2023 Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council election

The 2023 election to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council was held on 18 May 2023, alongside other local elections in Northern Ireland, two weeks after the local elections in England.[1] The Northern Ireland elections were delayed by 2 weeks to avoid overlapping with the coronation of King Charles III.[2]

2023 Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council election

← 2019 18 May 2023 2027 →

All 40 council seats
21 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Naomi Long 2021.png
Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Michelle O'Neill[n 1] Naomi Long
Party DUP Sinn Féin Alliance
Last election 14 5 7
Seats won 13 9 8
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 4 Increase 1
Popular vote 16,066 11,613 9,179
Percentage 30.1% 21.7% 17.1%
Swing Decrease 1.4% Increase 8.6% Decrease 1.6%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Doug Beattie.png
Colum Eastwood MLA.JPG
Leader Doug Beattie Colum Eastwood
Party UUP Independent SDLP
Last election 9 1 4
Seats won 7 2 1
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 1 Decrease 3
Popular vote 8,358 1,517 2,829
Percentage 15.7% 2.8% 5.3%
Swing Decrease 4.6% Decrease 2.5% Decrease 2.5%

Antrim and Newtownabbey 2023 Council Election Results by DEA (Shaded by the plurality of FPVs)

Council control before election

No overall control

Council control after election

Democratic Unionist-Ulster Unionist Executive

They returned 40 members to the council via Single Transferable Vote.

Election results

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2023 Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council election result
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  DUP 13 0 1   1 32.50 30.05 16,066   1.42
  Sinn Féin 9 4 0   4 22.50 21.72 11,613   8.66
  Alliance 8 1 0   1 20.00 17.17 9,179   1.52
  UUP 7 0 2   2 17.50 15.63 8,358   4.64
  Independent 2 1 0   1 5.00 2.84 1,517   2.50
  SDLP 1 0 3   3 2.50 5.29 2,829   2.51
  TUV 0 0 0   0 0.00 4.49 2,403   2.81
  Green (NI) 0 0 0   0 0.00 1.80 964   1.09
  PUP 0 0 0   0 0.00 0.46 244 New
  Aontú 0 0 0   0 0.00 0.45 243 New
  NI Conservatives 0 0 0   0 0.00 0.09 49 New
Total 40 53,465

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

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Results of the 2023 Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council election
by district
District Electoral Area (DEA) %
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
%
Cllrs
Total
cllrs
DUP Sinn Féin Alliance UUP SDLP Independents and others
Airport 22.79 1   36.29 2   1 15.08 1   13.41 1   10.75 0   1 1.67 0   5
Antrim 27.57 2   17.82 1   1 20.87 1   16.64 1   1 9.51 1   7.59 0   6
Ballyclare 36.36 2   1.20 0   13.60 1   1 24.15 1   1 0.00 0   24.84 1   5
Dunsilly 22.57 1   34.94 2   1 12.25 1   11.31 1   9.71 0   1 9.23 0   5
Glengormley Urban 26.06 2   35.29 3   1 16.05 1   10.86 1   6.45 0   1 5.29 0   7
Macedon 32.98 2   1 18.63 1   15.24 1   15.99 1   0.00 0   17.17 1   1 6
Three Mile Water 43.07 3   4.17 0   26.93 2   18.31 1   0.00 0   7.53 0   6
Total 30.05 13   1 21.72 9   4 17.17 8   1 15.63 7   2 5.29 1   3 10.14 2   1 40

District results

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Airport

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2019: 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP

2023: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Airport - 5 seats[3]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4
DUP Matthew Magill* 22.79% 1,827      
Sinn Féin Anne-Marie Logue* 19.64% 1,574      
Sinn Féin Maighréad Ní Chonghaile 16.65% 1,335 1,355    
UUP Paul Michael* 13.41% 1,075 1,086 1,536.63  
Alliance Andrew McAuley* 15.08% 1,209 1,281 1,295.58 1,342.02
SDLP Thomas Burns* 10.75% 862 889 898.72 1,081.96
Green (NI) Terri Johnston 1.67% 134      
Electorate: 15,479   Valid: 8,016 (51.79%)   Spoilt: 55   Quota: 1,337   Turnout: 8,071 (52.14%)  

Antrim

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2019: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP

2023: 2 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from UUP

Antrim - 6 seats[3]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sinn Féin Lucille O'Hagan 17.82% 1,270              
Alliance Neil Kelly* 15.31% 1,091              
DUP Paul Dunlop* 13.84% 986 987.05 1,078.05          
DUP John Smyth* 10.12% 721 722.26 857.26 858.46 905.36 1,168.36    
SDLP Roisin Lynch* 9.51% 678 851.67 888.34 902.68 903.35 913.35 914.71 1,104.71
UUP Leah Smyth* 10.44% 744 746.1 764.31 768.15 770.16 867.16 963.04 1,032.04
UUP Jim Montgomery* 6.20% 442 443.47 461.47 463.81 470.51 527.72 576 610
Alliance Tommy Monahan 5.56% 396 443.04 482.77 524.59 524.59 536.07 538.79  
TUV Richard Shields 6.36% 453 454.05 465.05 465.47 467.48      
DUP Karl McMeekin 3.61% 257 257.21            
Green (NI) Eleanor Bailey 1.23% 88 101.23            
Electorate: 16,652   Valid: 7,126 (42.79%)   Spoilt: 89   Quota: 1,019   Turnout: 7,215 (43.33%)  

Ballyclare

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2019: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Independent

2023: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent

2019–2023 Change: Alliance gain from UUP

Ballyclare - 5 seats[3]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5
DUP Jeannie Archibald* 23.18% 1,655        
DUP Helen Magill 13.18% 947 1,297.46      
UUP Vera McWilliam* 15.74% 1,131 1,151.52 1,159.79 1,620.79  
Alliance Lewis Boyle 13.60% 977 984.02 1,103.02 1,129.29 1,234.29
Independent Michael Stewart* 12.92% 928 937.99 990.99 1,041.5 1,153.5
TUV Mel Lucas 10.40% 747 791.55 793.82 845.14 1,004.14
UUP Norrie Ramsay* 8.41% 604 615.07 619.34    
Green (NI) Robert Robinson 1.52% 109 109.81      
Sinn Féin Gerard Magee 1.20% 86 86.27      
Electorate: 14,151   Valid: 7,184 (50.77%)   Spoilt: 64   Quota: 1,198   Turnout: 7,248 (51.22%)  

Dunsilly

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2019: 1 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x SDLP

2023: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Dunsilly - 5 seats[3]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sinn Féin Henry Cushinan* 18.65% 1,390              
Sinn Féin Annie O'Lone 16.29% 1,214 1,312            
DUP Linda Clarke* 13.11% 977 986 1,153 1,153.13 1,153.13 1,773.13    
UUP Stewart Wilson 11.31% 843 843 951 951.78 951.78 1,134.78 1,644.78  
Alliance Jay Burbank* 12.25% 913 930 935 965.29 969.74 982.74 997.74 1,128.74
SDLP Ryan Wilson* 9.71% 724 794 801 907.08 971.16 972.16 977.16 1,000.16
DUP Tom Cunningham 9.46% 705 705 846 846.13 846.13      
TUV Jonathan Campbell 5.97% 445 446            
Aontú Siobhán McErlean 3.26% 243              
Electorate: 13,300   Valid: 7,454 (56.05%)   Spoilt: 69   Quota: 1,243   Turnout: 7,523 (56.56%)  

Glengormley Urban

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2019: 2 x DUP, 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP

2023: 3 x Sinn Féin, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP

2019–2023 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Glengormley Urban - 7 seats[3]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
DUP Alison Bennington* 16.34% 1,432            
Sinn Féin Eamonn McLaughlin 14.60% 1,280            
DUP Paula Bradley* 9.72% 852 1,151.92          
Alliance Julian McGrath* 11.34% 994 996.76 999.42 1,012.42 1,072.84 1,434.84  
UUP Mark Cosgrove* 10.86% 952 969.25 969.39 1,041.69 1,069.92 1,104.92  
Sinn Féin Rosie Kinnear* 11.09% 972 972.23 1,011.43 1,014.8 1,052.22 1,066.64 1,094.64
Sinn Féin Michael Goodman* 9.59% 841 841.69 966.57 969.57 994.13 1,008.83 1,030.83
SDLP Noreen McClelland* 6.45% 565 567.07 574.35 582.35 632.63 707.03 907.03
Alliance Anita Piatek 4.71% 413 413.69 416.63 422.77 532    
Green (NI) Lesley Veronica 3.57% 313 313.92 315.46 341.06      
Independent Michael Maguire 1.16% 102 104.07 104.49        
NI Conservatives Jason Reid 0.56% 49 50.15 50.15        
Electorate: 16,445   Valid: 8,765 (53.30%)   Spoilt: 129   Quota: 1,096   Turnout: 8,894 (54.08%)  

Macedon

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2019: 3 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin

2023: 2 x DUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent

2019–2023 Change: Independent gain from DUP

Macedon - 6 seats[3]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sinn Féin Taylor McGrann* 18.63% 1,326              
DUP Matthew Brady* 17.14% 1,220              
UUP Robert Foster* 15.99% 1,138              
Alliance Billy Webb* 15.24% 1,085              
DUP Ben Mallon* 8.06% 574 576.05 728.21 757.8 848.12 850.01 1,039.01  
Independent Stafford Ward 6.84% 487 518.16 523.92 552.85 611.8 623.7 683.8 836.19
DUP Victor Robinson* 7.78% 553 555.05 571.37 584.9 608.42 610.45 722.49 751.79
Green (NI) Ellie Byrne 2.22% 158 420.4 422.16 427.22 443.25 491.76 512.08  
TUV Norman Boyd 4.68% 333 334.64 345.2 363.79 433.8 435.76    
PUP Rosemary Bell-McCracken 3.43% 244 250.56 258.24 281.89        
Electorate: 14,554   Valid: 7,118 (48.91%)   Spoilt: 85   Quota: 1,017   Turnout: 7,203 (49.49%)  

Three Mile Water

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2019: 3 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUP

2023: 3 x DUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUP

2019–2023 Change: No Change

Three Mile Water - 6 seats[3]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
DUP Mark Cooper* 20.19% 1,575            
Alliance Tom Campbell* 17.82% 1,390            
DUP Stephen Ross* 15.52% 1,211            
Alliance Julie Gilmour* 9.11% 711 716.22 955.05 1,057.62 1,328.62    
DUP Sam Flanagan* 7.36% 574 952.74 954.83 957.83 960.83 963.83 1,206.83
UUP Stephen Cosgrove 11.52% 899 931.48 942.12 955.5 966.45 1,007.45 1,081.45
UUP Brian Kerr 6.79% 530 542.76 545.61 557.18 562.37 583.37 661.37
TUV Trevor Mawhinney 5.45% 425 446.17 446.55 451.93 455.93 460.93  
Sinn Féin Emmanuel Mullen 4.17% 325 325 328.42 340.56      
Green (NI) Dylan Loughlin 2.08% 162 162.87 167.81        
Electorate: 15,531   Valid: 7,802 (50.24%)   Spoilt: 74   Quota: 1,115   Turnout: 7,876 (50.71%)  

‡ Changes in affiliation

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Date Electoral Area Name Previous affiliation New affiliation Circumstance
21 May 2024 Airport Paul Michael UUP Independent Left the UUP after criticising the party's decision to line up Mike Nesbitt as Health Minister to replace Robin Swann, and criticising the party's response to the two-day suspension of Steve Aiken from the Assembly.[4]

Notes

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  1. ^ The leader of Sinn Féin is Mary Lou McDonald, who sits as a TD in the Irish Dáil Éireann for Dublin Central. O'Neill is the leader of the party in Northern Ireland.

References

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  1. ^ "Local government elections in Northern Ireland". www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  2. ^ "NI council election moved to avoid coronation clash". BBC News. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Hughes, Brendan (25 April 2023). "All the NI council election candidates standing in each area". BelfastLive. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Councillor quits UUP over Mike Nesbitt health role". BBC News. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.