1981 Banbridge District Council election

1981 Banbridge District Council election
← 1977 20 May 1981 (1981-05-20) 1985 →

All 15 seats to Banbridge District Council
8 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party UUP DUP SDLP
Seats won 8 4 2
Seat change Steady 0 Increase 1 Steady 0

  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Party Ind. Nationalist Ind. Unionist
Seats won 1 0
Seat change Steady 0 Decrease 1

Elections to Banbridge District Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used two district electoral areas to elect a total of 15 councillors.

Election results

Banbridge District Council Election Result 1981[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  UUP 8 0 0 Steady0 53.3 42.1 6,241 Decrease4.9
  DUP 4 1 0 Increase1 26.7 26.5 3,929 Increase9.2
  SDLP 2 0 0 Steady0 13.3 14.9 2,217 Decrease0.1
  Ind. Nationalist 1 0 0 Steady0 6.7 6.4 950 Increase2.2
  Ind. Unionist 0 0 1 Decrease1 0.0 5.5 818 Increase0.8
  Alliance 0 0 0 Steady0 0.0 4.6 677 Decrease1.6

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

Results of the Banbridge District Council election, 1981
by district[1]
Ward %
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
Total
Cllrs
UUP DUP SDLP Others
Area A 34.7 3 25.3 2 13.9 1 26.1 1 7
Area B 50.4 5 27.9 2 16.2 1 5.5 0 8
Total 42.1 8 26.5 4 14.9 2 16.5 1 15

Districts results

Area A

1977: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist, 1 x Independent Unionist
1981: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Nationalist
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Independent Unionist

Banbridge Area A - 7 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
SDLP James Walsh* 13.86% 1,092              
Ind. Nationalist Laurence McCartan* 10.98% 865 932.6 988.6          
DUP Wilfred McFadden 11.52% 907 907.2 907.5 914.5 993.5      
UUP Wilson Davidson* 11.92% 939 939.2 939.3 972.3 979.3 1,017.3    
UUP Samuel Cowan* 8.66% 682 682.2 683.4 698.4 699.4 909.4 940.4 1,063.4
DUP Gareth Bennett 6.34% 499 499.1 499.1 500.1 552.1 566.1 882.2 989.2
UUP Norman Ferguson* 8.68% 684 684.1 685.1 707.1 708.1 736.1 762.1 959.4
Alliance Kenneth McElroy 7.28% 573 579.6 605.3 608.3 610.3 626.5 659.8 726.1
Ind. Unionist Hugh Anderson* 6.83% 538 540.8 543.6 550.6 554.6 567.6 579.6  
DUP Irene Todd 5.36% 422 422.3 422.4 425.4 436.4 452.4    
UUP Raymond Armstrong 3.53% 278 278.1 278.2 335.2 337.2      
DUP Mildred McDowell 2.04% 161 161 161 162.1        
UUP Herbert Plunkett 1.92% 151 151.1 151.2          
Ind. Nationalist Margaret McStraw 1.08% 85 111.8            
Electorate: 11,561   Valid: 7,876 (68.13%)   Spoilt: 259   Quota: 985   Turnout: 8,135 (70.37%)  

Area B

1977: 5 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
1981: 5 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x SDLP
1977-1981 Change: No change

Banbridge Area B - 8 seats[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
SDLP Patrick McAvoy* 16.17% 1,125                    
DUP Brian Biggerstaff* 10.78% 750 751.92 774.92                
UUP Raymond McCullough* 10.19% 709 719.08 720.08 720.08 789.08            
UUP Matthew Bailey* 8.47% 589 598.6 626.6 641.04 685.52 688.51 852.51        
UUP George Gamble 7.55% 525 527.88 528.88 647.2 652.88 652.91 790.91        
UUP Herbert Heslip* 7.09% 493 494.44 502.92 505.92 674.4 682.68 707.39 740.87 784.87    
UUP Robert Hill* 6.40% 445 447.88 455.88 478.88 498.88 501.64 556.64 582.02 646.1 659.7 670.34
DUP David Herron* 6.79% 472 473.92 530.92 539.4 574.4 574.86 600.57 609.75 623.59 626.95 626.95
DUP Robert McIlroy 6.40% 445 450.76 569.72 577.72 583.72 584.18 598.18 608.98 617.34 617.82 618.96
Alliance Ebezener Mulligan 1.50% 104 349.28 353.16 447.4 462.88 462.88 470.8 471.34      
UUP Robert Barr* 5.26% 366 373.2 391.2 429.08 447.08 447.54          
UUP Eric Williamson 5.46% 380 388.16 395.16 397.12              
Ind. Unionist Thompson Howe 4.03% 280 326.56 326.56                
DUP Robert McIlroy 3.92% 273 277.32                  
Electorate: 9,513   Valid: 6,956 (73.12%)   Spoilt: 172   Quota: 773   Turnout: 7,128 (74.93%)  

References

  1. ^ a b "Local Government Elections 1973-1981: Banbridge". www.ark.ac.uk.
  2. ^ a b "Local Government Results 1981". EONI. Retrieved 22 July 2021.