1981 Ards Borough Council election

Elections to Ards Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 17 councillors.

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1981
1981 Ards Borough Council election
20 May 1981 (1981-05-20)
All 17 seats to Ards Borough Council
9 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party DUP Ulster Unionist Alliance
Seats won 7 3 3
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 3 Decrease 2
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Party UPUP NI Labour SDLP
Seats won 2 1 1
Seat change Increase 2 Steady 0 Steady 0
  Seventh party
 
Party Independent
Seats won 0
Seat change Decrease 1

Election results
Ards Borough Council Election Result 1981[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  DUP 7 4 0 Increase4 41.2 37.1 8,120 Increase23.3
  Ulster Unionist 3 0 3 Decrease3 17.6 21.7 4,759 Decrease10.1
  Alliance 3 0 2 Decrease2 17.6 12.3 2,692 Decrease8.5
  UPUP 2 2 0 Steady0 11.8 12.9 2,816 New
  NI Labour 1 0 0 Steady0 5.9 6.5 1,424 Decrease1.5
  SDLP 1 0 0 Steady0 5.9 4.3 942 Decrease1.4
  Ind. Unionist 0 0 1 Decrease1 0.0 4.8 311 Decrease1.7
  Independent 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 3.3 738 Decrease5.3
  Unionist Party NI 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 0.5 112 Decrease4.8

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

[1]

Results of the Ards Borough Council election, 1981
by district
Ward  %
Cllrs
  %
Cllrs
  %
Cllrs
  %
Cllrs
  %
 Cllrs
  %
 Cllrs
  %
 Cllrs
 Total
Cllrs
DUP UUP Alliance UPUP NILP SDLP Others
Area A 32.0 2 24.7 2 9.6 1 14.3 1 0.0 0 11.9 1 7.5 0 7
Area B 40.2 3 14.1 0 12.6 1 16.0 1 17.1 1 0.0 0 0.0 0 6
Area C 39.5 2 28.8 1 15.5 1 6.1 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 10.1 0 4
Total 37.1 7 21.7 3 12.3 3 12.9 2 6.5 1 4.3 1 5.2 0 17

Districts results

Area A

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

Ards Area A - 7 seats[2]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
12345678910
UPUP Gladys McIntyre 13.04% 1,034                  
Ulster Unionist Robert Ambrose* 7.68% 609 610 627.04 653.64 692.04 747.52 758.64 1,021.64    
SDLP Patrick Doherty* 11.88% 942 942.04 942.04 943.12 943.12 943.12 961.16 965.2 1,347.2  
DUP Joseph Thompson* 11.57% 917 918.32 923.44 950.76 954.8 960.92 960.92 974.16 976.24 981.24
Alliance William Sheldon* 5.39% 427 427.44 436.44 439.64 448.68 453.8 730.44 764.76 820.84 974.84
DUP Oliver Johnston 11.04% 875 876.68 882.84 890.68 901.92 920.16 923.2 952.72 954.72 958.72
Ulster Unionist John Scott* 6.88% 545 548.48 576.72 592.08 633.6 758.12 790.32 878.6 882.84 886.84
DUP Jim Shannon 9.35% 741 743.04 744.08 754.52 760.56 763.68 768.72 796.92 798.08 807.08
Independent James McMullan 6.07% 481 481.64 484.64 486.68 486.68 488.68 492.68 495.72    
Ulster Unionist William Caughey* 4.28% 339 339.72 346.84 358.12 420.56 483.28 491.4      
Alliance Alan Burnside 4.25% 337 337.36 341.36 346.16 348.2 367.36        
Ulster Unionist James Kennett 3.27% 259 260 271.08 278.6 307.92          
Ulster Unionist David Hamilton 2.64% 209 209.8 210.96 215.36            
UPUP Frances Millar 1.26% 100 125.48 140.96              
Unionist Party NI Michael Long 1.41% 112 113.52                
Electorate: 14,228   Valid: 7,927 (55.71%)   Spoilt: 235   Quota: 991   Turnout: 8,162 (57.37%)  

    Area B

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

    Ards Area B - 7 seats[2]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12345678910
    DUP Hugh Boyd* 20.16% 1,681                  
    NI Labour Robert Gaw* 15.71% 1,310                  
    DUP John Elliott 8.03% 670 1,036.27 1,044.46 1,066.06 1,070.82 1,084.82 1,093.18 1,113.92 1,141.51 1,182.71
    DUP Simpson Gibson 12.05% 1,005 1,067.06 1,071.02 1,083.75 1,086.93 1,100.93 1,105.93 1,125.96 1,138.81 1,167.29
    Alliance Owen Dorrian* 9.41% 784 786.61 803.89 835.65 838.65 841.19 1,059.78 1,086.68 1,108.78 1,154.96
    UPUP Robert Brown 6.09% 508 538.16 545.72 552.61 559.17 566.46 575.73 686.73 724.76 1,136.69
    Ulster Unionist Hugh Patton 4.59% 383 387.35 392.57 396.65 485.84 558.85 570.57 599.14 1,004.54 1,078.36
    UPUP James Murray 5.61% 468 471.77 478.61 486.76 493.85 499.12 505.84 660.55 686.21  
    Ulster Unionist Robert Hamilton 5.49% 458 465.54 469.68 475.02 502.29 558.03 569.21 593.6    
    UPUP Hugh Yeaman 4.32% 360 362.9 368.03 374.92 379.3 388.93 397.58      
    Alliance James Murphy 3.24% 270 270.29 273.53 286.5 289.59 294.86        
    Ulster Unionist Edward McLoughlin 1.99% 166 166.87 169.03 174.66 192.2          
    Ulster Unionist William Speers 1.94% 162 163.45 165.7 168.51            
    NI Labour John Gray 1.37% 114 115.16 164.12              
    Electorate: 16,070   Valid: 8,339 (51.89%)   Spoilt: 310   Quota: 1,192   Turnout: 8,649 (53.82%)  

      Area C

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

      Ards Area C - 4 seats[2]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      12345678910
      DUP Thomas Gourley* 26.19% 1,479                  
      Ulster Unionist Hamilton McKeag* 19.16% 1,082 1,099.02 1,111.71 1,201.71            
      DUP John Hamilton 13.31% 752 1,041.8 1,057.72 1,082.41 1,087.33 1,112.61 1,187.61      
      Alliance Jim McBriar* 9.31% 526 528.76 535.22 541.22 547.78 559.01 598.88 902.72 908.72 1,113.72
      Ulster Unionist Gordon Brown 5.91% 334 339.52 356.75 416.05 466.89 481.12 551.78 571.78 595.78 753.78
      Ind. Unionist John Shields* 5.51% 311 314.68 317.68 325.14 327.6 499.62 540.9 570.59 584.59  
      Alliance Kathleen Coulter 6.16% 348 350.53 353.53 362.53 362.53 377.53 388.99      
      UPUP Robert McKee 3.93% 222 226.14 294.6 303.52 307.62 317.62        
      Independent James Middleton 4.20% 237 240.22 247.22 255.45 257.91          
      Ulster Unionist James Caughey 3.77% 213 217.83 224.83              
      UPUP Shirley McWhinney 2.20% 124 126.07                
      Independent Thomas Adair 0.35% 20 20.69                
      Electorate: 9,936   Valid: 5,648 (56.84%)   Spoilt: 168   Quota: 1,130   Turnout: 5,816 (58.53%)  

        References
        1. "Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Ards". www.ark.ac.uk.
        2. "Local Government Results 1981". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
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