1966 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

Main article: 1966 United Kingdom general election

1966 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland
← 1964 31 March 1966 1970 →
12 seats in Northern Ireland of the 630 seats in the House of Commons
  First party Second party
 
Leader Terence O'Neill Gerry Fitt
Party UUP Republican Labour
Leader since 1963 1964
Leader's seat Did not stand[fn 1] Belfast West
Seats won 11 1
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1
Popular vote 368,629 26,292
Percentage 61.8% 4.4%
Swing Decrease1.4% Increase2.1%

The 1966 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland was held on 31 March with 12 MPs elected in single-seat constituencies using first-past-the-post as part of the wider general election in the United Kingdom.

Results

The Ulster Unionists lost one seat to Gerry Fitt, leader of the new Republican Labour Party.

In the election as a whole, the Labour Party increased their majority and Harold Wilson continued as Prime Minister. The Conservative Party, which included the Ulster Unionists, were now led by Edward Heath.

Results[1][2]
Party MPs Votes
No. Change No. % Change
UUP 11 Decrease 1 368,629 61.8% Decrease 1.4
Republican Labour 1 Increase 1 26,292 4.4% Increase 2.1
NI Labour 0 Steady 72,613 12.2% Decrease 3.9
Ind. Republican 0 Steady 62,782 10.5% Decrease 5.4
Ulster Liberal 0 Steady 29,109 4.9% Increase 2.2
Nationalist 0 Steady 22,167 3.7% N/A
Unity 0 Steady 14,645 2.5% Increase 2.5
Total 12 Steady 596,237 100 Steady

MPs elected

Constituency Party MP
Antrim North UUP Henry Clark
Antrim South UUP Knox Cunningham
Armagh UUP John Maginnis
Belfast East UUP Stanley McMaster
Belfast North UUP Stratton Mills
Belfast South UUP Rafton Pounder
Belfast West Republican Labour Gerry Fitt
Down North UUP George Currie
Down South UUP Lawrence Orr
Fermanagh and South Tyrone UUP Marquess of Abercorn
Londonderry UUP Robin Chichester-Clark
Mid Ulster UUP George Forrest

By-elections

By-election Date Incumbent Party Winner Party Cause
Mid Ulster 17 April 1969 George Forrest UUP Bernadette Devlin Unity Death

Footnotes

  1. ^ O'Neill sat as the MP for Bannside in the Northern Ireland Parliament.

References

  1. ^ "Elections to the United Kingdom Parliament held in Northern Ireland: General Election 1966". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  2. ^ "The 1966 Westminster Elections in Northern Ireland". ARK: Northern Ireland Elections. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.


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