Northern Ireland (European Parliament constituency)

Northern Ireland (Irish: Tuaisceart Éireann [ˈt̪ˠuəʃcəɾˠt̪ˠ ˈeːɾʲən̪ˠ] ;[1] Ulster-Scots: Norlin Airlann) was a constituency of the European Parliament from 1979 until the UK exit from the European Union on 31 January 2020. It elected three MEPs using the single transferable vote, making it the only constituency in the United Kingdom which did not use first-past-the-post or party-list proportional representation.

Northern Ireland
European Parliament constituency
Map of the 2014 European Parliament constituencies with Northern Ireland highlighted in red
Location among the 2014 constituencies
Member stateUnited Kingdom
Created1979
Dissolved31 January 2020
MEPs3
Sources
[2][3]

Boundaries

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The constituency covered the entirety of Northern Ireland, a constituent country of the United Kingdom. It was the only constituency in the United Kingdom the boundaries of which remained unchanged from the first direct election in 1979 until the UK left the European Union in 2020.

Members of the European Parliament

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Year Member Party Member Party Member Party
1979 Ian Paisley Democratic Unionist John Hume SDLP John Taylor Ulster Unionist
1984
1989 Jim Nicholson
1994
1999
2004 Jim Allister Bairbre de Brún Sinn Féin
2007 Traditional Unionist Voice
2009 Diane Dodds Democratic Unionist Conservatives and Unionists
2012 Martina Anderson Ulster Unionist
2014
2019 Naomi Long Alliance

Note: The columns in this table are used only for presentational purposes, and no significance should be attached to the order of columns. For details of the order in which seats were won at each election, see the detailed results of that election.

Elections

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2019

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2019 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland[2]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
Sinn Féin Martina Anderson 22.17 126,951 128,117 128,190 128,200.50 152,436.50
DUP Diane Dodds 21.83 124,991 127,291 155,422    
Alliance Naomi Long 18.50 105,928 115,327 122,263 123,917.00 170,370.00
SDLP Colum Eastwood 13.72 78,589 80,949 82,101 82,413.50  
TUV Jim Allister 10.83 62,021 63,872 79,540 89,854.00 90,079.00
UUP Danny Kennedy 9.26 53,052 54,736      
Green (NI) Clare Bailey 2.18 12,471        
UKIP Robert Hill 0.89 5,115        
Independent Jane Morrice 0.30 1,719        
Independent Neil McCann 0.17 948        
NI Conservatives Amandeep Singh Bhogal 0.12 662        
Electorate: 1,278,951   Valid: 572,447   Spoilt: 4,649 (0.81%)   Quota: 143,112   Turnout: 577,275 (45.14%)  

2014

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Ten candidates stood in the election.[3][4]

2014 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland[5][6]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sinn Féin Martina Anderson 25.5 159,813              
DUP Diane Dodds 20.9 131,163 131,831 131,845 133,465 139,791 143,009 179,302  
UUP Jim Nicholson 13.3 83,438 84,418 84,426 86,672 92,301 99,260 135,993 158,212
SDLP Alex Attwood 13.0 81,594 81,790 83,845 87,028 88,147 112,822 114,981 115,273
TUV Jim Allister 12.1 75,806 76,182 76,195 77,065 84,438 86,020    
Alliance Anna Lo 7.1 44,432 44,978 45,292 53,953 55,347      
UKIP Henry Reilly 3.9 24,584 24,914 24,945 26,017        
Green (NI) Ross Brown 1.7 10,598 10,923 11,038          
NI21 Tina McKenzie 1.7 10,553 10,823 10,862          
NI Conservatives Mark Brotherston 0.7 4,144              
Electorate: 1,226,771   Valid: 626,125   Spoilt: 9,968 (1.6%)   Quota: 156,532   Turnout: 635927  

2009

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2009 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland[7]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
Sinn Féin Bairbre de Brún 26.0 126,184    
DUP Diane Dodds 18.2 88,346 91,260 115,722
UCU-NF Jim Nicholson 17.1 82,893 94,285 132,227
SDLP Alban Maginness 16.2 78,489 94,814 97,428
TUV Jim Allister 13.7 66,197 70,481  
Alliance Ian Parsley 5.5 26,699    
Green (NI) Steven Agnew 3.3 15,764    
Electorate: 1,141,979   Valid: 484,572   Spoilt: 4,319 (0.9%)   Quota: 121,144   Turnout: 488,891  

2004

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2004 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland[8]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
DUP Jim Allister 32.0 175,761    
Sinn Féin Bairbre de Brún 26.3 144,541    
UUP Jim Nicholson 16.6 91,164 124,646 147,058
SDLP Martin Morgan 15.9 87,559 88,010 108,531
Independent John Gilliland 6.6 36,270 39,390  
Socialist Environmental Eamonn McCann 1.6 9,172 9,268  
Green (NI) Lindsay Whitcroft 0.9 4,810 5,134  
Electorate: 1,072,669   Valid: 549,277   Spoilt: 5,467 (1.0%)   Quota: 137,320   Turnout: 554,744  

Gilliland's candidacy was supported by Alliance, Workers' Party, Labour and others.[9]

1999

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1999 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland[10]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3
DUP Ian Paisley 28.4 192,762    
SDLP John Hume 28.1 190,731    
UUP Jim Nicholson 17.6 119,507 162,627 184,739
Sinn Féin Mitchel McLaughlin 17.3 117,643 119,352 119,384
PUP David Ervine 3.31 22,494    
UK Unionist Robert McCartney 2.98 20,283    
Alliance Seán Neeson 2.12 14,391    
Natural Law James Anderson 0.15 998    
Electorate: 1,191,307   Valid: 678,809   Spoilt: 8,764   Quota: 169,703   Turnout: 687,573  

1994

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1994 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland - 3 seats[11][12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
DUP Ian Paisley 29.2 163,246  
SDLP John Hume 28.9 161,992  
UUP Jim Nicholson 23.8 133,459 149,541.25
Alliance Mary Clark-Glass 4.1 23,157 23,375.55
Sinn Féin Tom Hartley 3.8 21,273 21,278.10
Sinn Féin Dodie McGuinness 3.1 17,195 17,238.95
Sinn Féin Francie Molloy 3.0 16,747 16.756.60
Ulster Independence Hugh Ross 1.4 7,858 12,575.05
NI Conservatives Myrtle Boal 1.0 5,583 6,106.95
Workers' Party John Lowry 0.5 2,543 2,579.00
Labour Party NI Niall Cusack 0.4 2,464 2,518.90
Natural Law James Anderson 0.2 1,418 1,492.70
Independent June Campion 0.2 1,088 1,127.15
Independent David Kerr 0.1 571 877.15
Natural Law Susannah Thompson 0.1 454 534.40
Natural Law Michael Kennedy 0.1 419 443.90
Independent Robert Mooney 0.1 400 455.95
Electorate: 1,151,389   Valid: 559,867   Spoilt: 9,234   Quota: 139,967   Turnout: 49.4%  
  • Note 1: Campion's candidacy, with the ballot paper description 'Peace Coalition', was supported by Democratic Left, the Greens and some Labour groups.
  • Note 2: Kerr appeared on the ballot paper with the description Independence for Ulster.
  • Note 3: Mooney appeared on the ballot paper with the description Constitutional Independent Northern Ireland.

1989

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1989 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland[13]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2
DUP Ian Paisley 29.9 160,110  
SDLP John Hume 25.5 136,335  
UUP Jim Nicholson 22.2 118,785 141,583
Sinn Féin Danny Morrison 9.1 48,914 48,987
Alliance John Alderdice 5.2 27,905 28,633
NI Conservatives Laurence Kennedy 4.8 25,789 26,872
Green (NI) Malcolm Samuel 1.2 6,569 6,876
Workers' Party Seamus Lynch 1.0 5,590 5,668
Labour Mark Langhammer 0.7 3,540 3,661
Labour Party NI Brian Caul 0.2 1,274 1,304
Electorate: 1,106,852   Valid: 534,811   Spoilt: 5,356   Quota: 133,703   Turnout: 540,167  

Langhammer appeared on the ballot as the 'Labour Representation' candidate – the Campaign for Labour Representation aimed to persuade the British Labour Party to organise in Northern Ireland.

Caul appeared on the ballot as the candidate of Labour '87, a merger of the Labour Party of Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Labour Party, Ulster Liberal Party and United Labour Party.

1984

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1984 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland[14]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
DUP Ian Paisley 33.6 230,251      
SDLP John Hume 22.1 151,399 151,664 156,310 183,256
UUP John Taylor 21.5 147,169 185,714    
Sinn Féin Danny Morrison 13.3 91,476 91,525 92,644 93,079
Alliance David Cook 5.0 34,046 34,892 37,401  
UPUP James Kilfedder 2.9 20,092 38,293 38,854  
Workers' Party Seamus Lynch 1.3 8,712 8,813    
Ecology Colin McGuigan 0.3 2,172 2,236    
Electorate: 1,065,363   Valid: 685,317   Spoilt: 11,654   Quota: 171,330   Turnout: 696,994  

1979

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1979 European Parliament election: Northern Ireland[15]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6
DUP Ian Paisley 29.8 170,688          
SDLP John Hume 24.5 140,622 140,676 146,072      
UUP John Taylor 11.9 68,185 77,228 80,207 80,405 96,407 153,466
UUP Harry West 10.0 56,984 61,163 61,952 62,140 65,915  
Alliance Oliver Napier 6.8 39,026 39,404 45,702 51,263    
Ind. Unionist James Kilfedder 6.7 38,198 50,622 53,986 54,623 69,383 72,557
Ind. Republican Bernadette McAliskey 5.9 33,969 33,975 36,105      
Independent David Bleakley 1.6 9,383 9,600        
United Labour Paddy Devlin 1.1 6,122 6,146        
Unionist Party NI Eddie Cummings 0.6 3,712 3,836        
Republican Clubs Brian Brennan 0.6 3,258 3,263        
Republican Clubs Francis Donnelly 0.2 1,160 1,164        
Ulster Liberal James Murray 0.2 932 948        
Electorate: 1,029,490   Valid: 572,239   Spoilt: 13,773   Quota: 143,060   Turnout: 586,059  

Bleakley appeared on the ballot paper with the description 'United Community'.

References

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  1. ^ Tuaisceart Éireann. DFA.ie. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  2. ^ NI, Electoral Office (27 May 2019). "Updated Stage 1 resultspic.twitter.com/Ii6oAVzWP5".
  3. ^ Purdy, Martina (24 April 2014). "Ten candidates for NI Euro seats" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ^ Shields, Graham (25 April 2014). "Statement of Persons Nominated". Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  5. ^ The 2014 European Elections, Northern Ireland Elections
  6. ^ BBC News - Vote 2014, Northern Ireland European election count
  7. ^ The 2009 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections
  8. ^ The 2004 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections
  9. ^ "Independent Candidate John Gilliland". BBC News. 18 May 2004.
  10. ^ The 1999 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections
  11. ^ The 1994 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections
  12. ^ [1], Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive
  13. ^ The 1989 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections
  14. ^ The 1984 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections
  15. ^ The 1979 European Election, Northern Ireland Elections