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 Social Democratic and Labour Party 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.

style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #2AA82C;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic and Labour Party" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #326760;" data-sort-value="Sinn Féin" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #660066;" data-sort-value="UK Unionist Party" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #F6CB2F;" data-sort-value="Alliance Party of Northern Ireland" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #2B45A2;" data-sort-value="Progressive Unionist Party" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #0087DC;" data-sort-value="Northern Ireland Conservatives" | style="width: 2px; background-color: aqua;" data-sort-value="Northern Ireland Women's Coalition" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #F8F9FA;" data-sort-value="Workers' Party of Ireland" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #ffe4e1;" data-sort-value="Natural Law Party" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #8dc63f;" data-sort-value="Green Party of Northern Ireland" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #2F4F4F;" data-sort-value="National Democrats (UK)" | style="width: 2px; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent politician" |

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 of Ireland	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 style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	Roy Beggs
North Antrim style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" |	DUP	Ian Paisley
South Antrim style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	Clifford Forsythe
Belfast East style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" |	DUP	Peter Robinson
Belfast North style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	Cecil Walker
Belfast South style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	Martin Smyth
Belfast West style="width: 2px; background-color: #326760;" data-sort-value="Sinn Féin" |	Sinn Féin	Gerry Adams
North Down style="width: 2px; background-color: #660066;" data-sort-value="UK Unionist Party" |	UK Unionist	Robert McCartney
South Down style="width: 2px; background-color: #2AA82C;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic and Labour Party" |	SDLP	Eddie McGrady
Fermanagh and South Tyrone style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	Ken Maginnis
Foyle style="width: 2px; background-color: #2AA82C;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic and Labour Party" |	SDLP	John Hume
Lagan Valley style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	Jeffrey Donaldson
East Londonderry style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	William Ross
Mid Ulster style="width: 2px; background-color: #326760;" data-sort-value="Sinn Féin" |	Sinn Féin	Martin McGuinness
Newry and Armagh style="width: 2px; background-color: #2AA82C;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic and Labour Party" |	SDLP	Seamus Mallon
Strangford style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	John Taylor
West Tyrone style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	William Thompson
Upper Bann style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	David Trimble

By-elections

Constituency	Date	Incumbent	Party		Winner	Party		Cause
South Antrim	21 September 2000	Clifford Forsythe style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" |	UUP	William McCrea style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" |	DUP	Death