2013 Mid Ulster by-election

A by-election for the UK House of Commons constituency of Mid Ulster in Northern Ireland was held on 7 March 2013.[1] The election was triggered by the resignation of Martin McGuinness, who had been elected to the seat in 1997 as the Sinn Féin candidate. The election was won by Francie Molloy, also of Sinn Féin.

2013 Mid Ulster by-election
7 March 2013
The Mid Ulster seat in the House of Commons.
Triggered by vacation of seat by incumbent
  First party Second party Third party
 
Candidate Francie Molloy Nigel Lutton Patsy McGlone
Party Sinn Féin Independent SDLP
Popular vote 17,462 12,781 6,478
Percentage 46.9% 34.4% 17.4%
Swing 5.1% 1.7%* 3.1%
Map showing the Mid Ulster Parliamentary constituency within Northern Ireland.

*This is compared to the combined vote at the 2010 general election of the Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster Conservatives and Unionists and Traditional Unionist Voice.
MP before election

Martin McGuinness
Sinn Féin

 Subsequent MP

Francie Molloy
Sinn Féin

Resignation of the sitting MP - Martin McGuinness

On 11 June 2012, the sitting MP Martin McGuinness announced his intention to resign from the House of Commons to concentrate on his position as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and avoid so-called "double jobbing", by which members of the Northern Ireland Assembly sometimes also work as MPs or councillors.[2][3]

Under the Westminster system, the vacation of a seat by a sitting MP triggers a by-election to choose their successor, with the election date in this case being set by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland due to Sinn Féin's policy of abstentionism. In reference to the cost incurred by such an election, Sinn Féin said they would have preferred the vacancy be filled by co-option (as used for other elected bodies in Northern Ireland), but this is not permitted in the Westminster system.[4]

Having delayed the announcement in part to avoid a winter election, McGuinness confirmed he had resigned on 30 December 2012,[5] with the formal process of being appointed Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead occurring on 2 January 2013,[6] a procedural device that Sinn Féin oppose.[7]

Result

Sinn Féin candidate Francie Molloy held the seat. However, the majority was much reduced from the 2010 election. The Sinn Féin vote fell by five percentage points to just under 47%. Also, whereas in 2010 McGuinness was opposed by three unionist parties, the Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster Conservatives and Unionists and Traditional Unionist Voice, none of whom polled more than 15%, on this occasion there was only a single independent Unionist candidate, Nigel Lutton. Lutton took over 34% of the vote, a slight increase on the combined votes of the three unionists in the general election.

2013 Mid Ulster by-election[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Francie Molloy 17,462 46.9 −5.1
Independent Nigel Lutton 12,781 34.4 New
SDLP Patsy McGlone 6,478 17.4 +3.1
Alliance Eric Bullick 487 1.3 +0.3
Majority 4,681 12.5 −25.1
Turnout 37,208 55.7 −7.5
Registered electors 67,192
Sinn Féin hold Swing −3.4

1This is compared to the combined vote at the 2010 general election of the Democratic Unionist Party, Ulster Conservatives and Unionists and Traditional Unionist Voice.

Candidates and the campaign

The Statement of Persons Nominated was published on 21 February[9] and confirmed that four candidates would contest the by-election. The result was declared in the early hours of Friday, 8 March.[10]

Alliance

Alliance chose Eric Bullick.[11]

SDLP

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) chose Patsy McGlone MLA for Mid Ulster, as their candidate.[12]

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin's Francie Molloy MLA, then deputy speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly,[13] was selected as the party's candidate.[14][15]

Unionist unity

Nigel Lutton stood as an Independent Unionist, supported by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP; who stood at the preceding general election as part of the Conservatives and Unionists), Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) and others.

The possibility of a unionist 'unity' candidate to maximise the chance of defeating Sinn Féin was raised early on. There were discussions between the DUP and the UUP on standing a unity candidate.[16] The UUP were described as being "coy" on whether or not they would stand or support another unionist candidate.[4][17] The DUP chair of Magherafelt District Council and TUV leader Jim Allister MLA called for a unity candidate[16][18] and TUV said they would probably not stand a candidate.[19] The UUP leader Mike Nesbitt said in late January that the party would be willing to support a "community candidate", but that the UUP would stand a candidate if the DUP stood a candidate.[20] However, a meeting of the UUP constituency association was reported to be divided on the issue of whether to support a unity candidate.[20] This came against a backdrop of greater unionist unity in Northern Irish politics more generally, including the setting up of the Unionist Forum and warmer relationships between the DUP and UUP,[21] and the flag protests.

On behalf of the UK Independence Party, David McNarry MLA also supported the idea of a unionist unity candidate in a press release.[22]

The idea of a unionist unity candidate was criticised as "living in the past" by Molloy, the Sinn Féin candidate.[23] Alliance candidate Eric Bullick also criticised the decision.[24]

On 14 February, the UUP and DUP constituency associations both agreed to support victims' campaigner and local undertaker[25] Nigel Lutton as a single unionist candidate.[26] TUV are also supported Lutton's candidacy, with Walter Millar, the party's constituency chairman and their candidate at the general election, signing Lutton's nomination papers.[27] However, two UUP Members of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly, former deputy leader John McCallister and Basil McCrea, resigned from the party in protest at the decision and closer co-operation with the DUP.[11] After the by-election, in June 2013, they announced the formation of NI21, a new unionist party.[28]

Lutton declined to tell reporters which party he usually votes for. He previously worked as a personal assistant for DUP MP David Simpson, to whom he is related, and had before that been a member of the Young Unionists, the youth wing of the UUP. His election agent was UUP General Secretary Colin McCusker, a long-time personal friend. Both DUP and UUP politicians were involved in his campaign.[29]

Willie Frazer, a victims' campaigner, independent unionist and spokesman for the then newly constituted protest alliance the Ulster People's Forum, initially announced his intention to stand.[4][30] Frazer told a 'webchat' for the Belfast Newsletter that the Ulster People's Forum "is not a political party", and that in usual circumstances he would consider voting for the Traditionalist Unionist Voice.[31] At the end of January 2013, Frazer then said he would consider not standing in favour of Jamie Bryson, a leading figure in the Belfast City Hall flag protests who is the interim chair of the Ulster People's Forum.[32] After Lutton's selection, Frazer initially announced that he would not be running and fully supported him.[33] However, he later said he would still consider standing if Lutton was too close to the DUP.[34] He did not, in the end, submit his candidacy. After the by-election, in April 2013, he co-founded the Protestant Coalition, a new political party.

Allegations about the killing of Frederick Lutton

Nigel Lutton's father, Frederick, was a former RUC reservist killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) in 1979. In 2007, under Parliamentary privilege, DUP MP David Simpson (a cousin of Frederick Lutton) alleged that Francie Molloy, then a PIRA volunteer/member, was suspected by the police of being involved in Lutton's death. Simpson also claimed Molloy had become an informer for the British security forces after being caught in "a compromising position" and that he was "well known – and this information is from the police – for a series of sexual indiscretions". Molloy, the claims continued, allowed the police to "break open" the IRA's East Tyrone Brigade. These allegations were denied by Molloy,[11][35][36][37] who has challenged unionists to repeat them outside Parliament, which would allow him to take legal action.[38]

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt has said he was unaware of the allegations against Molloy when he agreed on the choice of Nigel Lutton as candidate.[38] Nigel Lutton stated that his decision to stand was not because of Molloy's candidacy.[25][39] Nigel Lutton's uncle Joey was named as a member of the Glenanne gang in The Cassel Report, having been convicted for his part in a number of Ulster Volunteer Force killings.[40]

Previous result
General election 2010: Mid Ulster[41]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Sinn Féin Martin McGuinness 21,239 52.0 +2.4
DUP Ian McCrea 5,876 14.4 −9.1
SDLP Tony Quinn 5,826 14.3 −3.1
UCU-NF Sandra Overend 4,509 11.0 +0.3
TUV Walter Millar 2,995 7.3 New
Alliance Ian Butler 397 1.0 New
Majority 15,363 37.6 +13.4
Turnout 40,842 63.2 −10.0
Registered electors 64,594
Sinn Féin hold Swing +5.8

2Compared to the Ulster Unionist Party at the previous election.

See also

References
  1. "Mid Ulster by-election date set", BBC News, 11 February 2013
  2. McGuinness to inherit Adams' old British title under SF reorganisation Thejournal.ie
  3. Gareth Gordon BBC NI political correspondent (11 June 2012). "McGuinness quits Westminster seat". BBC. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  4. "Mid Ulster by-election: a preview". Agendani.com. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  5. Martin McGuinness resigns as MP for Mid-Ulster RTÉ News
  6. Manor of Northstead Treasury
  7. "Martin McGuinness becomes Crown aristocrat with 'Steward' title". The Belfast Telegraph.
  8. 2013 By-election Politics Resources
  11. "John McCallister and Basil McCrea resign from the UUP". BBC. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  12. "McGlone to contest Mid-Ulster". Tyrone Times. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  13. "Sinn Fein chooses Francie Molloy as Mid Ulster candidate". The Belfast Telegraph. 13 December 2012. Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  14. Molloy to contest Mid-Ulster when McGuiness steps down BBC News
  15. SF's Deputy Speaker to run for Mid Ulster Westminster seat Slugger O'Toole
  16. 8 January 2013 14:22. "Advocates of unionist unity candidate 'stuck in the past'". Mid Ulster Mail. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  17. "Nesbitt coy on Mid-Ulster by-election". Newsletter.co.uk. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  18. Unique opportunity for unionism to consolidate - McLean Tyrone Times
  19. "Unionist Election Unity Chance Recedes". Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  20. "UUP meeting did not back unity candidate". Newsletter.co.uk. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  21. "Analysis: Outcome of forum unclear, but unity looks likely". Newsletter.co.uk. 11 January 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  22. http://www.davidmcnarry.com/31.1.13/29(02)Press%20release%20UKIP.docx%5B%5D
  23. Advocates of unionist unity candidate ‘stuck in the past’ Tyrone Times
  24. "Alliance selects Eric Bullick for Mid Ulster by-election". Allianceparty.org. 15 February 2013. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  25. "This is not about me and Molloy says town undertaker". Portadown Times. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  26. Purdy, Martina (14 February 2013). "Mid Ulster by-election: Lutton chosen as unionist candidate". BBC. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  27. "Mid Ulster TUV Chair Signs Lutton's Nomination Papers". Tuv.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  28. "A new Unionist party is born". Newsletter.co.uk. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  29. "McCrea backs Lutton Mid Ulster campaign". Newsletter.co.uk. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  30. "Protests 'Release Valve' For Loyalist Anger Says Frazer". The Irish News. Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  31. Video: Willie Frazer in live webchat The Belfast Telegraph
  32. "Leading flag protester a surprise candidate in Mid-Ulster by-election?". Mid Ulster Mail. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  33. "Mid-Ulster Unity candidate agreed". Mid Ulster Mail. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  34. "McCallister and McCrea to sit in the 'naughty seats'". Newsletter.co.uk. 18 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  35. David McKittrick (15 February 2013). "IRA murder victim's son to face alleged killer in election". The Independent. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  36. "'Informer' Molloy is linked to IRA killing". The Belfast Telegraph. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  37. "Sinn Féin selects its Mid Ulster candidate", The Irish News, 13 December 2012.
  38. "'I didn't know about Molloy allegations' - Nesbitt". Newsletter.co.uk. 20 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  39. "Four candidates confirmed for Mid Ulster by-election". Newsletter.co.uk. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  40. "Mid-Ulster by-election candidate profiles", BBC. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  41. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
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