East Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

UK constituency infobox alt
Name = East Antrim


Type = County
Entity = Northern Ireland
DivisionType = Districts
Division = Larne, Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey
Year = 1885, 1983
MP = Sammy Wilson
Party = Democratic Unionist
EP = Northern Ireland

East Antrim is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons and also an Assembly constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. It has voted for Unionist candidates since its re-creation in 1983.

Boundaries

The original county constituency comprised the eastern part of County Antrim, being carved out of the former Antrim constituency. From 1885, East Antrim consisted of the baronies of Belfast Lower and Glenarm Upper, and parts of the baronies of Antrim Upper, Antrim Lower and Belfast Upper, and the town of Carrickfergus.

It returned one Member of Parliament 1885-1922.

The current seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from parts of North Antrim and South Antrim. Since further revisions in 1995 (when it lost part of the district of Newtownabbey to the North Belfast constituency) it now covers the entirety of the districts of Larne and Carrickfergus, as well as part of Newtownabbey.

Boundary changes

The Boundary Commission originally proposed two significant changes for East Antrim. In the south of the constituency it was proposed to transfer a further part of Newtownabbey to the North Belfast constituency whilst in the north the seat would have gained the Glens and Ballycastle in Moyle district from North Antrim. East Antrim would have been renamed Antrim Coast & Glens. However this latter part of the proposal raised many questions, with some already arguing that the Glens have no natural ties to Jordanstown (and in 1995 the previous Boundary Commission cited this very reason when rejecting such a proposal). Furthermore some commentators felt that such a long coastal seat was too sprawling and lacking in natural ties.

Following consultation and revising the recommondations, the new boundaries for East Antrim were confirmed and passed through Parliament by the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituencies Order [ [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/draft/ukdsi_9780110813172_en_1 OPSI SI] ] as follows:
*The whole district of Carrickfergus
*The whole district of Larne
*Glenaan, Glenariff, and Glendun from the Moyle district
*From Newtownabbey, the wards of Jordanstown, Monkstown, and Rostulla

History

1885 until 1922

The constituency was a strongly conservative then unionist area. There was not the slightest chance of a republican or nationalist candidate being elected.

From 1886 to 1974 the Conservative and Unionist members of the United Kingdom House of Commons formed a single Parliamentary party.

From 1905 there was an Ulster Unionist organisation, but MPs sponsored by it are classified as Irish Unionists until the Northern Ireland general election, 1921 made the partition of Ireland effective so that Irish Unionism ceased to be a realistic objective.

A victory for the Unionist candidate in 1918 by 15,206 votes to Sinn Féin's 861 votes demonstrated the virtual unanimity of the unionist support.

Not surprisingly Sinn Féin did not bother to contest the 1919 by-election in the constituency.

In 1922, the constituency was incorporated into the Antrim constituency, which from 1950 until 1983 was divided into the North Antrim and South Antrim constituencies.

The First Dáil

Sinn Féin contested the general election of 1918 on the platform that instead of taking up any seats they won in the United Kingdom Parliament, they would establish a revolutionary assembly in Dublin. In republican theory every MP elected in Ireland was a potential Deputy to this assembly. In practice only the Sinn Féin members accepted the offer.

The revolutionary First Dáil assembled on 21 January 1919 and last met on 10 May 1921. The First Dáil, according to a resolution passed on 10 May 1921, was formally dissolved on the assembling of the Second Dáil. This took place on 16 August 1921.

In 1921 Sinn Féin decided to use the UK authorised elections for the Northern Ireland House of Commons and the House of Commons of Southern Ireland as a poll for the Irish Republic's Second Dáil. This area, in republican theory, was incorporated in a seven-member Dáil constituency of Antrim.

Constituency since 1983

The constituency is overwhelmingly unionist, with the combined votes for nationalist parties rarely exceeding 10%. However there have been above average votes for parties outside the traditional unionist block, such as the Alliance and the Conservatives. In the local government elections for the equivalent area many votes often go to independent candidates or groups such as the Newtownabbey Ratepayers Association. While the SDLP sprung a surprise in 1998 by overtaking a DUP candidate to win the final seat due to Ulster Unionist transfers - the first time that any nationalist candidate has benefited in this way.

The main interest in Westminster Elections has been the contest between the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party. In 1983 the UUP were only 367 votes ahead of the DUP. As part of a pact to oppose the Anglo-Irish Agreement the DUP did not contest the seat until 1992 but they still failed to come close, though in the 1996 elections to the Northern Ireland Forum they were only slightly behind the UUP. But in the 2001 general election they achieved an astonishing result when they came with 128 votes of winning the Westminster seat, despite not having targeted it. In the 2003 Assembly election they followed this up by gaining two additional MLAs and outpolling the UUP for the first time.

The DUP remained eager to take the Westminster seat and in the 2005 general election they did so.

Members of Parliament

The Member of Parliament since the 2005 general election is Sammy Wilson of the Democratic Unionist Party. In that election he defeated Roy Beggs of the Ulster Unionist Party, who had sat for the seat since it was created at the 1983 general election

* "Constituency created" (1885)
* 1885 — 1913: James Martin McCalmont
* 1913 — 1919: Robert Chaine Alexander McCalmont
* 1919 — 1922: George Boyle Hanna, Independent Unionist
* "Constituency abolished" (1922)
* "Constituency created" (1983)
* 1983 — 2005: Roy Beggs, Ulster Unionist
* 2005 — "present": Sammy Wilson, Democratic Unionist

Election results

Elections in the 2000s

Election box begin
title=General Election 2005: East AntrimElection box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = Sammy Wilson
votes = 15,766
percentage = 49.6
change = +13.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Roy Beggs
votes = 8,462
percentage = 26.6
change = -9.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Séan Neeson
votes = 4,869
percentage = 15.3
change = +2.8Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Danny O'Connor
votes = 1,695
percentage = 5.3
change = -2.0Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = James McKeown
votes = 828
percentage = 2.6
change = +0.1Election box candidate with party link
party = Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket
candidate = David Kerr
votes = 147
percentage = 0.5
change = +0.5Election box majority
votes = 7,304
percentage = 23.0
change =Election box turnout
votes = 31,767
percentage = 54.5
change =Election box gain with party link|Democratic Unionist Party
winner = Democratic Unionist Party
loser = Ulster Unionist Party
swing = 11.7%

Election box begin
title=General Election 2001: East AntrimElection box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Roy Beggs
votes = 13,101
percentage = 36.4
change = -2.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = Sammy Wilson
votes = 12,973
percentage = 36.0
change = +16.6Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = John Mathews
votes = 4,483
percentage = 12.5
change = -7.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Danny O'Connor
votes = 2,641
percentage = 7.3
change = +2.7Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Robert Mason
votes = 1,092
percentage = 3.0
change = -0.3Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Janette Graffan
votes = 903
percentage = 2.5
change = +0.9Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservatives in Northern Ireland
candidate = Alan Greer
votes = 807
percentage = 2.2
change = -4.6Election box majority
votes = 128
percentage = 0.4
change =Election box turnout
votes = 36,000
percentage = 59.1
change = +0.9Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1990s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Roy Beggs
votes = 13,318
percentage = 38.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Sean Neeson
votes = 6,929
percentage = 20.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = Jack McKee
votes = 6,682
percentage = 19.5
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservatives in Northern Ireland
candidate = Terence Dick
votes = 2,334
percentage = 6.8
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Progressive Unionist Party
candidate = Billy Donaldson
votes = 1,757
percentage = 5.1
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Danny O'Connor
votes = 1,576
percentage = 4.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Robert Mason
votes = 1,145
percentage = 3.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Chrissie McAuley
votes = 543
percentage = 1.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Natural Law Party
candidate = Maura McCann
votes = 69
percentage = 0.2
change = Election box majority
votes = 6,389
percentage = 18.6
change =Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 58.3
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Roy Beggs
votes = 16,966
percentage = 43.2
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = Nigel Dodds
votes = 9,544
percentage = 24.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Sean Neeson
votes = 9,132
percentage = 23.3
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Conservatives in Northern Ireland
candidate = Myrtle Boal
votes = 3,359
percentage = 8.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Natural Law Party
candidate = Andrea Palmer
votes = 250
percentage = 0.6
change = Election box majority
votes = 7,422
percentage = 18.9
change =Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 62.4
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Elections in the 1980s

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Roy Beggs
votes = 23,942
percentage = 71.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Sean Neeson
votes = 8,582
percentage = 25.6
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Austin Kelly
votes = 936
percentage = 2.8
change = Election box majority
votes = 15,360
percentage = 46.0
change =Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 55.2
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Roy Beggs
votes = 30,386
percentage = 84.9
change = Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Sean Neeson
votes = 5,405
percentage = 15.1
change = Election box majority
votes = 24,981
percentage =
change = Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 59.2
change = Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing = "N/A"

Election box candidate with party link
party = Ulster Unionist Party
candidate = Roy Beggs
votes = 14,293
percentage = 37.4
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Unionist Party
candidate = Jim Allister
votes = 13,926
percentage = 36.5
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
candidate = Sean Neeson
votes = 7,620
percentage = 20.0
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Social Democratic and Labour Party
candidate = Michael O'Cleary
votes = 1,047
percentage = 2.7
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = William Cunning
votes = 741
percentage = 1.9
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Workers Party (Ireland)
candidate = Austin Kelly
votes = 581
percentage = 1.5
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 367
percentage = 0.9
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes =
percentage = 65.1
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Ulster Unionist Party
swing = "N/A"

Elections in the 1910s

Election box begin
title=East Antrim by-election, 1919Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = George Boyle Hanna
votes = 8,714
percentage = 48.30
change = +48.30Election box candidate with party link
party = Irish Unionist Party
candidate = William Agnew Moore
votes = 7,549
percentage = 41.84
change = -52.80Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Charles McFerran Legg
votes = 1,778
percentage = 9.86
change = +9.86Election box majority
votes = 1,165
percentage = 6.46
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 24,798
percentage = 72.75
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = Independent Unionist
loser = Irish Unionist Party
swing = "N/A"

Election box begin
title=General Election 1918: East AntrimElection box candidate with party link
party = Irish Unionist Party
candidate = Robert McCalmont
votes = 15,206
percentage = 94.64
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Sinn Féin
candidate = Daniel Dumigan
votes = 861
percentage = 5.36
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 14,345
percentage = 89.28
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 24,798
percentage = 64.79
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Irish Unionist Party
swing = "N/A"

In the East Antrim by-election, 1913, Robert McCalmont was elected unopposed.

In the January and December 1910 UK general elections, James McCalmont was elected unopposed.

Elections in the 1900s

Election box begin
title=General Election 1906: East AntrimElection box candidate with party link
party = Irish Unionist Party
candidate = James McCalmont
votes = 4,496
percentage = 67.70
change = +10.25Election box candidate with party link
party = Russellite Unionist
candidate = Henry Rosere Beddoes
votes = 2,145
percentage = 32.30
change = +32.30Election box majority
votes = 2,351
percentage = 35.40
change = +20.50Election box turnout
votes = 8,606
percentage = 77.17
change = +7.00Election box hold with party link
winner = Irish Unionist Party
swing = "N/A"

Election box begin
title=General Election 1900: East AntrimElection box candidate with party link
party = Irish Unionist Party
candidate = James McCalmont
votes = 3,582
percentage = 57.45
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Independent Unionist
candidate = James King-Kerr
votes = 2,653
percentage = 42.55
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 929
percentage = 14.90
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 8,886
percentage = 70.17
change = "N/A"Election box hold with party link
winner = Irish Unionist Party
swing = "N/A"

Elections in the 1890s

In the 1892 and 1895 UK general elections, James McCalmont was elected unopposed.

Elections in the 1880s

In the 1886 UK general election, James McCalmont was elected unopposed.

Election box begin
title=General Election 4 December 1885: East AntrimElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party (UK)
candidate = James McCalmont
votes = 4,180
percentage = 66.51
change = "N/A"Election box candidate with party link
party = Liberal Party (UK)
candidate = Marriott Robert Dalway
votes = 2,105
percentage = 33.49
change = "N/A"Election box majority
votes = 2,075
percentage = 33.02
change = "N/A"Election box turnout
votes = 8,773
percentage = 71.64
change = "N/A"Election box gain with party link
winner = Conservative Party (UK)
loser = new seat
swing = "N/A"

See also

* List of Parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland

References

*"Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922", edited by B.M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
*"Who's Who of British Members of Parliament: Volume II 1886-1918", edited by M. Stenton and S. Lees (The Harvester Press 1978)