1983 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

The 1983 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland was held on 9 June with 17 MPs elected in single-seat constituencies using first-past-the-post as part of the wider general election in the United Kingdom. This was an increase of five seats, after the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1979 had come into effect to account for the reduced representation after direct rule had been imposed since 1972.

1983 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

9 June 1983
17 seats in Northern Ireland of the 650 seats in the House of Commons
Leader James Molyneaux Ian Paisley Party UUP DUP Leader since 1979 1971 Leader's seat Lagan Valley Antrim North Seats won 11 3 Seat change 6 Popular vote 259,952 152,749 Percentage 34.0% 20.0%   Leader John Hume Ruairí Ó Brádaigh Party SDLP Sinn Féin Leader since 6 May 1979 1970 Leader's seat Foyle Did not stand Seats won 1 1 Seat change 1 Popular vote 137,012 102,701 Percentage 17.9% 13.4%

Results

The Conservative Party led by Margaret Thatcher as prime minister won another term in government.

The main beneficiaries of the increase of seats was the Ulster Unionist Party, now led by James Molyneaux. The SDLP lost a seat held by former leader Gerry Fitt to Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin, but the new SDLP leader John Hume gained a seat.

Results[1][2][3]

Party		MPs		Votes
		No.	Change	No.	%	Change
	UUP	11	6	259,952	34.0%	2.6
	DUP	3		152,749	20.0%	9.8
	SDLP	1		137,012	17.9%	0.3
	Sinn Féin	1	1	102,701	13.4%	13.4
	UPUP	1	New	22,681	3.0%	3.0
	Independent Unionist	1	1	36,989	5.5%	4.8
	Alliance	0		61,275	8.0%	3.9
	Workers' Party	0		14,650	1.9%	0.2
	Independent Socialist	0		10,326	1.3%	1.3
	Independent DUP	0		1,134	0.1%	1.3
	Independent	0		2,265	0.3%	0.1
Total		17	5	801734	100

MPs elected

Constituency	Party		MP
Antrim East		UUP	Roy Beggs
Antrim North		DUP	Ian Paisley
Antrim South		UUP	Clifford Forsythe
Belfast East		DUP	Peter Robinson
Belfast North		UUP	Cecil Walker
Belfast South		UUP	Martin Smyth
Belfast West		Sinn Féin	Gerry Adams
Down North		UPUP	Jim Kilfedder
Down South		UUP	Enoch Powell
Fermanagh and South Tyrone		UUP	Ken Maginnis
Foyle		SDLP	John Hume
Lagan Valley		UUP	James Molyneaux
Londonderry East		UUP	William Ross
Mid Ulster		DUP	William McCrea
Newry and Armagh		UUP	John Dunlop
Strangford		UUP	John Taylor
Upper Bann		UUP	Harold McCusker

By-elections

In December 1985, all Unionist MPs resigned their seats in opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement and sought re-election in by-elections. These resulted in a loss of one seat to the SDLP

Constituency	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
Antrim North	23 January 1986	Ian Paisley		DUP	Ian Paisley		DUP	Resignation
Antrim East	23 January 1986	Roy Beggs		UUP	Roy Beggs		UUP	Resignation
Antrim South	23 January 1986	Clifford Forsythe		UUP	Clifford Forsythe		UUP	Resignation
Belfast East	23 January 1986	Peter Robinson		DUP	Peter Robinson		DUP	Resignation
Belfast North	23 January 1986	Cecil Walker		UUP	Cecil Walker		UUP	Resignation
Belfast South	23 January 1986	Martin Smyth		UUP	Martin Smyth		UUP	Resignation
Down North	23 January 1986	James Kilfedder		UPUP	James Kilfedder		UPUP	Resignation
Down South	23 January 1986	Enoch Powell		UUP	Enoch Powell		UUP	Resignation
Fermanagh and South Tyrone	23 January 1986	Ken Maginnis		UUP	Ken Maginnis		UUP	Resignation
Lagan Valley	23 January 1986	James Molyneaux		UUP	James Molyneaux		UUP	Resignation
East Londonderry	23 January 1986	William Ross		UUP	William Ross		UUP	Resignation
Mid Ulster	23 January 1986	William McCrea		DUP	William McCrea		DUP	Resignation
Strangford	23 January 1986	John Taylor		UUP	John Taylor		UUP	Resignation
Newry and Armagh	23 January 1986	James Nicholson		UUP	Seamus Mallon		SDLP	Resignation
Upper Bann	23 January 1986	Harold McCusker		UUP	Harold McCusker		UUP	Resignation

References

1. Walker, Brian Mercer (1992). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1918–1992 (New History of Ireland). Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 33–37. ISBN 0901714968.
2. "Elections to the United Kingdom Parliament held in Northern Ireland: General Election 9 June 1983". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
3. "Westminster election, 9 June 1983". ARK: Northern Ireland Elections. Retrieved 9 March 2019.