List of Parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland
Encyclopedia
Northern Ireland
is divided into 18 Parliamentary constituencies
- 4 borough constituencies in Belfast
and 14 county constituencies elsewhere. Each area returns one Member of Parliament
(MP) to the House of Commons
at Westminster
and six Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly
at Stormont. Parliamentary constituencies are not used for local government
, which is instead carried out by 26 district councils
; these often have different boundaries.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
is divided into 18 Parliamentary constituencies
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
- 4 borough constituencies in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
and 14 county constituencies elsewhere. Each area returns one Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
at Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
and six Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
at Stormont. Parliamentary constituencies are not used for local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
, which is instead carried out by 26 district councils
Districts of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes. In Northern Ireland local councils do not carry out the same range of functions as those in the rest of the United Kingdom, for example they have no responsibility for education, for road building or for housing...
; these often have different boundaries.
| Name | |Name | |
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2010 General Election
The data in this table is from the BBC Election Website.| NameBC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency. | Electorate | MajorityThe majority is the number of votes the winning candidate receives more than their nearest rival. | Member of Parliament Member of Parliament A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... |
Nearest opposition | Map | ||
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| Belfast East BC Belfast East (UK Parliament constituency) Belfast East is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Naomi Long of the Alliance Party, elected in 2010... |
60,129 | 1,533 | Naomi Long | Peter Robinson Peter Robinson (politician) Peter David Robinson is the current First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party... |
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| Belfast North BC Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency) Belfast North is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in 1922 when, as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut... |
63,193 | 2,224 | Nigel Dodds Nigel Dodds Nigel Alexander Dodds, OBE, MP, BL is a barrister and Northern Irish unionist politician. He is Member of Parliament for Belfast North, and deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. He has been Lord Mayor of Belfast twice, and from 1993 has been General Secretary of the DUP... |
Gerry Kelly Gerry Kelly Gerard "Gerry" Kelly is an Irish republican politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998... |
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| Belfast South BC Belfast South (UK Parliament constituency) Belfast South is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in 1922 when, as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut... |
58,225 | 5,926 | Alasdair McDonnell Alasdair McDonnell Dr Alasdair McDonnell is an Irish politician, Leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and both a Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and a Member of the Legislative Assembly for South Belfast. On 5 November, 2011, he was elected as the new leader of the SDLP.-Early... |
Jimmy Spratt Jimmy Spratt Jimmy Spratt is a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland.In 2007, he was elected as a Democratic Unionist Party member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Belfast. He chairs the Assembly and Executive Review Committee, is one of the DUP representatives on the Northern Ireland Policing... |
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| Belfast West BC Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency) Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was restored in 1922 when as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut... * |
60,817 | 13,123 | Paul Maskey Paul Maskey Paul John Maskey is an Irish republican politician in Northern Ireland who is a member of Sinn Féin. He has been a Sinn Féin member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast West since 2007, and was elected in June 2011 as Member of Parliament for the Westminster constituency of Belfast West,... |
Alex Attwood Alex Attwood Alex Attwood, MLA is an Irish politician, currently serving in the Northern Ireland Executive, and is the Social Democratic and Labour Party MLA for Belfast West.... |
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| East Antrim CC East Antrim (UK Parliament constituency) East Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It has voted for Unionist candidates since its re-creation in 1983.-Boundaries:... |
56,125 | 6,770 | Sammy Wilson Sammy Wilson Samuel Wilson is a politician from Northern Ireland who is a Member of Parliament and a Member of the Legislative Assembly for East Antrim. He served as Lord Mayor of Belfast in 1986 – 1987; and again from June 2000 to June 2001. He was the first person from the Democratic Unionist Party ... |
Rodney McCune | |||
| East Londonderry CC East Londonderry (UK Parliament constituency) East Londonderry is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from the old Londonderry constituency... |
60,494 | 5,355 | Gregory Campbell Gregory Campbell (politician) Gregory Lloyd Campbell is a Northern Irish unionist politician, and the Democratic Unionist Party Member of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, representing the East Londonderry constituency of Northern Ireland.... |
Cathal Ó hOisín |  |
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| Fermanagh & South Tyrone CC Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency) Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a Parliamentary constituency in the British House of Commons. The current MP for the constituency is Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin.... |
64,345 | 4 | Michelle Gildernew Michelle Gildernew Michelle Gildernew is an Irish republican Sinn Féin politician and former Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development in the Northern Ireland Executive... |
Rodney Connor Rodney Connor Rodney Connor was the Unionist "Unity" candidate for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the 2010 Westminster election. He had the backing of the Democratic Unionist Party , and the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force electoral alliance between... |
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| Foyle CC Foyle (UK Parliament constituency) Foyle is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from the old Londonderry constituency... |
60,823 | 4,824 | Mark Durkan Mark Durkan Mark Durkan is an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland who was leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party from 2001 to 2010.-Early life:... |
Martina Anderson Martina Anderson Martina Anderson, MLA is an Irish nationalist politician in Northern Ireland who occupies the post of Director of Unionist Engagement for Sinn Féin and is a former volunteer of the Provisional Irish Republican Army .-Biography:... |
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| Lagan Valley CC Lagan Valley (UK Parliament constituency) Lagan Valley is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.- Boundaries :The seat was created in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from parts of South Antrim and North Down. In their original... |
60,973 | 10,486 | Jeffrey Donaldson Jeffrey Donaldson Jeffrey Mark Donaldson, MP is a Northern Irish politician and Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley belonging to the Democratic Unionist Party... |
Daphne Trimble |  |
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| Mid Ulster CC Mid Ulster (UK Parliament constituency) Mid Ulster is a Parliamentary Constituency in the British House of Commons.-Boundaries:The constituency was created in 1950 when the old two-seat constituency of Fermanagh and Tyrone was abolished as part of the final move to single member seats... |
60,119 | 15,363 | Martin McGuinness Martin McGuinness James Martin Pacelli McGuinness is an Irish Sinn Féin politician and the current deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. McGuinness was also the Sinn Féin candidate for the Irish presidential election, 2011. He was born in Derry, Northern Ireland.... |
Ian McCrea Ian McCrea Ian McCrea, MLA is a British politician. He was elected in 2007 to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Democratic Unionist Party member for Mid Ulster.Born in Magherafelt in 1976, he now lives in Cookstown with his wife and three children... |
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| Newry & Armagh CC Newry and Armagh (UK Parliament constituency) Newry and Armagh is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from the old Armagh constituency with the... |
68,730 | 8,331 | Conor Murphy Conor Murphy Conor Terence Murphy is an Irish republican Sinn Féin politician.According to An Phoblacht, Murphy first became involved with the Irish Republican Army during the 1981 hunger strikes... |
Dominic Bradley Dominic Bradley Dominic Bradley MLA is an Irish politician and currently an Social Democratic and Labour Party Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Newry and Armagh... |
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| North Antrim CC North Antrim (UK Parliament constituency) North Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. Its current member is Ian Paisley Jr.-Boundaries:North Antrim has always been a county constituency comprising the northern part of County Antrim in the north-east of Northern Ireland... |
72,814 | 12,558 | Ian Paisley, Jr. Ian Paisley, Jr. Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Jr., MP is the Member of Parliament for North Antrim and member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Democratic Unionist Party and an author. He is the son of the DUP's founder and former leader, Ian Paisley.In 1990, he married Fiona, and they have four children... |
Jim Allister Jim Allister James Hugh "Jim" Allister, QC is a Northern Ireland Unionist politician and senior barrister. He is the leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice political party, serving as MLA in the Northern Ireland Assembly, where he represents Antrim North.He was formerly a member of the Democratic Unionist... |
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| North Down CC North Down (UK Parliament constituency) North Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Sylvia Hermon, elected as an Independent in the 2010 General Election. -Boundaries:The county constituency was first created in 1885 from the northern part of Down... |
57,435 | 14,364 | Sylvia Hermon Sylvia Hermon Sylvia Eileen Hermon, Lady Hermon is a Northern Irish politician. Since 2001, she has been the Member of Parliament for the constituency of North Down, first elected for the Ulster Unionist Party , but now an independent... |
Ian Parsley | |||
| South Antrim CC South Antrim (UK Parliament constituency) South Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:From 1885, this constituency was one of four county divisions of the former Antrim constituency... |
56,594 | 1,183 | William McCrea William McCrea (politician) Robert Thomas William McCrea is a politician from Northern Ireland, and a member of the Democratic Unionist Party.-Career:... |
Reg Empey Reg Empey Reginald Norman Morgan Empey, Baron Empey of Shandon, OBE, – known as Sir Reg Empey prior to 2011 – is a former Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for East Belfast... |
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| South Down CC South Down (UK Parliament constituency) South Down is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The county constituency was first created in 1885 from the southern part of Down... |
64,530 | 8,412 | Margaret Ritchie Margaret Ritchie (politician) Margaret Ritchie is an Irish politician from Northern Ireland. She was the leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party from 7 February 2010 to 5 November 2011 - being replaced in this role by Alasdair McDonnell - and served as the Minister for Social Development from 8 May 2007 until her... |
Catriona Ruane | |||
| Strangford CC Strangford (UK Parliament constituency) Strangford is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in 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... |
57,463 | 5,876 | Jim Shannon Jim Shannon Richard James Shannon is a unionist politician from Northern Ireland.-Early life:Shannon was educated at Ballywalter Primary School and Coleraine Academical Institution. He was in the Ulster Defence Regiment in 1973-75 and 1976–77 and was awarded the General Service Medal. He served in the Royal... |
Mike Nesbitt Mike Nesbitt Michael Nesbitt MLA is a politician, journalist and former broadcaster from Northern Ireland. He is married to broadcaster, and former on-screen colleague, Lynda Bryans.-Broadcasting career:... |
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| Upper Bann CC Upper Bann (UK Parliament constituency) Upper Bann is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current Member of Parliament for Upper Bann is David Simpson.-Boundaries:... |
68,806 | 3,361 | David Simpson | Harry Hamilton |  |
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| West Tyrone CC West Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency) West Tyrone is a county constituency in Northern Ireland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-Boundaries:... |
57,847 | 10,685 | Pat Doherty Pat Doherty Patrick "Pat" Doherty is an Irish republican politician and abstentionist Member of Parliament for West Tyrone. He has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the same constituency since 25 June 1998... |
Thomas Buchanan |  |
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- Result of Belfast West by-election, 2011Belfast West by-election, 2011The Belfast West by-election, 2011 was a by-election for the United Kingdom constituency of Belfast West following the resignation of the constituency's Member of Parliament, Gerry Adams...
| Constituency | Unionist vote | Republican/Nationalist vote | Neutral/Other vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Down | 88.6 | 2.7 | 8.7 |
| Strangford | 79.3 | 10.3 | 10.4 |
| Lagan Valley | 79.5 | 9.0 | 11.4 |
| North Antrim | 74.1 | 21.2 | 4.6 |
| South Antrim | 69.7 | 22.6 | 7.7 |
| East Antrim | 75.6 | 13.4 | 11.1 |
| Upper Bann | 59.5 | 37.5 | 3.0 |
| East Londonderry | 59.8 | 34.7 | 5.5 |
| Belfast North | 47.7 | 46.3 | 6.0 |
| Belfast East | 59.4 | 3.5 | 37.2 |
| Belfast West | 10.7 | 87.5 | 1.9 |
| Belfast South | 41.0 | 41.0 | 18.0 |
| Foyle | 15.0 | 76.6 | 8.3 |
| South Down | 19.4 | 77.2 | 3.4 |
| Fermanagh & South Tyrone | 45.5 | 53.1 | 1.8 |
| Mid Ulster | 32.7 | 66.3 | 1.0 |
| West Tyrone | 34.0 | 62.4 | 3.7 |
| Newry & Armagh | 31.9 | 65.4 | 2.7 |