1997 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

Main article: 1997 United Kingdom general election

1997 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

1 May 1997
18 seats in Northern Ireland of the 659 seats in the House of Commons
Turnout	67.4% ()
First party Second party   Leader David Trimble John Hume Party UUP SDLP Leader since 28 August 1995 6 May 1979 Leader's seat Upper Bann Foyle Seats won 10 3 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 258,439 190,844 Percentage 32.7% 24.1%   Third party Fourth party   Leader Gerry Adams Ian Paisley Party Sinn Féin DUP Leader since 1983 30 September 1971 Leader's seat Belfast West North Antrim Seats won 2 2 Seat change 2 1 Popular vote 126,921 107,348 Percentage 16.1% 13.6%

The 1997 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland was held on 1 May with 18 MPs elected in single-seat constituencies using first-past-the-post as part of the wider general election in the United Kingdom. This was an increase of one seat in Northern Ireland, where the House of Commons as a whole had increased from 650 to 659 seats.

1,177,969 people were eligible to vote, up 53,069 from the 1992 general election. 67.39% of eligible voters turned out, down 2.6 percentage points from the last general election.

Results

The Labour Party led by Tony Blair won a large majority with 418 of 659 seats, returning to office after 18 years of Conservative Party government. In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin gained two seats, beginning a steady growth in support in elections to the House of Commons.

Less than a year after this election, on 10 April 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed, providing for a Northern Ireland Assembly and devolved government through the Northern Ireland Executive.

Results

Party		MPs		Votes
		No.	Change	No.	%	Change
	UUP	10	1	258,439	32.7%	1.8
	SDLP	3	1	190,844	24.1%	0.6
	Sinn Féin	2	2	126,921	16.1%	6.1
	DUP	2	1	107,348	13.6%	0.5
	UK Unionist	1	1	12,817	1.6%	1.6
	Alliance	0		62,972	8.0%	0.7
	PUP	0		10,934	1.4%	1.4
	NI Conservatives	0		9,858	1.2%	4.5
	NI Women's Coalition	0	New	3,024	0.4%	New
	Workers' Party	0		2,766	0.3%	0.2
	Natural Law	0		2,210	0.3%	0.1
	Green (NI)	0		539	0.1%
	National Democrats	0	New	81		New
	Independent	0		2,136	0.3%	0.5
Total		18	1	790,889	100

MPs elected

Constituency	Party		MP
East Antrim		UUP	Roy Beggs
North Antrim		DUP	Ian Paisley
South Antrim		UUP	Clifford Forsythe
Belfast East		DUP	Peter Robinson
Belfast North		UUP	Cecil Walker
Belfast South		UUP	Martin Smyth
Belfast West		Sinn Féin	Gerry Adams
North Down		UK Unionist	Robert McCartney
South Down		SDLP	Eddie McGrady
Fermanagh and South Tyrone		UUP	Ken Maginnis
Foyle		SDLP	John Hume
Lagan Valley		UUP	Jeffrey Donaldson
East Londonderry		UUP	William Ross
Mid Ulster		Sinn Féin	Martin McGuinness
Newry and Armagh		SDLP	Seamus Mallon
Strangford		UUP	John Taylor
West Tyrone		UUP	William Thompson
Upper Bann		UUP	David Trimble

By-elections

Constituency	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
South Antrim	21 September 2000	Clifford Forsythe		UUP	William McCrea		DUP	Death