1981 Belfast City Council election

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Main article:
Northern Ireland local elections, 1981
1981 Belfast City Council election
← 1977 20 May 1981 1985 →
All 51 seats to Belfast City Council
26 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party DUP Ulster Unionist Alliance
Seats won 15 13 7
Seat change Increase 8 Decrease 2 Decrease 6
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party SDLP People's Democracy Irish Republican Socialist
Seats won 6 2 2
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 2 Increase 2
  Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party
 
Party PUP Ulster Democratic Unionist Party NI
Seats won 1 1 1
Seat change Increase 1 Increase 1 Decrease 1
Lord Mayor before election

John Carson
Ulster Unionist

Lord Mayor

Grace Bannister
Ulster Unionist

Elections to

councillors
, most representing the more heavily populated north and west.

The

Lord Mayor
.

Election results

Belfast Local Election Result 1981[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  DUP 15 8 0 Increase8 29.4 25.8 33,433 Increase12.5
  Ulster Unionist 13 1 3 Decrease2 25.5 23.7 30,685 Decrease3.1
  Alliance 7 0 6 Decrease6 13.7 13.2 17,164 Decrease5.4
  SDLP 6 0 2 Decrease2 11.8 14.1 18,227 Decrease4.5
  People's Democracy 2 2 0 Increase2 3.9 3.7 4,734 New
  Irish Republican Socialist 2 2 0 Increase2 3.9 2.6 3,418 New
  Ulster Democratic 1 1 0 Increase1 0.0 2.3 2,989 New
  PUP 1 1 0.0 Increase1 2.0 1.9 2,434 New
  Unionist Party NI 1 0 1 Decrease1 2.0 2.2 2,859 Decrease2.8
  Ind. Unionist 1 0 1 Decrease1 2.0 1.9 2,540 Decrease2.2
 
Independent Socialist
 1 1 0 Increase1 2.0 1.5 1,884 Increase1.4
  Anti H-Block 1 1 0 Increase1 2.0 0.8 1,070 New
 
Republican Clubs
 0 0 3 Decrease3 0.0 3.9 4,993 Decrease0.8
  NI Labour 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 1.4 1,824 Decrease1.2
 
Independent
 0 0 1 Decrease1 0.0 0.7 933 Decrease2.5
  UPUP 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 187 New
  Independent Nationalist 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 167 Increase0.1
  Communist 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 97 Steady0.0

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

Results of the Belfast City Council election, 1981
by district[1]
Ward %
Cllrs
 %
Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 Total
Cllrs
DUP UUP Alliance SDLP PD IRSP UDP UPNI PUP Others
Area A 39.3 3 33.5 3 12.1 1 9.2 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 5.9 0 7
Area B 33.5 2 26.8 2 23.0 2 1.1 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 2.0 0 11.0 1 0.0 0 2.6 0 7
Area C 21.6 2 33.6 2 28.6 2 9.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 3.3 0 0.0 0 3.3 0 6
Area D 0.0 0 3.3 0 5.3 0 44.8 3 17.0 1 10.9 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 18.7 1 6
Area E 35.1 2 22.1 2 5.8 0 3.5 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 6.5 0 0.0 0 11.1 0 15.9 1 6
Area F 26.4 2 18.4 1 10.0 1 20.8 1 0.0 0 15.2 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 9.3 0 6
Area G 24.8 2 17.7 1 3.1 0 7.5 0 19.6 1 0.0 0 14.3 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 13.0 0 6
Area H 21.7 2 27.4 2 11.5 1 19.6 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 2.5 0 17.3 1 7
Total 25.8 15 23.7 13 13.2 7 14.1 6 3.7 2 2.6 2 2.3 1 2.2 1 1.9 1 10.5 3 51

District results

Area A

1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP
1981: 3 x DUP, 3 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: DUP and UUP gain from Alliance and SDLP

Area A - 7 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
DUP John Foster 18.32% 3,333                            
Ulster Unionist Jeremy Burchill 14.23% 2,589                            
DUP Raymond McCrea* 12.87% 2,342                            
DUP Sammy Wilson 8.13% 1,479 2,431.64                          
Ulster Unionist Grace Bannister* 11.29% 2,055 2,081.88 2,202 2,265 2,285.64                    
Alliance Donnell Deeny 7.91% 1,439 1,440.92 1,447.52 1,449.41 1,450.05 1,460.09 1,464.57 1,477.81 1,553.17 1,560.49 1,645.85 1,657.44 2,463.44    
Ulster Unionist William Blair* 4.95% 900 918.56 1,024.64 1,054.7 1,067.14 1,072.27 1,101.76 1,211.3 1,250.36 1,250.36 1,258.63 1,742.86 1,793.34 1,936.94 1,944.62
SDLP Alasdair McDonnell* 6.94% 1,262 1,263.6 1,263.84 1,264.02 1,264.34 1,272.66 1,272.66 1,273.66 1,291.66 1,660.75 1,856.1 1,856.27 1,889.76 1,932.16 1,932.16
Alliance Mervyn Jones 4.21% 766 771.44 770.16 779.69 781.21 787.21 791.6 808.62 907.05 913.05 964.37 984.13      
Ulster Unionist Tony Wilkins 2.99% 544 569.28 611.76 634.26 645.94 650.19 669.27 721.95 733.24 734.24 736.33        
Republican Clubs
 Francis Cullen 2.30% 418 419.28 419.52 419.88 419.88 445.01 446.33 446.76 467.3 483.3          
SDLP Patrick McGourty 2.25% 410 410.64 410.76 410.85 410.89 412.89 412.89 412.89 419.98            
NI Labour Derek Peters 1.52% 276 278.24 278.72 279.44 279.8 297.89 306.35 310.55              
UPUP Benjamin Horan 1.03% 187 196.28 206.12 223.31 228.67 230.67 239.44                
Independent
 John McKeague 0.54% 99 103.8 107.88 116.34 120.94 126.26                  
Communist James Stewart 0.25% 97 98.92 99.52 100.15 100.51                    
Electorate: 31,215   Valid: 18,196 (58.29%)   Spoilt: 937   Quota: 2,275   Turnout: 19,133 (61.29%)  

Area B

1977: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x UPNI
1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UPNI
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUP

Area B - 7 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Alliance Oliver Napier* 12.41% 2,631 2,719                
Alliance Michael Brown* 7.55% 1,602 1,653 1,671 1,706.2 1,923 1,929 2,641.4      
DUP Henry Evans* 11.85% 2,513 2,513 2,546 2,546 2,554 2,571 2,574 3,090    
DUP Bill Morrison 10.15% 2,152 2,152 2,201 2,201 2,214 2,243 2,243 2,481 2,765.8  
Ulster Unionist Thomas Patton* 9.81% 2,081 2,081 2,195 2,195.8 2,264.8 2,411.8 2,418.8 2,443.8 2,450.92 2,839.92
Unionist Party NI Joshua Cardwell* 10.97% 2,327 2,336 2,363 2,363.8 2,428.4 2,472.4 2,487.2 2,519.2 2,529.88 2,710.88
Ulster Unionist William Corry 8.17% 1,733 1,733 1,737 1,737 1,744 1,919 1,930 1,938 1,944.23 2,703.23
DUP Samuel Foster 6.90% 1,464 1,465 1,521 1,521 1,525 1,535 1,537 1,695 1,808.92 1,865.92
Ulster Unionist Dorothy Dunlop* 5.88% 1,248 1,249 1,261 1,261 1,278 1,452 1,459 1,478 1,490.46  
DUP Albert Greer 4.62% 979 979 1,009 1,009 1,018 1,026 1,026      
Alliance Samuel Coulson 3.05% 647 660 663 683 784.6 792.6        
Ulster Unionist John Kennedy 2.89% 613 614 620 620 628          
NI Labour David McKee 2.58% 548 587 602 611.6            
Ulster Democratic Louis Scott 2.05% 434 439                
SDLP Peter Prendiville 1.11% 236                  
Electorate: 35,901   Valid: 21,208 (59.07%)   Spoilt: 630   Quota: 2,652   Turnout: 21,838 (60.83%)  

Area C

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

Area C - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Alliance David Cook* 15.65% 2,493                
Alliance Muriel Pritchard* 7.27% 1,158 1,217.52 1,280.08 1,347.72 1,362.88 2,376.96      
Ulster Unionist Andrew Cairns* 12.13% 1,933 1,937.32 1,942.32 2,166.88 2,187.88 2,202.84 2,835.84    
Ulster Unionist Mary Crooks* 13.18% 2,099 2,104.2 2,111.1 2,191.6 2,216.76 2,260.24 2,828.24    
DUP Brian Gibson 9.43% 1,503 1,504.04 1,505.12 1,529.12 1,720.12 1,727.12 1,805.48 2,040.48 2,229.48
DUP William Stevenson 7.62% 1,214 1,214.32 1,214.32 1,222.32 1,687.56 1,694.8 1,753.28 1,872.28 1,971.28
SDLP Ben Caraher 9.42% 1,501 1,508.6 1,792.12 1,795.12 1,795.12 1,828.96 1,843.44 1,845.44 1,850.44
Ulster Unionist John Gilmore 8.32% 1,326 1,330.72 1,336.88 1,396.04 1,411.12 1,421      
Alliance William Jeffrey* 5.73% 913 1,021 1,108.48 1,150.2 1,156.44        
DUP Thomas McIntyre 4.58% 729 729.8 730.8 744.88          
Unionist Party NI Victor Brennan* 3.34% 532 534.72 536.72            
Republican Clubs
 Gerard Carr 3.33% 530 532.96              
Electorate: 28,354   Valid: 15,931 (56.19%)   Spoilt: 529   Quota: 2,276   Turnout: 16,460 (58.05%)  

Area D

1977: 4 x SDLP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance
1981: 3 x SDLP, 1 x People's Democracy, 1 x IRSP, 1 x Independent Socialist
1977-1981 Change: People's Democracy and IRSP gain from Republican Clubs and Alliance, Independent Socialist leaves SDLP

Area D - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
SDLP Joe Hendron 26.20% 4,291                  
People's Democracy John McAnulty 16.98% 2,781                  
SDLP Cormac Boomer* 12.64% 2,070 2,919.16                
SDLP Mary Muldoon* 3.88% 636 987.44 1,143.37 1,148.3 1,166.98 1,187.34 1,191.34 1,917.48 1,937.84 2,262.01
Irish Republican Socialist Gerry Kelly 5.84% 957 1,015.88 1,020.22 1,238.16 1,276.77 1,284.95 1,285.95 1,302.89 2,185.21 2,197.01
Independent Socialist
 Paddy Devlin* 8.20% 1,343 1,515.1 1,560.45 1,573.88 1,616 1,659.4 1,668.4 1,741.36 1,787.23 2,058.99
Republican Clubs
 Mary McMahon 6.87% 1,125 1,176.52 1,185.2 1,193.87 1,211.85 1,546.39 1,547.39 1,604.52 1,628.3 1,738.82
Alliance Dan McGuinness* 4.43% 725 781.12 795.69 797.22 883.01 895.93 1,064.93 1,108.6 1,116.83  
Irish Republican Socialist William Browning 5.02% 822 846.84 854.9 1,012.49 1,041.67 1,046.52 1,049.52 1,066.12    
SDLP Anne McElroy 2.11% 346 642.7 962.93 974.49 1,008.88 1,034.96 1,040.27      
Ulster Unionist John Hand 2.92% 538 538 538.31 538.48 555.48 558.48        
Republican Clubs
 Kevin Smyth 2.67% 438 467.9 471.93 476.01 488.35          
Independent Nationalist Liam Hunter* 1.02% 167 189.54 192.95 200.77            
Alliance Robert Turkington 0.84% 137 146.2 146.51 147.36            
Electorate: 35,812   Valid: 16,376 (45.73%)   Spoilt: 1,060   Quota: 2,340   Turnout: 17,436 (48.69%)  

Area E

1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent, 1 x Independent Unionist
1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Anti H-Block
1977-1981 Change: DUP and Anti H-Block gain from Alliance and Independent, Independent Unionist joins PUP

Area E - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DUP George Haffey 23.73% 4,142                      
Ulster Unionist Billy Bell* 17.79% 3,105                      
DUP George Seawright 11.39% 1,989 3,442.6                    
PUP Hugh Smyth* 11.06% 1,931 1,957 2,177.72 2,204.72 2,220.72 2,229.72 2,231.92 2,234.12 2,311.85 2,316.36 2,548.36  
Ulster Unionist Alfie Ferguson* 2.10% 367 395.4 625.42 989.62 990.24 1,016.79 1,017.3 1,019.1 1,375.09 1,380.69 1,789.06 2,200.15
Anti H-Block Laurence Kennedy 6.13% 1,070 1,070 1,070 1,070 1,092 1,100.2 1,184.2 1,510 1,510 1,890 1,892.86 1,904.97
Alliance Samuel Egerton* 5.79% 1,011 1,017.8 1,033.92 1,062.72 1,090.92 1,165.83 1,169.83 1,186.83 1,207.67 1,500.67 1,569.39 1,706.56
Ulster Democratic Samuel Doyle 6.50% 1,135 1,164.2 1,257.82 1,293.42 1,294.42 1,312.53 1,316.24 1,318.44 1,359.66 1,367.28 1,481.88  
Ind. Unionist Fred Proctor* 3.96% 692 754.4 982.56 1,032.36 1,032.36 1,046.89 1,050.29 1,053.2 1,129.37 1,130.88    
SDLP Alphonsus Maginness 3.54% 618 618 618.62 619.42 663.42 678.42 719.42 863.82 864.44      
Ulster Unionist James Sands 2.21% 386 413.2 546.81 639.61 640.61 655.16 656.16 657.16        
Independent
 Patrick Hunter 1.84% 321 324.2 324.82 325.62 332.62 345.13 524.13          
Independent
 James Weir* 1.78% 311 311.8 313.35 313.95 322.95 329.95            
Independent
 Peter Emerson 1.16% 202 203.6 214.45 220.45 232.76              
Republican Clubs
 Margaret McNulty 1.01% 177 177 178.86 179.06                
Electorate: 28,598   Valid: 17,457 (61.04%)   Spoilt: 624   Quota: 2,494   Turnout: 18,081 (63.22%)  

Area F

1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance
1981: 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x IRSP, 1 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: DUP and IRSP gain from UUP and Republican Clubs

Area F - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DUP William Dickson* 17.80% 1,913                  
Irish Republican Socialist Sean Flynn 15.25% 1,639                  
SDLP Owen Allen* 8.36% 898 898.4 923.88 938.01 1,045.03 1,242.88 1,244.88 1,784.88    
Alliance Will Glendinning* 7.85% 844 852 865 1,036.69 1,060.21 1,102.06 1,176.59 1,350.01 1,498.97 1,603.97
DUP Eric Smyth 8.60% 924 1,203.2 1,203.98 1,204.44 1,207.57 1,211.97 1,304.57 1,308.57 1,317.39 1,512.99
Ulster Unionist
James Stewart
* 		6.69% 719 742.6 742.86 742.86 742.86 753.99 969.39 969.59 970.57 1,460.35
Republican Clubs
 Jim Sullivan* 9.32% 1,002 1,002 1,013.7 1,024.96 1,048.74 1,093.43 1,095.43 1,147.29 1,232.55 1,235.53
Ulster Unionist Linda Cust 5.94% 638 663.2 663.33 667.33 667.33 674.93 920.13 921.13 925.05  
SDLP Maurice Fitzmaurice 6.69% 719 719.4 737.21 739.6 764.29 868.06 869.06      
Ulster Unionist Harry Fletcher* 5.78% 621 651 651.13 652.33 652.33 661.73        
SDLP Mary Smyth 3.62% 389 395.2 406.64 410.16 458.8          
SDLP Thomas Lappin 2.11% 227 227 243.64 245.9            
Alliance
Paul Maguire
 2.00% 215 215.4 219.56              
Electorate: 18,575   Valid: 10,748 (57.86%)   Spoilt: 680   Quota: 1,536   Turnout: 11,428 (61.52%)  

Area G

1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Republican Clubs, 1 x Alliance
1981: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x IRSP, 1 x UDP
1977-1981 Change: DUP, PD and UDP gain from UUP, Republican Clubs and Alliance

Area G - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
DUP Frederick Ashby* 20.84% 2,076            
People's Democracy Fergus O'Hare 19.60% 1,953            
Ulster Democratic Samuel Millar 14.25% 1,420 1,437.36          
Ulster Unionist Cecil Walker* 11.77% 1,173 1,186.33 1,188.09 1,233.71 1,642.71    
SDLP Brian Feeney 7.52% 749 749.31 1,033.55 1,102.63 1,108.94 1,110.6 1,419.23
DUP Joseph Coggle 3.93% 392 979.76 980.64 1,000.88 1,143.04 1,323.15 1,375.7
Republican Clubs
 Seamus Lynch* 7.53% 750 750.31 899.03 941.95 944.95 946.61 1,209.77
Independent Socialist
 Gerry Fitt* 5.43% 541 542.24 602.08 696.79 729.03 762.23  
Ulster Unionist Herbert Ditty* 5.97% 595 610.19 610.19 642.19      
Alliance Philip McGarry 3.14% 313 315.48 348.04        
Electorate: 17,207   Valid: 9,962 (57.90%)   Spoilt: 374   Quota: 1,424   Turnout: 10,336 (60.07%)  

Area H

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

Area H - 7 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Ulster Unionist John Carson* 25.37% 5,014                
SDLP Paschal O'Hare* 15.47% 3,057                
DUP William Annon* 15.23% 3,010                
Ind. Unionist Frank Millar* 9.35% 1,848 2,438.07 2,438.64 2,464.2 2,581.2        
Alliance John Cushnahan* 8.80% 1,739 1,881.8 1,918.09 1,923.85 1,928.54 1,928.54 2,046.59 2,500.59  
Ulster Unionist Raymond Trimble 2.06% 408 1,729.92 1,729.92 1,736.58 1,770.19 1,782.19 1,786.19 1,978.92 2,295.92
DUP William Gault 4.11% 813 990.48 990.48 1,423.38 1,506 1,530 1,532.87 1,993.65 2,239.65
SDLP Alban Maginness 4.14% 818 829.22 1,336.52 1,336.52 1,336.52 1,336.52 1,593.23 1,613.71 1,723.71
NI Labour Alan Carr 5.06% 1,000 1,091.8 1,095.6 1,110.54 1,231.25 1,246.25 1,334.79 1,397.21  
Alliance Robert Jamison* 2.69% 531 646.26 651.58 653.2 655.2 659.2 676.84    
DUP Pauline Strong 2.36% 466 510.37 510.37 555.01 611.88 630.88 630.88    
Republican Clubs
 Liam Clarke 2.80% 553 560.14 579.52 580.42 580.42 580.42      
PUP David Overend 2.55% 503 520.85 521.04 524.1          
Electorate: 33,505   Valid: 19,760 (58.98%)   Spoilt: 720   Quota: 2,471   Turnout: 20,480 (61.13%)  

References

  1. ^ a b "Belfast Council results". 27 July 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Local Government Results 1981". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
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