Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)

UK constituency infobox alt
Name = Fermanagh and South Tyrone


Type = County
Entity = Northern Ireland
DivisionType = Districts
Division = Fermanagh, Dungannon and South Tyrone
Year = 1950
MP = Michelle Gildernew
Party = Sinn Féin
EP = Northern Ireland

Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a Parliamentary Constituency in the British House of Commons.

Boundaries

The seat was created in 1950 when the old Fermanagh & Tyrone two MP constituency was abolished as part of the final move to single member seats. As the name implies, the seat includes all of County Fermanagh and the southern part of County Tyrone. Of the post 1973 districts, it initially contained all of Fermanagh and Dungannon and South Tyrone.

In boundary changes proposed by a review in 1995, a portion of Dungannon and South Tyrone (then simply called Dungannon) district was transferred to the Mid Ulster constituency.

The most recent review of boundaries, passed through Parliament by means of the [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/draft/ukdsi_9780110813172_en_1 2008 Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituency Order] sees little change to the boundaries of Fermanagh and South Tyrone. The electoral areas to make up this seat at the next UK general election are;
*The entire district of Fermanagh
*The wards of Augher, Aughnacloy, Ballygawley, Ballysaggart, Benburb, Caledon, Castlecaulfield, Clogher, Coolhill, Drumglass, Fivemiletown, Killyman, Killymeal, Moy, Moygashel, and Mullaghmore from Dungannon and South Tyrone district.

History

For the history of the constituency prior to 1950, see Fermanagh and Tyrone.

Throughout its history, Fermanagh and South Tyrone has seen a precarious balance between unionists and nationalist voters, though in recent years the nationalists have advanced significantly to be in a clear majority. Many elections have seen a candidate from one community triumph due to multiple candidates from the other community splitting the vote.

Perhaps because of this, Fermanagh and South Tyrone has repeatedly had the highest turnout of any constituency in Northern Ireland.

The seat was initially won by the Irish Nationalist Party in 1950 and 1951, the closely contested 1951 election seeing a 93.4% turnout - a UK record for any election.

In 1955, the constituency was won by Philip Clarke of Sinn Féin in, however he was unseated on petition on the basis that his convictions for IRA activity made him ineligible, and it was granted to the Ulster Unionist candidate.

In 1970 the seat was won by Frank McManus standing on the "Unity" ticket which sought to unite nationalist voters behind a single candidate. However in the February 1974 general election the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) contested the seat, dividing the nationalist vote and allowing Harry West of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) to win with the support of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party.

In the October 1974 general election a nationalist pact was agreed and Frank Maguire won, standing as an Independent Republican. He retained his seat in the 1979 general election, when both the Unionist and Nationalist votes were split, the former by the intervention of Ernest Baird, leader of the short-lived United Ulster Unionist Party, and the latter by Austin Currie, who defied the official SDLP decision to not contest the seat. Maguire died in early 1981.

The ensuing by-election took place amidst the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike and is widely considered to be the single most important and prominent by-election in modern Ireland. In order to test public opinion, the Provisional Irish Republican Army Officer Commanding in Long Kesh, Bobby Sands was nominated as an Anti-H-Block/Armagh Political Prisoner. Harry West also stood for the Ulster Unionist Party but no other candidates contested the by-election. On April 9, 1981, Sands won with 30,492 votes against 29,046 for West. 26 days later Sands died of starvation.

Speedy legislation barred "convicted felons" from standing for Parliament and so in the new by-election Sands' agent Owen Carron stood as a "Proxy Political Prisoner". The UUP nominated Ken Maginnis. The second by-election in August was also contested by the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, the Workers' Party Republican Clubs, a candidate standing on a label of General Amnesty and another as The Peace Lover. The turnout was even higher, with most of the additional votes going to the additional parties standing, and Carron was elected.

These victories had the effect of pushing Republicans towards the Armalite and ballot box strategy. In the 1982 elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly Carron headed up the Sinn Féin slate for the constituency and was elected.

Republicans suffered a reversal in the 1983 general election when the SDLP contested the seat. Maginnis won and held the seat for the UUP for the next eighteen years until he retired. By this point boundary changes had resulted in a broad 50:50 balance between Unionists and Nationalists and it was expected that a single Unionist candidate would hold the seat in the 2001 general election. James Cooper was nominated by the UUP.

However on this occasion it was the unionist vote that was to be split. Initially Maurice Morrow of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) was nominated to stand, with the DUP fiercely opposing the UUP's support for the Good Friday Agreement. However Morrow then withdrew in favour of Jim Dixon, a survivor of the Enniskillen bombing who stood as an Independent Unionist opposed to the Agreement. Dixon polled 6,843 votes, far in excess of the mere 53 vote lead that Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew had over Cooper. Subsequently the result was challenged amid allegations that a polling station had been kept open for longer than the deadline, allowing more people to vote, but the courts did not uphold the challenge.

Ahead of the 2005 general election there was much speculation that a single Unionist candidate could retake the seat. However the UUP and DUP ran opposing candidates and in the event Gildernew held her seat with an increased majority.

Members of Parliament

The Member of Parliament since the 2001 general election is Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin. Between 1983 and 2001 the MP was Ken Maginnis of the UUP who retired at that election.

Elections

Elections in the 2000s

Election box begin
title=General Election 2005: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Michelle Gildernew
votes = 18,638
percentage = 38.2
change = +4.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = Arlene Foster
votes = 14,056
percentage = 28.8
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Tom Elliott
votes = 8,869
percentage = 18.2
change = -15.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Tommy Gallagher
votes = 7,230
percentage = 14.8
change = -3.9Election box majority
votes = 4,582
percentage = 9.4
change =Election box turnout
votes = 48,793
percentage = 72.6
change = -5.4Election box hold with party link
winner = Sinn Féin
swing = Election box begin
title=General Election 2001: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Michelle Gildernew
votes = 17,739
percentage = 34.1
change = +11.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = James Cooper
votes = 17,686
percentage = 34.0
change = -17.5Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Tommy Gallagher
votes = 9,706
percentage = 18.7
change = -4.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Jim Dixon
votes = 6,843
percentage = 13.2
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 53
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 51,974
percentage = 78.0
change = +3.2Election box gain with party link
winner = Sinn Féin
loser = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1990s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1997: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Ken Maginnis
votes = 24,862
percentage = 51.5
change = -0.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Gerry McHugh
votes = 11,174
percentage = 23.1
change = +4.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Tommy Gallagher
votes = 11,060
percentage = 22.9
change = +0.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Stephen Farry
votes = 977
percentage = 2.0
change = +0.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Natural Law Party
candidate = Simeon Gillan
votes = 217
percentage = 0.4
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 13,688
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 74.8
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Boundary changes took effect from the 1997 general election. The projections of what the 1992 result would have been if fought on 1997 boundaries are shown below. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/election97/constituencies/252.htm]

Election box begin
title=Notional 1992 UK General Election Result : Fermanagh and South Tyrone Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
votes = 25,740
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 52.5
change = N/aElection box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
votes = 10,982
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 22.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
votes = 9,143
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 19.1
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Others
votes = 1,841
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 3.8
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
votes = 950
candidate = "N/A"
percentage = 2.0
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 14,089
percentage = 29.4
change = "N/A"

Election box begin
title=General Election 1992: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Ken Maginnis
votes = 26,923
percentage = 48.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Tommy Gallagher
votes = 12,810
percentage = 23.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Francie Molloy
votes = 12,604
percentage = 22.9
change = Election box candidate
party = Independent Progressive Socialist
candidate = David Kettyles
votes = 1,094
percentage = 2.0
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Eric Bullick
votes = 950
percentage = 1.7
change = Election box candidate
party = New Agenda
candidate = Gerry Cullen
votes = 747
percentage = 1.4
change = Election box majority
votes = 14,113
percentage = 25.6
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 78.5
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1980s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1987: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Ken Maginnis
votes = 27,446
percentage = 49.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Paul Corrigan
votes = 14,623
percentage = 26.4
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Rosemary Flanagan
votes = 10,581
percentage = 19.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = David Kettyles
votes = 1,784
percentage = 3.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = John Haslett
votes = 950
percentage = 1.7
change = Election box majority
votes = 12,823
percentage = 23.2
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 80.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box begin
title=Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1986Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Ken Maginnis
votes = 27,857
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Owen Carron
votes = 15,278
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Austin Currie
votes = 12,081
percentage =
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = David Kettyles
votes = 864
percentage =
change = Election box majority
votes = 12,579
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 1983: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Ken Maginnis
votes = 28,630
percentage = 47.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Owen Carron
votes = 20,954
percentage = 34.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Rosemary Flanagan
votes = 9,923
percentage = 16.5
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = David Kettyles
votes = 649
percentage = 1.1
change = Election box majority
votes = 7,676
percentage = 12.8
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 88.6
change = Election box gain with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
loser = Independent Republican (Ireland)
swing =

Minor boundary changes took effect from the 1983 general election.

Election box begin
title=By-election, August 1981: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Anti H-Block
candidate = Owen Carron
votes = 31,278
percentage = 49.1
change = -3.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Ken Maginnis
votes = 29,048
percentage = 45.6
change = -4.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Seamus Close
votes = 1,930
percentage = 3.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Clubs
candidate = Tom Moore
votes = 1,132
percentage = 1.8
change = "N/A"Election box candidate
party = General Amnesty
candidate = Martin Green
votes = 249
percentage = 0.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate
party = The Peace Lover
candidate = Simon Hall-Raleigh
votes = 90
percentage = 0.1
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 2,230
percentage =
change =Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 88.6
change = 1.7Election box hold with party link
winner = Anti H-Block
swing =

Election box begin
title=By-election, April 1981: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Anti H-Block
candidate = Bobby Sands
votes = 30,493
percentage = 51.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Harry West
votes = 29,046
percentage = 48.8
change = +20.8Election box majority
votes = 1,447
percentage = 2.4
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 59,538
percentage = 86.9
change = -0.2Election box gain with party link
winner = Anti H-Block
loser = Independent Republican (Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

Elections in the 1970s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1979: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
candidate = Frank Maguire
votes = 22,398
percentage = 36.0
change = -15.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Raymond Ferguson
votes = 17,411
percentage = 28.0
change = -19.9Election box candidate
party = Independent SDLP
candidate = Austin Currie
votes = 10,785
percentage = 17.3
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = United Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Ernest Baird
votes = 10,607
percentage = 17.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Peter Acheson
votes = 1,070
percentage = 1.7
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 4,987
percentage = 8.0
change = +4.0Election box turnout
votes = 62,271
percentage = 87.1
change = -1.6Election box hold with party link
winner = Independent Republican (Ireland)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election October 1974: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
candidate = Frank Maguire
votes = 32,795
percentage = 51.8
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Harry West
votes = 30,285
percentage = 47.9
change = +4.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist)
candidate = Alan Evans
votes = 185
percentage = 0.3
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 2,510
percentage = 4.0
change = -13.2Election box turnout
votes = 63,265
percentage = 88.7
change = +0.3Election box gain with party link
winner = Independent Republican (Ireland)
loser = Ulster Unionist Party
swing = "N/A"

Election box begin
title=General Election February 1974: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Harry West
votes = 26,858
percentage = 43.6
change = -5.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Unity (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Frank McManus
votes = 16,229
percentage = 26.3
change = -24.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Denis Haughey
votes = 15,410
percentage = 25.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Pro-Assembly Unionist
candidate = Hubert Brown
votes = 3,157
percentage = 5.1
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 10,629
percentage = 17.2
change = +14.9Election box turnout
votes = 61,654
percentage = 88.4
change = -3.7Election box gain with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
loser = Unity (Northern Ireland)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 1970: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Unity (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Frank McManus
votes = 32,837
percentage = 51.1
change = +24.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = James Hamilton
votes = 31,390
percentage = 48.9
change = -5.1Election box majority
votes = 1,447
percentage = 2.3
change = -24.8Election box turnout
votes = 64,227
percentage = 92.1
change = +6.1Election box gain with party link
winner = Unity (Northern Ireland)
loser = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1960s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1966: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = James, Marquess of Hamilton
votes = 29,352
percentage = 54.0
change = -1.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Unity (Northern Ireland)
candidate = J. J. Donnelly
votes = 14,645
percentage = 26.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
candidate = Rory Brady (Ruairí Ó Brádaigh)
votes = 10,370
percentage = 19.1
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 14,707
percentage = 27.1
change = +1.6Election box turnout
votes = 54,367
percentage = 86.0
change = +0.4Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 1964: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = James Hamilton
votes = 30,010
percentage = 55.1
change = -26.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Republican (Ireland)
candidate = Aloysius Mulloy
votes = 14,645
percentage = 26.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Liberal Party
candidate = Giles FitzHerbert
votes = 6,006
percentage = 11.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
candidate = Baptist W. Gamble
votes = 2,339
percentage = 4.3
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 13,872
percentage = 25.5
change = -37.2Election box turnout
votes = 53,000
percentage = 85.6
change = +24.0Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing = "N/A"

Elections in the 1950s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1959: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Lord Robert Grosvenor
votes = 32,080
percentage = 81.4
change = +31.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = James Martin
votes = 7,348
percentage = 18.6
change = -31.6Election box majority
votes = 24,732
percentage = 62.7
change = +62.3Election box turnout
votes = 39,428
percentage = 61.6
change = -31.0Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 1955: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Philip Clarke
votes = 30,529
percentage = 50.2
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Lord Robert Grosvenor
votes = 30,268
percentage = 49.8
change = +0.9Election box majority
votes = 261
percentage = 0.4
change = -3.8Election box turnout
votes = 60,797
percentage = 92.6
change = -0.8Election box gain with party link
winner = Sinn Féin
loser = Nationalist Party (Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

After the election, Philip Clarke was found ineligible by an election court, and Lord Robert Grosvenor was declared elected in his place.

Election box begin
title=General Election 1951: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Cahir Healy
votes = 32,717
percentage = 52.1
change = +0.2Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Frederick Patterson
votes = 30,268
percentage = 47.9
change = -0.2Election box majority
votes = 2,635
percentage = 4.2
change = +0.4Election box turnout
votes = 62,985
percentage = 93.4
change = +1.3Election box hold with party link
winner = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing =

Election box begin
title=General Election 1950: Fermanagh and South TyroneElection box candidate with party link
party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
candidate = Cahir Healy
votes = 32,188
percentage = 51.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Henry Richardson
votes = 29,877
percentage = 48.1
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 2,311
percentage = 3.8
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 62,065
percentage = 92.1
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)
swing = "N/A"

ources

* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/hoc/constituency/history/0,9571,-1281,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics] (Election results from 1992 to the present)
*http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/ (Election results from 1951 to the present)
*http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/bfst.htm (Northern Ireland election results 1983 - 1992)
* [http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage/hcommons3.htm Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page] (Complete list of MPs)
*F. W. S. Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1918 - 1949"
*F. W. S. Craig, "British Parliamentary Election Results 1950 - 1970"

References

See also

* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland