Northern Ireland|

* Antrim
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Authority control databases: People |

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