1981 Castlereagh Borough Council election

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1981

Elections to Castlereagh Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 19 councillors.

1981 Castlereagh Borough Council election

20 May 1981 (1981-05-20)
All 19 seats to Castlereagh Borough Council 10 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party DUP UUP Alliance Seats won 9 5 4 Seat change 5 1 3   Fourth party   Party Ind. Unionist Seats won 1 Seat change 1

Election results

Castlereagh Borough Council Election Result 1981

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	DUP	9	5	0	5	47.4	44.8	11,307	25.6
	UUP	5	0	1	1	26.3	25.2	6,355	0.4
	Alliance	4	0	3	3	21.1	21.1	5,339	11.4
	Ind. Unionist	1	1	2	1	5.3	5.0	1,261	4.2
	UPUP	0	0	0	0	0.0	1.7	420	New
	NI Labour	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.7	169	0.1

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

Results of the Castlereagh Borough Council election, 1981
by district

Ward	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	%	Cllrs	Total Cllrs
	DUP		UUP		Alliance		Others
Area A	33.4	2	28.8	2	20.9	1	16.9	1	6
Area B	51.9	4	24.5	2	19.9	2	3.7	0	8
Area C	55.3	3	21.3	1	23.4	1	0.0	0	5
Total	44.8	9	25.2	5	21.1	4	8.9	1	19

Districts results

Area A

1977: 2 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist
1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Alliance

Castlereagh Area A - 6 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
	DUP	Ernest Harper*	17.81%	1,555
	UUP	John Glass	12.64%	1,104	1,109.6	1,123.6	1,238.8	1,250.8
	UUP	Frederick Kane*	9.91%	865	873.6	883	931.2	936.2	1,383.2
	DUP	John Hillis	6.22%	543	760.8	986.4	1,066.4	1,067.4	1,098	1,596
	Ind. Unionist	William Clulow	12.09%	1,056	1,079.2	1,094.6	1,127.6	1,129.6	1,172.6	1,212.4	1,332.4
	Alliance	Philip Grosse*	8.58%	749	750.2	752.4	766.4	1,044.6	1,065.8	1,074	1,107
	Alliance	Samuel Finlay	6.56%	573	574.4	575.4	586.4	791.8	802.8	811	836
	DUP	James Lowe*	5.02%	438	459.8	571.4	625.6	628.6	657.6
	UUP	Bryan Milford	6.28%	548	555.6	563.6	593.6	600.6
	Alliance	Ann Smith	5.75%	502	502.8	502.8	521.8
	UPUP	John Moore	4.81%	420	420.4	426.6
	DUP	Robin Newton	4.34%	379	400.4
Electorate: 14,838   Valid: 8,732 (58.85%)   Spoilt: 248   Quota: 1,248   Turnout: 8,980 (60.52%)

Area B

1977: 3 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
1981: 4 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance
1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from Alliance and Independent Unionist

Castlereagh Area B - 8 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
	DUP	Roy Allen	31.17%	3,098
	DUP	John Boyle	3.49%	347	1,584.6
	DUP	Alan Carson	9.93%	987	1,234.65
	DUP	John Gilpin*	4.47%	444	514.85	940.73	1,029.63	1,038.14	1,041.14	1,041.14	1,049.96	1,107.96
	UUP	William Ward	9.18%	912	966.6	971.54	975.74	979.04	982.34	986.34	989.34	1,014.8	1,091.57	1,124.57
	Alliance	Addie Morrow*	7.30%	725	753.4	736.44	737.84	737.84	739.84	788.1	804.1	816.1	824.87	1,100.76
	Alliance	Felicity Boyd*	7.47%	742	798.55	800.89	802.64	803.29	805.29	826.29	867.94	885.24	898.4	1,029.48
	UUP	Matthew Anderson*	7.89%	784	903.6	906.98	909.78	911.08	912.34	917.99	926.94	952.61	1,008.24	1,024.12
	UUP	Leslie Farrington*	7.46%	741	752.05	756.21	757.26	757.91	759.91	763.91	765.91	796.59	844.3	855.95
	Alliance	Amy McKeown	3.85%	383	407.7	410.82	411.52	413.82	422.82	462.82	478.82	494.98	511.45
	DUP	John Lamont*	2.79%	277	345.9	372.94	395.34	399.16	403.72	403.72	407.02	459.24
	Ind. Unionist	Michael Brooks	1.95%	194	247.3	258.74	261.89	266.84	267.84	269.84	272.84
	NI Labour	James Bate	0.76%	76	83.8	84.58	84.93	94.58	141.58	141.58
	Alliance	Samuel Pyper	1.25%	124	124.65	124.91	124.91	124.91	128.91
	NI Labour	William Gunning	0.65%	65	68.25	69.29	69.99	83.99
	NI Labour	William Copley	0.28%	28	29.3	29.82	30.17
	Loyalist	Annetta Hynes	0.11%	11	24	24.52	24.87
Electorate: 18,808   Valid: 9,938 (52.84%)   Spoilt: 397   Quota: 1,105   Turnout: 10,335 (54.95%)

Area C

1977: 2 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP
1981: 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP
1977-1981 Change: DUP (two seats) gain from Alliance and UUP

Castlereagh Area C - 5 seats

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5
	DUP	Peter Robinson*	45.58%	3,562
	DUP	Denny Vitty	0.45%	35	2,062.22
	DUP	Cedric Wilson	0.49%	38	206.36	1,149.5
	UUP	Herbert Johnstone*	12.67%	990	1,090.05	1,100.94
	Alliance	Patricia Archer*	13.41%	1,048	1,072.84	1,075.15	1,078.71	1,503.71
	UUP	Walter McFarland*	5.26%	411	495.18	503.1	550.86	577.86
	Alliance	Bryan Davidson*	6.31%	493	521.98	525.61	528.01
Electorate: 14,751   Valid: 7,815 (52.98%)   Spoilt: 220   Quota: 977   Turnout: 8,035 (54.47%)