1986 North Antrim by-election

The 1986 North Antrim by-election was one of the fifteen 1986 Northern Ireland by-elections held on 23 January 1986, to fill vacancies in the Parliament of the United Kingdom caused by the resignation in December 1985 of all sitting Unionist Members of Parliament (MPs). The MPs, from the Ulster Unionist Party, Democratic Unionist Party and Ulster Popular Unionist Party, did this to highlight their opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Each of their parties agreed not to contest seats previously held by the others, and each outgoing MP stood for re-election.

1986 North Antrim by-election
23 Jan 1986
Constituency of North Antrim
Turnout53.5% (Decrease 16.3%)
  First party
 
Candidate Ian Paisley
Party DUP
Popular vote 33,937
Percentage 97.4
Swing Increase 43.2%
MP before election

Ian Paisley
DUP

 Subsequent MP

Ian Paisley
DUP

All but one of the Unionists were re-elected, many with extremely large majorities. The largest of all went to Ian Paisley in North Antrim. He won 97.4% of the vote, the highest percentage polled by any candidate in a UK by-election since the 1940 Middleton and Prestwich by-election.

1986 North Antrim by-election[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Ian Paisley 33,937 97.4 +43.2
"For the Anglo-Irish Agreement" "Peter Barry" (Wesley Williamson)[2] 515 2.6 N/A
Majority 33,024 94.8 +65.0
Turnout 34,452 53.5 -16.3
Registered electors 65,157
DUP hold Swing N/A

References
  1. Results of Byelections in the 1983-87 Parliament Archived 5 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine in the United Kingdom Election Results website Archived 7 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine maintained by David Boothroyd
  2. Nicholas Whyte (13 May 2003). "Westminster by-elections, 23 January 1986". Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive. Retrieved 31 December 2016.

Other References


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