Elections to Londonderry Borough Council were held on 17 May 1967, amidst the Northern Ireland civil rights movement.
The election would be the last for the unreformed Londonderry Borough Council, with local government in Northern Ireland being reformed from 1969 onwards. The council elected was the last with a Unionist majority. Albert Anderson continued as Mayor.
The Northern Ireland Labour Party stood for the first time in local elections in the city.[1] It made a particularly strong showing under its local party chairman, Willie Breslin, with the party taking 30% of the vote. Due to the electoral system however the party failed to win any seats.[2] The Ulster Unionist Party stood in both wards with a unionist majority, and the Nationalist Party only in the one ward with a nationalist majority. Two independent candidates also stood.[1]
Results edit
The final result saw no change from the previous election, which had been held in 1964 and in which no seats had been contested. Two of the Nationalist Party councillors were new, with Mary Harrigan being the first woman to serve on the council since 1926.[3]
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster Unionist | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66.7 | 32.2 | 25,535[1] | ||
| Nationalist | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33.3 | 33.9 | 26,880 | ||
| NI Labour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 31.9 | 25,296 | ||
| Registered electors | 23,312[2] | ||||||||
| Turnout | 16,263[3] | 69.76% | |||||||
The 1969 report by Lord Cameron into "Disturbances in Northern Ireland" (paragraph 134) gives the total electorate as 23,210 rather than 23,312, and divides the 23,210 into 14,429 Catholic voters and 8,781 Other voters.
Ward results edit
North Ward edit
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster Unionist Party | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 | 17,198 | |||
| Northern Ireland Labour Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 7,861 | |||
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1,227 | |||
| Registered electors | 6,476[5] | ||||||||
| Turnout | 4,648[6] | 71.77% | |||||||
| Total valid votes | 4,582[7] | 70.75% | |||||||
The 1969 report by Lord Cameron into "Disturbances in Northern Ireland" (paragraph 134) divides the total ward electorate of 6,476 into 2,530 Catholic voters and 3,946 Other voters.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster Unionist | John A. Allen | 2,768 | 60.41 | ||
| Ulster Unionist | William Beatty | 2,908 | 63.47 | ||
| Ulster Unionist | John A. Canning | 2,907 | 63.44 | ||
| Ulster Unionist | Robert Stewart | 2,832[5] | 61.81 | ||
| Ulster Unionist | Alfred Wallace | 2,877 | 62.79 | ||
| Ulster Unionist | James J. Whyte | 2,906 | 63.42 | ||
| NI Labour | Ivan Cooper | 1,328 | 28.98 | ||
| NI Labour | Ernest G. Cowan | 1,228 | 26.80 | ||
| NI Labour | Henry L. Doherty | 1,434 | 31.30 | ||
| NI Labour | Richard J. Foster | 1,258 | 27.46 | ||
| NI Labour | George S. Stewart | 1,289 | 28.13 | ||
| NI Labour | Janet Wilcock | 1,324 | 28.90 | ||
| Independent | George C. Austin | 1,227 | 26.78 | ||
| Total votes | 26,286 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 4,582[8] | ||||
South Ward edit
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 | 26,880 | |||
| Northern Ireland Labour Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 14,174 | |||
| Registered electors | 11,287[10] | ||||||||
| Turnout | 7,487[11] | 66.33% | |||||||
| Total valid votes | 7,160[12] | 63.44 | |||||||
The 1969 report by Lord Cameron into "Disturbances in Northern Ireland" (paragraph 134) gives the total ward electorate as 11,185 rather than 11,287, and divides the 11,185 into 10,047 Catholic voters and 1,138 Other voters.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationalist | James Doherty | 4,692 | 65.53 | ||
| Nationalist | James R. Doherty | 4,552 | 63.58 | ||
| Nationalist | Patrick Friel | 4,624 | 64.58 | ||
| Nationalist | Mary Harrigan | 4,293 | 59.96 | ||
| Nationalist | Thomas McDonnell | 4,282 | 59.80 | ||
| Nationalist | Michael Eugene O'Hare | 4,437 | 59.80 | ||
| NI Labour | Edward J. Campbell | 2,145 | 29.96 | ||
| NI Labour | Joseph Doherty | 2,701 | 29.96 | ||
| NI Labour | Paul Grace | 2,402 | 33.55 | ||
| NI Labour | Charles V. Grant | 2,286 | 31.93 | ||
| NI Labour | Jeremiah Mallett | 2,244 | 31.34 | ||
| NI Labour | Barry McLaughlin | 2,396 | 33.46 | ||
| Total votes | 41,054 | ||||
Waterside Ward edit
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster Unionist Party | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 | 8,337 | |||
| Northern Ireland Labour Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3,261 | |||
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 234 | |||
| Registered electors | 5,549[14] | ||||||||
| Turnout | 4,128[15] | 74.39% | |||||||
| Total valid votes | 4,101[16] | 73.91% | |||||||
The 1969 report by Lord Cameron into "Disturbances in Northern Ireland" (paragraph 134) divides the total ward electorate of 5,549 into 1,852 Catholic voters and 3,697 Other voters.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster Unionist | Albert Wesley Anderson | 2,740 | 66.81 | ||
| Ulster Unionist | Leonard Hutchinson | 2,834 | 69.11 | ||
| Ulster Unionist | John T. McParland | 2,763 | 67.37 | ||
| NI Labour | James B. Hinds | 1,116 | 27.21 | ||
| NI Labour | John I. Hutchinson | 1,057 | 25.77 | ||
| NI Labour | Michael T. Roddy[6] | 1,088 | 26.53 | ||
| Independent | Denis Colclough | 234 | 5.71 | ||
| Total votes | 11,832 | ||||
Notes edit
- 1.^ Voters in North and South wards could each vote for up to 6 candidates and voters in Waterside ward could vote for up to 3 candidates. As a result totals for registered electors and turnout do not bear a direct relation to votes.
- 2.^ Two aldermen were elected unopposed in each of the North ward and the South ward and one alderman was elected unopposed in the Waterside ward.
- 3.^ The Derry Journal gives 25,550 as the total of 17,198 (North ward) and 8,337 (Waterside ward).
References edit
- ^ a b "Local election bid by Paisleyites". Irish Times. 16 May 1967.
- ^ "Labour and civil rights activist". irishtimes.com.
- ^ "Unionists increase Belfast strength". Irish Times. 19 May 1967.
- ^ "Labour Challenge Defeated - No Change in Derry Corporation". Derry Journal. 19 May 1967. p. 1.
- ^ The Derry Journal gives a figure of 2,877, which is identical to the number of votes for the next candidate Alfred Wallace. That figure, when added to the totals for the other Ulster Unionist candidates, does not equal the total Ulster Unionist poll of 17,198 given by the Derry Journal. The figure of 2,832 given by the Londonderry Sentinel, when added to the totals for the other Ulster Unionist candidates, does equal the total Ulster Unionist poll of 17,198 given by the Derry Journal.
- ^ The Derry Journal gives a figure of 1,083. That figure, when added to the totals for the other candidates, does not equal the total Labour poll of 3,261 given by the Derry Journal. The figure of 1,088 given by the Londonderry Sentinel, when added to the totals for the other candidates, does equal the total Labour poll of 3,261 given by the Derry Journal.