1997 Belfast City Council election

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Main article:
Northern Ireland local elections, 1997
1997 Belfast City Council election
← 1993 21 May 1997 (1997-05-21) 2001 →
All 51 seats to Belfast City Council
26 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Sinn Féin UUP SDLP
Seats won 13 13 7
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 2 Decrease 2
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party DUP Alliance PUP
Seats won 7 6 3
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 1 Increase 2
  Seventh party Eighth party
 
Party Ulster Democratic Ind. Unionist
Seats won 1 1
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Lord Mayor before election

Ian Adamson
UUP

Lord Mayor

Alban Maginness
SDLP

Elections to

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

Unionists lost overall control of Belfast City Council for the first time in its history, with

Lord Mayor
.

Election results

Belfast Local Election Result 1997[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Sinn Féin 13 3 0 Increase3 25.5 27.6 29,379 Increase4.9
  UUP 13 0 2 Decrease2 25.5 20.1 21,404 Decrease1.9
  SDLP 7 1 3 Decrease2 13.7 15.6 16,653 Decrease0.3
  DUP 7 0 2 Decrease2 13.7 12.1 12,914 Decrease5.0
  Alliance 6 1 0 Increase1 11.8 9.2 9,781 Decrease2.0
  PUP 3 2 0 Increase2 5.9 9.2 9,758 Increase7.7
  Ulster Democratic 1 1 0 Increase1 2.0 2.4 2,532 New
  Ind. Unionist 1 0 1 Decrease1 2.0 0.9 955 Decrease1.5
  NI Women's Coalition 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 1.0 1,090 New
  Workers' Party 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 1.0 1,015 Decrease1.8
 
Green (NI)
 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.5 548 Decrease2.0
  NI Conservatives 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.3 327 Decrease2.0
 
Independent
 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.1 79 Decrease0.2
  Labour coalition 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.0 19 Decrease0.6

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

Results of the Belfast City Council election, 1997
by district[1]
Ward %
Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 %
 Cllrs
 Total
Cllrs
Sinn Féin UUP SDLP DUP Alliance PUP UDP Others
Balmoral 0.0 0 31.5 2 26.1 2 13.9 1 17.0 1 3.5 0 4.6 0 3.4 0 6
Castle 11.4 1 27.0 2 20.9 1 24.6 1 11.9 1 0.0 0 1.8 0 2.4 0 6
Court 0.0 0 27.8 2 0.0 0 19.0 1 1.5 0 32.8 1 12.9 1 6.0 0 5
Laganbank 15.1 1 25.1 2 27.4 2 5.1 0 12.2 1 7.0 0 0.0 0 8.1 0 5
Lower Falls 79.7 4 0.0 0 16.2 1 0.0 0 0.4 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 3.7 0 5
Oldpark 44.8 3 16.3 1 16.3 1 4.7 0 1.2 0 11.2 1 3.0 0 2.5 0 6
Pottinger 8.6 0 29.3 2 2.7 0 26.5 2 7.7 1 20.9 1 1.5 0 2.8 0 6
Upper Falls 68.1 4 0.0 0 29.1 1 1.4 0 0.6 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 0.8 0 5
Victoria 0.0 0 31.7 2 0.0 0 31.0 2 31.2 2 0.0 0 0.0 0 5.9 0 7
Total 27.6 13 20.1 13 15.6 7 12.1 7 9.2 6 9.2 3 2.4 1 3.8 0 51

District results

Balmoral

1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
1993-1997 Change: SDLP gain from DUP

Balmoral - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
UUP Mary Crooks* 20.49% 2,329                  
SDLP Carmel Hanna 16.85% 1,916                  
DUP Harry Smith* 8.13% 924 969.9 969.9 979.3 983.3 1,034.5 1,129.5 1,690.5    
UUP Bob Stoker 8.35% 949 1,070.5 1,070.5 1,083.9 1,088.2 1,169.2 1,448.9 1,550.8 1,936.8  
SDLP Catherine Molloy 9.21% 1,047 1,048.2 1,310.55 1,328.55 1,415.2 1,422.5 1,423.65 1,424.25 1,426.65 1,430.65
Alliance
Tom Ekin
 		8.54% 971 986.3 994.4 1,017 1,086.05 1,099.35 1,119.95 1,127.15 1,227.55 1,305.55
Alliance Philip McGarry* 8.43% 958 974.2 984.55 1,004.15 1,052.35 1,074.25 1,080.85 1,087.35 1,166.25 1,203.25
UUP Gordon Lucy 2.67% 304 688.6 688.6 719.3 723.2 763.2 848.5 908.9    
DUP Joan Parkes 5.75% 654 712.5 712.5 719 721 779.9 804.5      
Ulster Democratic Heather Calvert 4.57% 520 534.1 534.25 535.55 549.15 662.05        
PUP Gordon McCrea 3.49% 397 415 415 422 433          
NI Women's Coalition Nuala Bradley 2.08% 236 238.4 241.7 267.75            
Green (NI)
 Mary Ringland 0.81% 92 95.3 95.75              
NI Conservatives Hubert Mullan 0.62% 71 80 80.15              
Electorate: 22,826   Valid: 11,368 (49.80%)   Spoilt: 245   Quota: 1,625   Turnout: 11,613 (50.88%)  

Castle

1993: 2 x UUP, 2 SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin
1993-1997 Change: Alliance and Sinn Féin gain from UUP and SDLP, Independent Unionist joins UUP

Castle - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
DUP Nigel Dodds* 17.41% 2,081              
SDLP Alban Maginness* 14.90% 1,781              
Alliance Tom Campbell 11.86% 1,417 1,420.06 1,423.46 1,518.18 1,527.68 1,917.68    
Sinn Féin Danny Lavery 11.40% 1,362 1,362.18 1,368.38 1,397.74 1,397.92 1,616.08 1,619.28 1,715.28
UUP David Browne* 9.49% 1,134 1,169.1 1,169.18 1,192.54 1,300.26 1,301.62 1,633.3 1,638.3
UUP Nelson McCausland* 8.91% 1,065 1,114.86 1,114.9 1,124.26 1,253.26 1,256.62 1,456.04 1,462.04
UUP John Carson* 8.58% 1,025 1,060.28 1,060.52 1,073.52 1,169.38 1,192.62 1,390.04 1,430.04
PUP Jim Crothers 6.51% 778 797.8 797.8 821.2 911.18 920.46    
SDLP Jonathan Stevenson* 6.02% 720 720 777.92 832.48 832.48      
DUP Robert Ferris 0.71% 85 304.96 304.96 309.14        
Ulster Democratic Raymond Gilliland 1.81% 216 220.14 220.14 224.32        
NI Women's Coalition Eileen Calder 1.25% 149 150.08 151.12          
Green (NI)
 Alan Warren 0.61% 73 73 73.24          
Workers' Party Paul Treanor 0.44% 53 53.18 53.9          
Ulster Independence Norman McClelland 0.01% 8 8.18 8.18          
Natural Law Andrea Gribben 0.01% 5 5 5.04          
Electorate: 21,949   Valid: 11,952 (54.45%)   Spoilt: 288   Quota: 1,708   Turnout: 12,240 (55.77%)  

Court

1993: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UDP
1993-1997 Change: UDP gain from Independent Unionist

Court - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
PUP Hugh Smyth* 32.83% 3,070              
DUP Eric Smyth* 16.82% 1,573              
Ulster Democratic Frank McCoubrey 12.83% 1,200 1,545.28 1,552.32 1,553.48 1,581.48      
UUP Fred Cobain* 11.21% 1,048 1,240.92 1,248.52 1,249.78 1,297.29 1,326.32 1,369.48 1,699.48
UUP Chris McGimpsey* 8.56% 800 1,039.2 1,053.28 1,054.7 1,088.81 1,121.22 1,184.77 1,362.25
Ind. Unionist Joseph Coggle* 4.35% 407 755.92 763.04 764.22 838.38 868.22 936.49 1,084.08
UUP Glenn Bradley 5.49% 513 617 627.6 628.27 662.05 679.85 839.12  
UUP Denis Robinson 2.53% 237 349.84 350.84 351.62 372.7 405.17    
NI Women's Coalition Linda Walker 1.60% 150 208.76 308.52 309.02 325.22      
DUP Margaret Ferris 2.22% 208 291.72 296.76 303.48        
Alliance John Roberts 1.54% 144 165.32            
Electorate: 17,089   Valid: 9,350 (54.71%)   Spoilt: 243   Quota: 1,559   Turnout: 9,593 (56.14%)  

Laganbank

1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance
1993-1997 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Laganbank - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
SDLP Alasdair McDonnell* 17.59% 1,614            
UUP Jim Clarke* 14.57% 1,337 1,339 1,343 1,343 1,554    
UUP Michael McGimpsey* 10.53% 966 966 974 974.1 1,141.1 1,158.2 1,594.2
Sinn Féin Sean Hayes 15.13% 1,388 1,388 1,402 1,408.25 1,408.25 1,456.4 1,461.45
Alliance Steve McBride* 12.18% 1,118 1,120 1,186 1,192.4 1,198.4 1,399.2 1,458.25
SDLP Peter O'Reilly* 9.83% 902 906 957 1,018.05 1,018.05 1,148.5 1,166.5
PUP Ernie Purvis 7.02% 644 645 659 659.35 716.35 744.35  
NI Women's Coalition Annie Campbell 4.42% 406 413 484 486.95 488.95    
DUP Jim Kirkpatrick* 5.15% 473 475 477 477.05      
Workers' Party Paddy Lynn 1.74% 160 161          
Green (NI)
 Andrew Frew 1.50% 138 145          
Natural Law James Anderson 0.02% 18            
Independent
 Vincent McKenna 0.01% 12            
Electorate: 19,797   Valid: 9,176 (46.35%)   Spoilt: 243   Quota: 1,530   Turnout: 9,419 (47.58%)  

Lower Falls

1993: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
1993-1997 Change: No change

Lower Falls - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
Sinn Féin Fra McCann* 19.65% 2,420      
Sinn Féin Sean McKnight 18.56% 2,286      
SDLP Margaret Walsh 14.32% 1,764 1,775.4 2,248.7  
Sinn Féin Tom Hartley* 16.42% 2,022 2,047.05 2,061.05  
Sinn Féin Marie Moore* 14.70% 1,810 1,822.15 1,829.15 2,033.65
Sinn Féin Janice Austin 10.34% 1,274 1,581.35 1,606.25 1,625.75
Workers' Party John Lowry 3.80% 468 468.75    
SDLP Mary White 1.84% 227 227.9    
Alliance Keith Jacques 0.37% 45 45.3    
Electorate: 19,372   Valid: 12,316 (63.58%)   Spoilt: 390   Quota: 2,053   Turnout: 12,706 (65.59%)  

Oldpark

1993: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP
1997: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP
1993-1997 Change: PUP gain from UUP

Oldpark - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Sinn Féin Mick Conlon 16.40% 2,317                  
Sinn Féin Bobby Lavery* 15.79% 2,230                  
Sinn Féin Paddy McManus* 12.55% 1,773 2,034                
SDLP Martin Morgan* 13.74% 1,941 1,949.28 2,082.12              
PUP Billy Hutchinson 11.20% 1,582 1,582.12 1,583.2 1,583.36 1,592.36 1,613.36 1,658.9 1,879.9 1,924.84 2,070.84
UUP Fred Proctor* 9.32% 1,316 1,316 1,316 1,316 1,316 1,340 1,361 1,431 1,447.8 1,675.8
UUP Fred Rodgers* 8.13% 986 986 986 986 986 1,004 1,031 1,082 1,096.83 1,397.69
DUP David Smylie 4.66% 659 659 659 659 659 659 674 737 743.86  
SDLP Dympna O'Hara 2.58% 365 366.92 402.83 462.51 505.35 561.57 645.27 646.27    
Ulster Democratic Paddy Bird 3.02% 427 427 427.27 427.27 429.39 434.39 451.39      
Green (NI)
 Peter Emerson 1.73% 245 246.8 273.8 275.08 286.56 333.72        
Alliance Mark Long 1.25% 177 177.36 179.79 181.23 198.47          
Workers' Party Steven Doran 0.77% 109 110.92 119.83 120.31            
Electorate: 25,054   Valid: 14,127 (56.39%)   Spoilt: 458   Quota: 2,019   Turnout: 14,585 (58.21%)  

Pottinger

1993: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
1997: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Alliance
1993-1997 Change: PUP gain from DUP

Pottinger - 6 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
UUP Reg Empey* 20.32% 2,309                      
DUP Sammy Wilson* 19.94% 2,265                      
PUP David Ervine 18.57% 2,110                      
UUP Margaret Clarke 6.76% 768 1,265.55 1,309.63 1,340.83 1,345 1,347.62 1,358.2 1,385.31 1,387.1 1,625.38    
DUP Robert Cleland* 5.33% 605 636.62 822.22 847.18 852.58 852.58 856.87 889.14 889.43 928.08 1,324.88 1,536.14
Alliance Mervyn Jones* 7.66% 870 886.74 892.83 906.51 913.8 937.04 1,004.94 1,013.63 1,218.16 1,237.87 1,241.33 1,306.26
Sinn Féin Dominic Corr 8.61% 978 978 978 978 978 992 996 996 1,100.29 1,100.29 1,100.29 1,102.25
PUP Alexander Gordon 2.31% 262 281.84 298.37 615.65 622.49 625.97 641.61 692.25 699.49 723.33 763.61  
DUP Frank Leslie 1.25% 142 160.91 487.45 504.49 506.78 506.78 510.91 545.02 546.02 567.76    
UUP Alexander Blair* 2.21% 251 320.75 338.73 356.49 360.07 372.31 377.1 395.04 398.35      
SDLP Marga Foley 2.72% 309 310.55 311.42 312.14 315.14 349.14 384.38 384.38        
Ulster Democratic Robert Girvan 1.49% 169 188.53 210.57 255.69 263.55 267.03 271.03          
NI Women's Coalition Pearl Sagar 1.31% 149 151.48 153.22 160.66 173.95 182.43            
Workers' Party Joseph Bell 1.01% 115 115.62 115.91 118.79 124.34              
Ulster Independence Josephine Challis 0.18% 21 23.48 24.93 26.13                
Labour Coalition
 Sean McGouran 0.17% 19 19 20.45 20.69                
Natural Law David Collins 0.17% 19 19.31 19.6 19.84                
Electorate: 21,854   Valid: 12,968 (59.34%)   Spoilt: 458   Quota: 1,853   Turnout: 13,426 (61.43%)  

Upper Falls

1993: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP
1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
1993-1997 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Upper Falls - 5 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
SDLP Alex Attwood* 20.42% 2,855      
Sinn Féin Alex Maskey* 20.08% 2,807      
Sinn Féin Michael Browne 18.45% 2,580      
Sinn Féin Martin Livingstone 17.12% 2,394      
Sinn Féin Chrissie McAuley 12.43% 1,738 1,754.02 2,181.23 2,401.37
SDLP Patricia Lewsley* 4.26% 596 982.82 998.63 1,003.22
SDLP Stephen McGowan 4.41% 616 707.98 719.54 721.7
DUP David McNerlin 1.44% 201 201 201.17 201.26
Workers' Party James McAllister 0.79% 110 113.96 117.7 119.23
Alliance Dan McGuinness 0.61% 85 91.3 93.34 93.61
Electorate: 22,561   Valid: 13,982 (61.97%)   Spoilt: 345   Quota: 2,331   Turnout: 14,327 (63.50%)  

Victoria

1993: 3 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP
1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1993-1997 Change: Independent Unionist gain from UUP

Victoria - 7 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Alliance
David Alderdice
 		18.87% 2,419                
UUP Ian Adamson* 18.46% 2,367                
Alliance Danny Dow* 7.99% 1,024 1,609.14              
UUP Jim Rodgers* 11.76% 1,508 1,532.14 1,921.58            
DUP
Wallace Browne
* 		11.58% 1,485 1,498.94 1,564.54 1,569.22 1,590.52 1,747.52      
DUP Robin Newton* 8.08% 1,036 1,044.5 1,052.82 1,055.94 1,070.52 1,336.04 1,477.94 1,522.22 1,658.22
Ind. Unionist Alan Crowe 4.05% 519 544.16 710.24 736.5 803.68 831.18 1,023.4 1,237.5 1,242.5
PUP John McQuillan 7.14% 915 924.86 937.98 940.32 956.96 1,001.88 1,040.16 1,149.92 1,151.92
Alliance Glyn Roberts 4.31% 553 675.74 698.78 702.94 761.48 771.26 842.62    
UUP
Peter Weir
 1.50% 192 196.76 245.72 509.88 569.64 582.76      
DUP Margaret McKenzie 4.08% 523 524.36 533 535.08 558.74        
NI Conservatives Lesley Donaldson 2.00% 256 270.96 293.04 295.9          
Natural Law Thomas Mullins 0.19% 25 27.38 27.7 27.96          
Electorate: 28,936   Valid: 12,822 (44.31%)   Spoilt: 351   Quota: 1,603   Turnout: 13,173 (45.52%)  

References

  1. ^ a b "Belfast Council results". 27 July 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Local Government Results 1997". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
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