List of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is divided into 18 parliamentary constituencies: 4 borough constituencies in Belfast and 14 county constituencies elsewhere. Section 33 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 provides that the constituencies for the Northern Ireland Assembly are the same as the constituencies that are used for the United Kingdom Parliament.[1] Parliamentary constituencies are not used for local government, which is instead carried out by 11 district councils; these often have different boundaries.

Constituencies

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Each constituency returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons at Westminster and five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. Six MLAs were returned per constituency until the Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 reduced the number to five, effective from the 2017 Assembly election.[2]

 

2024 general election

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  Democratic Unionist   Sinn Féin   Social Democratic and Labour   Ulster Unionist   Alliance Party   Traditional Unionist Voice

Name[nb 1] Electorate[3] Majority[nb 2] Member of Parliament Unionist % Nationalist %[a] Other % Map
Belfast East BC 72,917 2,676 Gavin Robinson 55.4 1.4 43.2
 
Belfast North BC 74,240 5,612 John Finucane 36.9 49.5 13.6
 
Belfast South & Mid Down BC 74,749 12,506 Claire Hanna 27.0 49.1 23.9
 
Belfast West BC 75,346 15,961 Paul Maskey 17.1 78.8 4.2
 
East Antrim CC 73,302 1,306 Sammy Wilson 63.2 9.7 27.0
 
East Londonderry CC 75,707 179 Gregory Campbell 47.3 42.6 10.1
 
Fermanagh & South Tyrone CC 77,828 4,571 Pat Cullen 39.7 54.3 5.9
 
Foyle CC 73,496 4,166 Colum Eastwood 13.9 78.8 7.3
 
Lagan Valley CC 82,201 2,959 Sorcha Eastwood 59.1 2.1 38.8
 
Mid Ulster CC 74,000 14,923 Cathal Mallaghan 31.8 63.5 4.8
 
Newry & Armagh CC 78,244 15,493 Dáire Hughes 28.8 65.2 5.9
 
North Antrim CC 74,697 450 Jim Allister 65.0 23.8 11.2
 
North Down CC 73,885 7,305 Alex Easton 63.9[b] 1.5 34.6
 
South Antrim CC 77,058 7,512 Robin Swann 64.8 23.3 12.0
 
South Down CC 76,248 9,280 Chris Hazzard 23.6 68.3 8.0
 
Strangford CC 74,525 5,131 Jim Shannon 58.6 11.8 29.7
 
Upper Bann CC 81,249 7,406 Carla Lockhart 53.4 33.3 13.3
 
West Tyrone CC 74,269 15,917 Órfhlaith Begley 27.6 67.1 5.2
 
  1. ^ BC denotes borough constituency, CC denotes county constituency.
  2. ^ The majority is the number of votes the winning candidate receives more than their nearest rival.
  1. ^ Includes People Before Profit, which is classified as "other" in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
  2. ^ Includes Easton, who was supported by the DUP and TUV.

Historical representation by party

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Where a cell is marked → (with a different colour of frame to the preceding cell) it indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party affiliation. Changes are dated in the header row: either a general election (four-figure year, bold, link) or by-election or change in affiliation (two-figure year, italic, link or details appear on hover).

1801 to 1832 (22 MPs)

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Antrim

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  Tory   Whig

Constituency 1801 1802 1806 07 1807 1812 14 16 1818 19 1820 22 1826 1830 1831
Antrim Staples O'Neill
MacNaghten F. Seymour-Conway H. H. Seymour R. Seymour-Conway MacNaghten G. Chichester
Belfast J. May S. May Michel A. Chichester G. Chichester A. Chichester
Carrickfergus Dalway S. Chichester Craig A. Chichester G. Chichester A. Chichester Hill
Lisburn Hatton F. Seymour-Conway Moore Foster H. B. Seymour Meynell

Londonderry

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  Tory   Whig

Constituency 1801 01 1802 1806 07 1807 09 1812 14 14 15 1818 1820 23 1826 1830 1831 31
Coleraine W. Jones * W. Jones J. Beresford G. Beresford J. Beresford Brydges Copeland
Londonderry City Alexander Hill* Ferguson
County Londonderry C. Stewart A. Stewart A. R. Stewart T. Jones
vacant Hill G. Beresford Ponsonby Dawson Bateson

* Sir George Hill, 2nd Baronet, was elected to sit as MP for both Coleraine and Londonderry City in the 1806 general election and chose to continue to sit for Londonderry City, hence the 1807 by-election, in which Walter Jones was restored to his seat.

Tyrone

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  Tory   Whig   Independent

Constituency 1801 01 02 1802 03 1806 07 1807 09 1812 1818 1820 25 1826 1830 1831
Dungannon J. Knox C. Hamilton * C. Hamilton * J. Hamilton Cl. Hamilton Scott Holford T. Knox jnr J. J. Knox
Tyrone Lowry-Corry John Stewart T. Knox snr John Stewart H. Lowry-Corry
James Stewart T. Knox jnr W. Stewart H. Stewart

* At both the 1802 and 1806 elections, George Knox was returned for both Dungannon and Dublin University and chose to sit for the university seat.

Armagh

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  Tory   Whig

Constituency 1801 1802 1806 1807 1812 15 16 1818 19 1820 1826 1830 1831 31
Armagh Duigenan Webber Foster Stuart Goulburn Chetwynd-Talbot Brydges
County Armagh Acheson snr Richardson Caulfeild Acheson jnr
Cope Caulfeild W Brownlow Caulfeild C Brownlow*
Newry Moore Corry F Needham FJ Needham Knox

* Charles Brownlow was initially elected as a Tory but at some point changed his affiliation to sit with the Whigs.

Down

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  Tory   Whig

Constituency 1801 01 1802 05 1806 1807 12 1812 15 17 1818 1820 21 1826 1830 1831
Down R Stewart Meade Hill
Savage Ward R Stewart Forde F Stewart
Downpatrick C Rowley SC Rowley Hawthorne Ruthven* Croker Hawthorne Annesley Maxwell Ruthven

* The Parliaments of England by Henry Stooks Smith suggests that after the 1806 election there was a petition, which led to Edward Southwell Ruthven (Whig) being unseated and John Wilson Croker (Tory) being declared duly elected. Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922, edited by BM Walker, does not make any reference to such a petition.

Fermanagh

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  Tory

Constituency 1801 1802 02 03 06 06 1806 07 1807 1812 1818 1820 23 1826 28 1830 1831
Enniskillen Hamilton Beresford Burroughs King Fremantle Sneyd Bennet Pochin Magenis AH Cole
Fermanagh Archdall snr Archdall jnr
JW Cole GL Cole Lowry-Corry WW Cole

1832 to 1885 (29 MPs)

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Antrim

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  Conservative   Whig   Peelite   Liberal

Constituency 1832 1835 35 1837 38 41 1841 45 45 1847 52 1852 52 53 1857
Antrim J. O'Neill Alexander E. Pakenham
G. Chichester Irving H. B. Seymour E. C. Macnaghten Macartney
Belfast A. Chichester McCance Dunbar Gibson J. Tennent R. Tennent Davison
J. Tennent G. Chichester Dunbar Johnson A. Chichester Cairns
Carrickfergus C. Dobbs Kirk Stapleton-Cotton W. Dobbs
Lisburn Meynell H. B. Seymour J. Tennent Smyth Richardson
Constituency 1859 60 63 63 1865 66 1868 69 73 1874 78 1880 85
Antrim T. Pakenham G. H. Seymour H. Seymour Chaine Sinclair
Upton E. O'Neill E. MacNaghten
Belfast Davison Getty Johnston Ewart
Cairns Lanyon McClure Corry
Carrickfergus Torrens Dalway Greer
Lisburn Richardson Barbour Verner Wallace

Londonderry

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  Conservative   Whig   Liberal

Constituency 1832 33 1835 1837 1841 42 43 44 1847 52 1852 1857 57
Coleraine Beresford* Copeland Litton Boyd Naas Boyd
Londonderry City Ferguson
County Londonderry Jones Greer
R. Bateson R. Bateson jnr T. Bateson Clark
Constituency 1859 60 62 1865 1868 72 1874 78 1880 81 84
Coleraine Boyd Bruce Taylor Bruce
Londonderry City Ferguson McCormick Hamilton Dowse Lewis
County Londonderry Dawson Smyth McClure
Heygate Law Porter Walker

*unseated on petition

Tyrone

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  Conservative   Peelite   Liberal

Constituency 1832 1835 1837 38 39 1841 1847 51 1852 1857 1859 1865 1868 73 1874 1880 80 81
Dungannon J. Knox T. Knox T. Knox jnr W. Knox T. Dickson J. Dickson
Tyrone H. T. Lowry Corry H. W. Lowry Corry Litton T. Dickson
Stewart Hamilton Alexander Hamilton Ellison-Macartney

Armagh

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  Conservative   Whig   Peelite   Liberal

Constituency 1832 1835 1837 40 1841 1847 51 1852 55 1857 1859 64 1865 67 1868 71 73 1874 75 1880
Armagh Dobbin Curry Rawdon Moore Bond Miller Bond Miller Vance Beresford
County Armagh Acheson Caulfeild Close Stronge Close
Verner W. Verner jnr E. Verner Richardson
Newry Hill Brady Ellis F. J. Needham Hallewell Kirk Quinn Innes Kirk F. C. Needham Whitworth Thomson

Down

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  Conservative   Whig   Peelite   Liberal

Constituency 1832 1835 36 1837 1841 45 1847 51 1852 1857 1859 1865 67 1868 1874 78 1880 84
Down A. M. Hill A. W. B. Hill Hill-Trevor A. W. Hill
Stewart D. S. Ker Forde Crawford Vane-Tempest-Stewart R. W. Ker
Downpatrick Maxwell D. Ker D. S. Ker R. Ker Hardinge R. Ker D. S. Ker Keown Mulholland

Fermanagh

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  Conservative

Constituency 1832 34 1835 1837 40 1841 44 1847 51 1852 54 1857 59 1859 1865 1868 1874 1880
Enniskillen A. Cole H. Cole Whiteside J. Cole Crichton L. Cole
Fermanagh Archdall M. Archdale W. Archdale
W. Cole Brooke H. Cole Crichton

1885 to 1918 (25 MPs)

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Antrim

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   Conservative Party    Irish Unionist    Russellite Unionist    Independent Unionist

Constituency 1885 1886 87 1892 1895 99 1900 03 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 13 15
East Antrim J. McCalmont R. McCalmont
Mid Antrim R. O'Neill A. O'Neill H. O'Neill
North Antrim Macnaghten Lewis Connor H. McCalmont Moore Glendinning Kerr-Smiley
South Antrim Ellison-Macartney Craig

Armagh

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   Conservative Party    Irish Unionist    Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900)    Irish National Federation    Healyite Nationalist    Nationalist Party

Constituency 1885 86 1886 91 1892 1895 00 1900 1906 06 09 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 17 18
Mid Armagh McKane Corry Barton Lonsdale Lonsdale
North Armagh Saunderson Moore Allen
South Armagh Blane McHugh J. Campbell McKillop O'Neill Donnelly

Belfast

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   Conservative Party    Irish Unionist    Independent Unionist    Liberal Unionist    Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900)    Irish National Federation    Nationalist Party    Labour Unionist

Constituency 1885 1886 89 90 92 1892 1895 96 1900 02 05 1906 07 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 14 Apr 17 Jul 17
Belfast East de Cobain Wolff McMordie Sharman-Crawford
Belfast North Ewart Harland Haslett Dixon Clark Thompson
Belfast South Johnston Sloan Chambers Lindsay
Belfast West Haslett Sexton Arnold-Forster Devlin

Down

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   Conservative Party    Irish Unionist    Russellite Unionist    Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900)    Irish National Federation    Nationalist Party

Constituency 1885 1886 90 1892 1895 98 1900 02 05 1906 07 08 Jan 1910 10 Dec 1910
East Down Ker Rentoul Wood Craig
North Down Waring Blakiston-Houston Corbett Mitchell-Thomson
South Down Small McCartan McVeagh
West Down A. W. Hill A. Hill Liddell A. W. Hill MacCaw
Newry J. H. McCarthy Carvill Mooney

Fermanagh

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   Irish Unionist    Russellite Unionist    Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900)    Irish National Federation

Constituency 1885 1886 1892 1895 98 1900 03 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 16
North Fermanagh Redmond Dane Archdale Mitchell Fetherstonhaugh Archdale
South Fermanagh H. Campbell McGilligan Jordan Crumley

Londonderry

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   Conservative Party    Irish Unionist    Liberal Unionist    Liberal Party    Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900)    Irish National Federation

Constituency 1885 1886 91 1892 1895 99 1900 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 12 13 14 16
Londonderry City Lewis J. McCarthy Ross Knox Moore Hamilton Hogg Dougherty
North Londonderry Mulholland Atkinson Barrie
South Londonderry Healy Lea Gordon Henry

Tyrone

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   Conservative Party    Irish Unionist    Russellite Unionist    Liberal Unionist    Liberal Party    Irish Parliamentary Party (1885-90, 1900-22) / Irish National League (1890-1900)    Irish National Federation    Nationalist Party

Constituency 1885 1886 90 91 1892 1895 1900 02 1906 06 07 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 11 16 18
East Tyrone Reynolds Doogan Kettle Redmond Harbison
Mid Tyrone Kenny Murnaghan Brunskill McGhee
North Tyrone E. Hamilton F. Hamilton Hemphill Dodd Barry Russell
South Tyrone O'Brien Russell Horner Coote

1918 to 1922 (30 MPs)

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   Irish Unionist    Independent Unionist    Labour Unionist    Sinn Féin

Constituency 1918 19 19 21 21 21 22 22 22 22
East Antrim R McCalmont Hanna
Mid Antrim H O'Neill
North Antrim Kerr-Smiley
South Antrim Craig
Mid Armagh Lonsdale Armstrong
North Armagh Allen
South Armagh Donnelly
Belfast Pottinger Dixon
Belfast Duncairn Carson McConnell
Belfast Cromac Lindsay
Belfast Falls Devlin
Belfast Ormeau Moles
Belfast Shankill McGuffin
Belfast St Anne's Burn
Belfast Victoria Donald
Belfast Woodvale Lynn
Queen's University Whitla
Constituency 1918 19 19 21 21 21 22 22 22 22
East Down Reid
North Down Brown H Wilson Simms
South Down McVeagh
West Down D Wilson Wallace Hayes
Mid Down Craig Sharman-Crawford
North Fermanagh Archdale
South Fermanagh O'Μahony
Londonderry City MacNeill
North Londonderry Anderson Barrie Macnaghten
South Londonderry Henry Chichester Pain
Tyrone North-East Harbison
Tyrone North-West Griffith
South Tyrone Coote
Constituency 1918 19 19 21 21 21 22 22 22 22

1922 to 1950 (13 MPs)

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  Ulster Unionist   Ulster Progressive Unionist   Independent Unionist   New Party   Northern Ireland Labour   Independent Labour   Federation of Labour   Irish Labour   Nationalist Party

Constituency 1922 1923 1924 29 1929 31 1931 34 1935 38 39 40 43 43 1945 46 48 49
Antrim
(Two members)
Craig McConnell Campbell Haughton
O'Neill
Armagh Allen Harden
Belfast East Dixon Harland Cole
Belfast North McConnell Somerset Neill
Belfast South Moles Stewart Gage
Belfast West Lynn Allen Browne Beattie
Down
(Two members)
Reid Little Mullan
Simms Vane-Tempest-Stewart Smiles
Fermanagh and Tyrone
(Two members)
Harbison Pringle Harbison Healy Cunningham
Healy Falls Devlin Stewart Mulvey
Londonderry Macnaghten Ross
Queen's University of Belfast Whitla Sinclair Savory

1950 to 1983 (12 MPs)

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Periodic boundary reviews commenced in 1947.[4][5] The elections at which these were implemented are tagged with diamond suit characters, ♦.

The 1st Periodic Review boundary map can be viewed on the ARK elections website. Changes in the 2nd review were relatively minor.[6]

Unionist parties

  Ulster Unionist   Protestant Unionist (pre-1971) / Democratic Unionist (post-1971)   Vanguard Unionist / United Ulster Unionist (Mid Ulster, 1975-83)   Conservative Party   Independent Unionist   Ulster Popular Unionist

Nationalist parties

  Independent Republican   Unity   Nationalist Party   Anti H-Block (pre-1982) / Sinn Féin (post-1982)   Republican Labour   Social Democratic and Labour

Other

  Alliance   Independent   Independent Socialist   Irish Labour

Constituency 1950 51 1951 52 53 54 1955 57 59 1959 63 1964 1966 69 1970 70 71 72 73 Feb 1974  Oct 1974 75 77 78 1979 80 81 81 82
Antrim N H. O'Neill P. O'Neill Clark Paisley
Antrim S Savory Cunningham Molyneaux
Armagh Harden Armstrong Maginnis McCusker
Belfast E McKibbin McMaster Craig Robinson
Belfast N Hyde Mills Carson McQuade
Belfast S Gage Campbell Pounder Bradford Smyth
Belfast W Teevan3 Beattie McLaughlin Kilfedder Fitt
Down N Smiles Ford Currie Kilfedder
Down S Orr Powell
Ferm. & S Tyr. Healy Grosvenor1 Hamilton McManus West Maguire Sands Carron
Londonderry Ross Wellwood Chichester-Clark Ross
Mid Ulster Mulvey O'Neill Forrest2 Devlin Dunlop

Notes:

  1. The constituency was won by Philip Clarke of Sinn Féin, but he was unseated on petition on the basis that his criminal conviction (for Irish Republican Army activity) made him ineligible. Instead, the seat was awarded to the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) candidate.
  2. The seat was originally won by Tom Mitchell of Sinn Féin, but Mitchell was subsequently unseated upon petition, on the grounds that his terrorist convictions made him ineligible to sit in Parliament. The seat was awarded to Charles Beattie of the UUP. However, Beattie in turn was also found ineligible to sit due to holding an office of profit under the crown, triggering a further by-election.
  3. Original winner of the 1950 election in that seat, James Godfrey MacManaway (UUP), disqualified due to being a clergyman. Teevan won the subsequent by-election

1983 to present (17, then 18 MPs)

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3rd and 4th Review boundary maps can be viewed on the ARK elections website: 1983, 1997.

  Alliance Party   Democratic Unionist   Independent   Sinn Féin   Social Democratic and Labour   Traditional Unionist Voice   UK Unionist Party   Ulster Popular Unionist   Ulster Unionist

Constituency 1983 86 1987 90 1992 95 1997 00 2001 04 2005 10 2010 11 13 2015 2017 18 2019 24 2024
Belfast East P Robinson Long G Robinson
Belfast North Walker Dodds Finucane
Belfast South Smyth1 McDonnell Pengelly Hanna
Belfast South & Mid Down Hanna
Belfast West Adams Hendron Adams Maskey
East Antrim Beggs Wilson
East Londonderry Ross Campbell
Fermanagh & South Tyrone Maginnis Gildernew Elliott Gildernew Cullen
Foyle Hume Durkan McCallion C Eastwood
Lagan Valley Molyneaux Donaldson S Eastwood
Mid Ulster McCrea McGuinness Molloy Mallaghan
Newry & Armagh Nicholson Mallon Murphy Brady Hughes
North Antrim Paisley Paisley Jr1 Allister
North Down Kilfedder McCartney Hermon Farry Easton
South Antrim Forsythe McCrea Burnside McCrea Kinahan Girvan Swann
South Down Powell McGrady Ritchie Hazzard
Strangford Taylor I Robinson Shannon
Upper Bann McCusker Trimble Simpson Lockhart
West Tyrone Thompson Doherty McElduff Begley

1Paisley Jr was suspended from the DUP between July and November 2018.

Seats by political alignment (1983–present)

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Boundary changes

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See 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for further details.

 
Map of the 18 revised constituencies.

Following the abandonment of the Sixth Periodic Review (the 2018 review), the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland formally launched the 2023 Review on 5 January 2021. In accordance with the provisions of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020, the number of constituencies allocated to Northern Ireland was unchanged, at 18.[7] Initial proposals were published on 20 October 2021 and, following two periods of public consultation, revised proposals were published on 17 November 2022. Final recommendations were published on 28 June 2023.[8]

Under the recommendations, the following constituencies for Northern Ireland came into effect at the 2024 general election:[9]

Constituency Electorate Previous electorate[10]
Belfast East BC 70,076 66,273
Belfast North BC 71,372 72,332
Belfast South and Mid Down BC 71,978 70,134 (former Belfast South constituency)
Belfast West BC 71,921 65,761
East Antrim CC 69,936 64,907
East Londonderry CC 72,213 69,359
Fermanagh and South Tyrone CC 74,643 72,945
Foyle CC 69,890 74,431
Lagan Valley CC 76,332 75,884
Mid Ulster CC 70,094 70,501
Newry and Armagh CC 74,585 81,329
North Antrim CC 71,165 77,156
North Down CC 70,412 67,109
South Antrim CC 71,646 71,915
South Down CC 71,772 79,295
Strangford CC 70,070 66,990
Upper Bann CC 76,969 83,028
West Tyrone CC 70,614 66,339

Belfast South and Mid Down is a new constituency, replacing the former Belfast South constituency which had a much smaller area. All of the others have undergone boundary changes, primarily to bring the electorate within the range of 69,724 to 77,062 as required by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended in 2020).[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "FAQs". Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016". Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  3. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
  4. ^ Uberoi, Elise; White, Isobel (25 February 2016). "Constituency boundary reviews and the number of MPs".
  5. ^ White, Isobel (28 July 2010). "Parliamentary constituency boundaries: the Fifth Periodical Review".
  6. ^ Whyte, Dr Nicholas. "Westminster election February 1974". www.ark.ac.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Guide to the 2023 Review". Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland Publishes Final Recommendations Report of the 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies". Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Final Recommendations Report of the 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies - PDF". Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. 28 June 2023. pp. 97–114. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  10. ^ Humphreys, Michael; Havlin, Sarah; Patterson, Vilma (28 June 2023). Final Recommendations Report of the 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies (PDF). Belfast: Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-5286-4069-5. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  11. ^ Humphreys, Havlin & Patterson 2023, p. 12.