Wikipedia

1981 Down District Council election

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1981

Elections to Down District Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 20 councillors.

1981 Down District Council election
← 1977 20 May 1981 (1981-05-20) 1985 →
All 20 seats to Down District Council
11 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party SDLP Ulster Unionist DUP
Seats won 9 5 3
Seat change Decrease 1 Decrease 2 Increase 3
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party Alliance Republican Clubs Independent Labour
Seats won 1 1 1
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 1 Increase 1

Election results edit

Down District Council Election Result 1981[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  SDLP 9 0 1  1 45.0 42.1 10,233  2.5
  Ulster Unionist 5 0 2  2 25.0 27.3 6,694  4.1
  DUP 3 3 0  3 15.0 13.0 3,188 New
  Alliance 1 0 2  2 5.0 8.4 2,055  3.4
  Republican Clubs 1 1 0  1 5.0 6.5 1,587  3.9
  Independent Labour 1 1 0  1 5.0 2.7 665  2.7
  Independent 0 0 0  0 0.0 0.3 74  3.2

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary edit

Results of the Down District Council election, 1981
by district[1]
Ward %
Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 Total
Cllrs
SDLP UUP DUP Alliance Workers Party Others
Area A 24.4 2 43.0 3 24.4 2 7.3 0 0.0 0 0.9 0 7
Area B 50.5 3 17.5 1 0.0 0 9.5 0 14.1 1 8.4 1 6
Area C 51.2 4 20.8 1 13.9 1 8.4 1 5.7 0 0.0 0 7
Total 42.1 9 27.3 5 13.0 3 8.4 1 6.5 1 2.7 1 20

Districts results edit

Area A edit

1977: 4 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1981: 3 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 2 x DUP
1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from UUP and Alliance

Down Area A - 7 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
DUP Cecil Harvey 16.52% 1,387                    
SDLP Francis Laverty* 9.63% 809 810.2 820.2 820.2 829.2 829.2 830.2 1,064.2      
Ulster Unionist Samuel Osborne* 11.36% 954 973.92 974.92 977.16 1,007.4 1,012.72 1,038.44 1,041.68 1,078.68    
SDLP Monica Smyth 8.94% 751 751.48 765.48 765.48 779.48 779.48 703.4 1,021.96 1,272.96    
Ulster Unionist Dermot Nesbitt 8.72% 732 744.96 744.96 772.96 779.96 785.84 965.48 967.2 999.2 1,018.2 1,036.6
Ulster Unionist William Brown* 7.63% 641 652.04 652.04 823.16 828.16 834.36 899.32 899.32 946.56 964.56 969.16
DUP Thomas Poole 5.68% 477 619.32 621.32 632.28 633.52 888.76 901.44 902.44 906.44 909.44 909.44
Ulster Unionist William Finlay* 7.80% 655 667.72 668.72 704.72 707.72 733.36 822.04 827.04 870.28 882.28 887.8
Alliance John Rodgers 3.88% 326 326.48 351.48 353.48 551.48 551.48 552.48 566.72      
SDLP Thomas Murray 5.82% 489 490.68 500.68 500.92 512.92 513.92 515.92        
Ulster Unionist James Glover 4.23% 355 361.24 364.24 385.48 386.48 391.92          
DUP Thomas McKee 2.23% 187 302.2 304.2 307.44 307.44            
Alliance Wanda Rowan-Hamilton 3.41% 286 286.48 286.48 287.48              
Ulster Unionist William Cochrane 3.27% 275 280.28 280.28                
Independent Francis Rice 0.60% 50 50                  
Independent Eileen Rice 0.29% 24 24                  
Electorate: 11,993   Valid: 8,398 (70.02%)   Spoilt: 216   Quota: 1,050   Turnout: 8,614 (71.83%)  

Area B edit

1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1981: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Independent Labour
1977-1981 Change: Republican Clubs and Independent Labour gain from SDLP and Alliance

Down Area B - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
SDLP Eddie McGrady* 21.56% 1,711              
Republican Clubs Raymond Blaney 14.13% 1,121 1,153.64            
SDLP Dermot Curran* 11.25% 893 987.52 1,016.9 1,178.9        
Ulster Unionist Cecil Maxwell* 11.03% 875 882.14 894.82 905.5 1,403.5      
SDLP John Ritchie* 8.15% 647 787.08 803.76 869.48 869.48 874.48 880.48 1,171.48
Independent Labour Malachi Curran 8.38% 665 691.86 717.9 763.74 764.74 779.74 788.14 994.8
Alliance George Flinn* 5.68% 451 461.2 634.2 652.92 659.92 822.92 823.82 902.56
SDLP Sean Quinn* 4.70% 373 552.18 580.86 723.34 724.34 727.34 756.74  
Ulster Unionist Elizabeth Kennedy 6.46% 513 513 515 515        
SDLP John Bryce 4.81% 382 455.78 461.46          
Alliance Michael Healy 3.84% 305 312.82            
Electorate: 10,747   Valid: 7,936 (73.84%)   Spoilt: 252   Quota: 1,134   Turnout: 8,188 (76.19%)  

Area C edit

1977: 4 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1981: 4 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP

Down Area C - 7 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
SDLP Patrick O'Donoghue* 16.27% 1,328                  
DUP Ethel Smyth* 13.93% 1,137                  
Ulster Unionist Gerald Douglas 11.50% 939 940.15 991.35 994.35 1,097.35          
SDLP Eamon O'Neill* 10.07% 822 939.53 939.93 949.93 954.41 954.41 1,068.41      
SDLP James Curry 9.34% 762 828.47 828.47 847.16 856.49 856.49 960.38 1,152.38    
SDLP James Magee* 10.12% 826 857.05 857.05 861.28 861.28 861.28 900.26 1,099.26    
Alliance Patrick Forde* 5.97% 487 498.27 500.47 502.47 661.39 670.87 732.48 758.51 810.51 852.51
Ulster Unionist Norman Bicker* 7.02% 573 573 595.9 601.33 711.06 776.63 778.09 781.32 784.32 791.32
SDLP Stephen McClean 5.39% 440 477.49 477.49 482.72 485.95 486.74 535.18      
Workers' Party Edward O'Hagan 4.28% 349 376.14 376.34 442.95 447.95 447.95        
Ulster Unionist William Keown 2.23% 182 182.23 211.63 211.63            
Alliance Anthony Dickinson 2.45% 200 203.22 203.92 205.92            
Republican Clubs David Allister 1.43% 117 120.22 120.42              
Electorate: 11,077   Valid: 8,162 (73.68%)   Spoilt: 251   Quota: 1,021   Turnout: 8,413 (75.95%)  

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Down". www.ark.ac.uk.
  2. ^ a b c "Local Government Results 1981". EONI. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1981_Down_District_Council_election&oldid=1218992566"