Belfast West (Assembly constituency)

Belfast West
Belfast West
	Northern Ireland Assembly; Parliamentary Constituency
	West Belfast shown within Northern Ireland
Current constituency
Created	1973
Seats	6 (1998–2016); 5 (2017–)
MLAs	Gerry Carroll (PBP); Órlaithí Flynn (SF); Alex Maskey (SF); Fra McCann (SF); Pat Sheehan (SF);
City council	Belfast City Council

Belfast West (Irish: Béal Feirste Thiar, Ulster Scots: Bilfawst Wast) is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

It was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election in 1973, which elected the then Northern Ireland Assembly. It usually shares boundaries with the Belfast West UK Parliament constituency. However, the boundaries of the two constituencies were slightly different from 1973 to 1974, 1983 to 1986 and 2010 to 2011 (because the Assembly boundaries had not caught up with Parliamentary boundary changes) and from 1996 to 1997, when members of the Northern Ireland Forum had been elected from the newly drawn Parliamentary constituencies but the 51st Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected in 1992 under the 1983–95 constituency boundaries, was still in session.

Members were then elected from the constituency to the 1975 Constitutional Convention, the 1982 Assembly, the 1996 Forum and then to the current Assembly from 1998.

For further details of the history and boundaries of the constituency, see Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency).

Members

Election	MLA (Party)						MLA (Party)
1973		Paddy Devlin (SDLP)	Desmond Gillespie (SDLP)	Hugh Smyth (Independent Unionist)	Bob Cooper (Alliance Party)	John Laird (UUP)		Jean Coulter (Vanguard/UUP)
1975		Paddy Devlin (SDLP)	Joe Hendron (SDLP)	Hugh Smyth (Independent Unionist)	Bob Cooper (Alliance Party)	John Laird (UUP)		Jean Coulter (Vanguard/UUP)
1982	4 seats 1982-1996			Gerry Adams (Sinn Féin	Will Glendinning (Alliance)	Thomas Passmore (UUP)	4 seats 1982-1996
1996	5 seats 1996-1998				Alex Maskey (Sinn Féin)	Dodie McGuinness (Sinn Féin)		Annie Armstrong (Sinn Féin)
1998		Alex Attwood (SDLP)			Alex Maskey (Sinn Féin)	Bairbre De Brun (Sinn Féin)		Sue Ramsey (Sinn Féin)
2003			Diane Dodds (DUP)		Fra McCann (Sinn Féin)	Bairbre De Brun (Sinn Féin)		Michael Ferguson (Sinn Féin)
November 2004 co-option			Diane Dodds (DUP)			Sue Ramsey (Sinn Féin)		Michael Ferguson (Sinn Féin)
2007			Paul Maskey (Sinn Féin)					Jennifer McCann (Sinn Féin)
December 2010 co-option				Pat Sheehan (Sinn Féin)
2011
July 2012 co-option			Rosie McCorley (Sinn Féin)
November 2014 co-option			Rosie McCorley (Sinn Féin)			Alex Maskey (Sinn Féin)
2016			Gerry Carroll (PBP)
December 2016 co-option								Órlaithí Flynn (Sinn Féin)
2017	5 seats 2017-present							Órlaithí Flynn (Sinn Féin)

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

Northern Ireland Assembly

2017

2017 Assembly election: Belfast West - 5 seats[1]
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4
	Sinn Féin	Órlaithí Flynn	17.1	6,918
	People Before Profit	Gerry Carroll	12.2	4,903	6,514	8,252
	Sinn Féin	Alex Maskey	15.7	6,346	6,451	7,036
	Sinn Féin	Fra McCann	15.4	6,201	6,314	6,636	7,067
	Sinn Féin	Pat Sheehan	13.5	5,466	5,515	5,739	5,903
	DUP	Frank McCoubrey	10.1	4,063	4,372	4,490	4,521
	SDLP	Alex Attwood	8.6	3,452	4,019
	People Before Profit	Matthew Collins	2.7	1,096
	Alliance	Sorcha Eastwood	1.9	747
	UUP	Fred Rogers	1.2	486
	Workers' Party	Conor Campbell	1.0	415
	Green (NI)	Ellen Murray	0.6	251
Electorate: 61,309 Valid: 40,344 Spoilt: 586 (1.43%) Quota: 6,725 Turnout: 40,930 (66.76%)

2016

2016 Assembly election: Belfast West - 6 seats
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7	Count 8
	People Before Profit	Gerry Carroll	22.9	8,299
	Sinn Féin	Alex Maskey	13.1	4,769	5,360.80
	Sinn Féin	Pat Sheehan	9.7	3,516	3,761.08	3,829.20	6,393.20
	Sinn Féin	Fra McCann	11.1	4,028	4,283.20	4,479.48	4,756.68	5,891.73
	Sinn Féin	Jennifer McCann	12.1	4,386	4,648.68	4,755.04	4,988.88	5,044.81	5,750.11
	SDLP	Alex Attwood	7.3	2,647	3,407.76	4,161.36	4,234.52	4,242.98	4,245.38	4,299.08	4,430.20
	DUP	Frank McCoubrey	10.4	3,766	3,780.52	4,332.28	4,336.28	4,337.69	4,337.69	4,337.69	4,341.21
	Sinn Féin	Rosie McCorley	8.4	3,053	3,244.40	3,303.24
	Workers' Party	Conor Campbell	1.5	532	766.54
	Green (NI)	Ellen Murray	0.9	327	705.84
	UUP	Gareth Martin	1.8	654	668.96
	Alliance	Jemima Higgins	0.8	291	427.40
Electorate: 63,993 Valid: 36,268 Spoilt: 722 (1.95%) Quota: 5,182 Turnout: 56.70

2011

2011 Assembly election:[2] Belfast West - 6 seats
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7	Count 8	Count 9	Count 10	Count 11
	Sinn Féin	Paul Maskey	15.4	5,343
	Sinn Féin	Jennifer McCann	15.1	5,239
	Sinn Féin	Fra McCann	12.9	4,481	4,587.96	4,604.96	4,613.08	4,645.50	4,682.60	4,735.84	4,837.22	4,838.34	5,167.34
	SDLP	Alex Attwood	10.9	3,765	3,776.69	3,780.09	3,787.09	3,890.45	3,939.62	4,083.74	4,719.58	4,780.65	5,151.65
	Sinn Féin	Sue Ramsey	11.9	4,116	4,340.28	4,350.88	4,358.19	4,377.40	4,394.47	4,407.47	4,423.94	4,433.99	4,683.90	4,823.06
	Sinn Féin	Pat Sheehan	10.8	3,723	3,737.35	3,960.50	3,971.78	3,996.39	4,016.61	4,029.73	4,051.85	4,054.90	4,249.77	4,327.19
	DUP	Brian Kingston	7.5	2,587	2,587.28	2,587.33	2,587.33	2,600.45	2,604.45	2,607.45	2,617.57	3,834.57	3,866.57	3,866.57
	People Before Profit	Gerry Carroll	4.8	1,661	1,664.85	1,665.85	1,701.85	1,732.85	1,853.97	1,939.09	1,977.31	1,999.31
	UUP	Bill Manwaring	4.2	1,471	1,471.21	1,471.36	1,473.36	1,503.41	1,512.41	1,517.41	1,526.41
	SDLP	Colin Keenan	2.3	802	803.26	804.41	807.41	853.58	878.63	981.82
	Workers' Party	John Lowry	1.7	586	586.63	587.03	590.10	607.24	644.38
	Socialist Party	Pat Lawlor	1.1	384	384.42	384.92	399.92	408.92
	Alliance	Dan McGuinness	1.1	365	367.66	368.76	370.76
	Independent	Brian Pelan	0.4	122	122.77	122.92
Electorate: 61,520 Valid: 34,645 Spoilt: 973 Quota: 4,950 Turnout: 35,618 (57.9%)

2007

2007 Assembly election: Belfast West - 6 seats
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6
	Sinn Féin	Gerry Adams	17.8	6,029
	Sinn Féin	Sue Ramsey	14.0	4,715	5,266.60
	Sinn Féin	Paul Maskey	12.9	4,368	4,758.60	4,774.05	4,783.95	4,821.80	5,074.80
	Sinn Féin	Jennifer McCann	12.6	4,265	4,294.80	4,665.75	4,667.70	4,693.50	4,848.50
	SDLP	Alex Attwood	9.0	3,036	3,148.80	3,149.70	3,196.90	3,234.90	4,779.10
	Sinn Féin	Fra McCann	12.6	4,254	4,323.80	4,344.95	4,353.80	4,378	4,646.85
	DUP	Diane Dodds	10.8	3,661	3,661	3,661.15	3,671.15	3,677.15	4,166
	SDLP	Margret Walsh	3.2	1,074	1,086.20	1,087.10	1,110.30	1,156.50
	People Before Profit	Seán Mitchell	2.3	774	789	789.60	830.40	968.80
	UUP	Louis West	1.7	558	558.80	558.80	579.80	581.80
	Workers' Party	John Lowry	1.3	434	440	440.45	452.65	452.65
	Republican Sinn Féin	Geraldine Taylor	1.3	427	429	429.45	437.05
	Alliance	Dan McGuinness	0.4	127	132.40	133.30
	Make Politicians History	Rainbow George	0.2	68	69	69
Electorate: 50,792 Valid: 33,790 Spoilt: 448 Quota: 4,828 Turnout: 34,238 (67.4%)

Note: All Republican Sinn Féin candidates appeared as Independent on the ballot paper.

2003

2003 Assembly election: Belfast West - 6 seats
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7	Count 8
	Sinn Féin	Gerry Adams	18.9	6,199
	SDLP	Alex Attwood	11.2	3,667	3,796.60	3,901.04	3,956.28	6,096.28
	Sinn Féin	Bairbre de Brun	12.4	4,069	4,476.52	4,494.96	4,504.92	4,665.68	5,229.68
	Sinn Féin	Fra McCann	13.0	4,263	4,337.16	4,360.88	4,363.36	4,525	4,905
	Sinn Féin	Michael Ferguson	11.7	3,849	3,912.84	3,921.56	3,945.12	4,000	4,117	4,346	4,448.60
	DUP	Diane Dodds	7.7	2,554	2,554	2,631	4,144.24	4,256.24	4,272.40	4,274.40	4,277.09
	Sinn Féin	Sue Ramsey	9.1	2,988	3,673.20	3,699.68	3,705.92	3,768.84	3,923.84	4,084.84	4,190.29
	SDLP	Joe Hendron	7.9	2,583	2,654.28	2,849.72	3,108.72
	UUP	Chris McGimpsey	3.6	1,170	1,174.56	1,298.57
	PUP	Hugh Smyth	2.5	813	814.68	862.68
	Workers' Party	John Lowry	1.2	407	410.84
	Independent	John MacVicar	0.6	211	211.24
	Alliance	Dan McGuiness	0.2	75	78.20
	Independent	David Kerr	0.1	16	16
Electorate: 50,861 Valid: 32,854 Spoilt: 673 Quota: 4,694 Turnout: 33,527 (65.9%)

Note: David Kerr sought election as an Ulster Third Way candidate, and appeared as such on the ballot paper.

1998

1998 Assembly election: Belfast West - 6 seats
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7	Count 8	Count 9	Count 10
	Sinn Féin	Gerry Adams	21.7	9,078
	SDLP	Joe Hendron	14.7	6,140
	Sinn Féin	Sue Ramsey	9.4	3,946	5,223.15	5,235	5,236.44	5,253.27	5,262.62	5,276.34	7,371.34
	Sinn Féin	Bairbre de Brun	11.2	4,711	5,341	5,381.35	5,383.83	5,405.11	5,409.11	5,421.89	5,705.26	6,993.67
	Sinn Féin	Alex Maskey	10.3	4,330	4,831.20	4,852.35	4,856.41	4,889.20	4,901.27	4,909.82	5,242.20	5,324.61	6,328.43
	SDLP	Alex Attwood	10.2	4,280	4,647.85	4,738.25	4,838.85	5,117.87	5,127.22	5,234.49	5,327.61	5,343.69	5,349.52
	UUP	Chris McGimpsey	3.9	1,640	1,641.40	1,674.40	1,675.58	1,808.99	2,757.44	4,827.29	4,837.64	4,837.64	4,837.64
	Sinn Féin	Michael Ferguson	6.2	2,585	2,791.85	2,838.45	2,840.71	2,867.12	2,871.84	2,896.95
	PUP	Hugh Smyth	5.2	2,180	2,186.65	2,206.75	2,208.63	2,342.94	2,716.06
	DUP	Margaret Ferris	3.2	1,345	1,347.80	1,354.50	1,354.80	1,784.22
	UK Unionist	Thomas Dalzell-Sheridan	1.6	666	671.25	677.25	677.37
	Workers' Party	John Lowry	1.5	607	630.10	658.80	660.68
	Alliance	Dan McGuiness	0.3	129	165.40
	Independent	Mary Cahillane	0.3	128	151.80
	Natural Law	Michael Kennedy	0.1	29	31.45
Electorate: 50,861 Valid: 41,794 Spoilt: 960 Quota: 5,971 Turnout: 42,754 (70.5%)

Note: Mary Cahillane sought election as a Pro-Agreement Socialist candidate, and appeared as such on the ballot paper.

1996 Forum

Successful candidates are shown in bold.[3]

	Candidate(s)	Votes	Percentage
Sinn Féin	Gerry Adams Dodie McGuinness Alex Maskey Annie Armstrong Marie Moore	22,355	53.4
SDLP	Joe Hendron Alex Attwood Margaret Walsh Patricia Lewsley Mary Muldoon	11,087	26.5
PUP	Hugh Smyth Mina Wardle	1,982	4.7
DUP	Eric Smyth Margaret Ferris	1,769	4.2
UUP	Fred Parkinson John McDonald	1,489	3.6
Workers' Party	John Lowry Jim Pollock	984	2.4
Ulster Democratic	Frank McCoubrey Delwyn Williams	848	2.0
Alliance	Dan McGuinness Patricia Mallon Glyn Roberts	340	0.8
Labour coalition	Mary Cahillane Isabel Cowan Barbara Lynn Brian McDermott Terence McDonagh	319	0.8
NI Women's Coalition	Vera McKee Mary Catney Ann Hall Julie Cullen	252	0.6
Green (NI)	Jude Stephens Philip Kearney David Taylor	156	0.4
NI Conservatives	Charles Balmer David Munster	60	0.1
Independent DUP	Florence Baxter William Clements	36	0.1
Ulster Independence	Kenneth McClinton Clifford Peoples	43	0.1
Democratic Left	Mary McMahon Freddie Rea	37	0.1
Natural Law	Michael Kennedy Vivien Martin	30	0.1
Communist Party	Barry Bruton Daniella Egerton	28	0.1
Independent Voice	Bernard McGrath Susan McGrath	26	0.1
Independent Chambers	Ruth Patty Richard Stewart	12	0.0

1982

1982 Assembly Election: Belfast West - 4 seats
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7	Count 8
	Sinn Féin	Gerry Adams	28.4	9,740
	SDLP	Joe Hendron	15.2	5,207	5,309.30	6,003.30	7,965.30
	UUP	Thomas Passmore	13.1	4,505	4,505	4,509	5,128	5,130	5,131.86	5,151.79	5,165.55
	Alliance	Will Glendinning	8.0	2,733	2,764.50	2,805.10	2,847.10	3,072.70	3,651.16	4,525.99	5,163.20
	DUP	Billy Dickson	12.8	4,394	4,396.10	4,399.10	4,849.40	4,866.40	4,869.09	4,892.81	4,918.60
	Sinn Féin	Alex Maskey	1.8	627	3,240	3,326.20	3,326.20	3,397.60	3,565.93	3,824.22
	Workers' Party	Mary McMahon	7.3	2,493	2,512.80	2,566.90	2,580.90	2,662.80	3,017.13
	SDLP	Cormac Boomer	6.3	2,145	2,204.40	2,452.50	2,454.50
	PUP	Hugh Smyth	3.7	1,255	1,255.30	1,256.30
	SDLP	Mary Muldoon	3.0	1,016	1,024.10
	People's Democracy	John McAnulty	0.4	144	161.10
Electorate: 57,726 Valid: 34,259 Spoilt: 1,819 Quota: 6,852 Turnout: 36,078 (62.50%)

1975 Constitutional Convention

1975 Constitutional Convention: Belfast West - 6 seats
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7	Count 8
	UUP	John Laird	23.6	8,433
	SDLP	Paddy Devlin	17.5	6,267
	UUP	Jean Coulter	6.5	2,325	4,209.48	4,209.48	4,226.65	4,235.65	5,710.65
	Alliance	Bob Cooper	9.2	3,293	3,362.81	3,495.11	3,679.76	4,341.58	4,428.25	4,472.89	4,915.13
	SDLP	Joe Hendron	8.0	2,840	2,841.56	3,058.82	3,180.76	3,607.50	3,611.04	3,611.66	4,901.95
	Independent Unionist	Hugh Smyth	7.4	2,644	3,235.63	3,236.35	3,252.92	3,256.31	4,127.80	4,684.56	4,693.55
	SDLP	Desmond Gillespie	5.6	1,986	1,988.73	2,506.59	2,652.23	3,254.10	3,257.10	3,257.72	4,513.76
	SDLP	Paschal O'Hare	6.9	2,452	2,453.95	2,578.87	2,691.07	3,115.67	3,118.63	3,121.11
	DUP	Edith Goligher	5.5	1,958	2,668.19	2,669.63	2,686.41	2,688.59
	Independent	Thomas Conaty	5.7	2,052	2,052.78	2,133.96	2,302.18
	Republican Clubs	John Sullivan	1.8	660	661.17	676.29
	Republican Clubs	John Brady	1.2	418	418,78	432.82
	Republican Clubs	Bernard McDonagh	0.7	262	263.17	268.21
	Communist Party	John Morris	0.2	86	86	87.62
	Communist Party	Peter Kerrins	0.1	44	44.78	45.50
Electorate: 63,869 Valid: 37,514 (58.7%) Spoilt: 1,794 Quota: 5,103 Turnout: 35,720

Note: John Laird, Jean Coulter and Edith Goligher were all UUUC endorsed candidates.

1973

1973 Assembly Election: Belfast West - 6 seats
Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count 1	Count 2	Count 3	Count 4	Count 5	Count 6	Count 7	Count 8	Count 9	Count 10	Count 11	Count 12
	UUP	John Laird	27.7	11,479
	SDLP	Paddy Devlin	18.7	7,743	7,743
	Independent Unionist	Hugh Smyth	8.8	3,625	5,997.09	5,997.09
	Vanguard	Jean Coulter	4.3	1,765	3,606.42	3,606.42	3,634.31	3,638.30	3,704.33	3,707.56	5,610.71	6,281.71
	Alliance	Bob Cooper	7.6	3,160	3,262.90	3,374.22	3,374.89	3,382.61	3,637.01	3,810.76	3,866.68	5,042.61	5,221.61	5,378.06	5,597.46
	SDLP	Desmond Gillespie	4.7	1,940	1,940	2,520.29	2,520.30	2,527.93	2,590.38	2,953	2,953.49	2,993.58	2,994.58	3,404.51	4,961.35
	SDLP	Gerry Campbell	4.3	1,764	1,764.49	2,269.34	2,268.35	2,277.35	2,325.48	2,698.95	2,699.95	2,835.67	2,837.67	3,320.88	4,399.77
	SDLP	Desmond O'Donnell	5.1	2,112	2,113.47	2,341.17	2,321.17	2,353.40	2,394.93	2,734.28	2,734.78	2,763.39	2,764.39	3,037.25
	Republican Clubs	Raymond O'Hagan	3.4	1,389	1,389	1,438.91	1,438.91	1,465.37	2,134.58	2,537.47	2,538.47	2,563.10	2,564.10
	NI Labour	Billy Boyd	4.7	1,942	2,204.15	2,214.73	2,216.67	2,237.90	2,333.56	2,388.08	2,538.10
	DUP	Willam Spence	3.3	1,366	2,270.05	2,270.05	2,286.85	2,293.62	2,236.40	2,239.40
	Republican Labour	Paddy Kennedy	4.2	1,750	1,750.49	1,970.37	1,970.37	1,984.60	2,036.94
	Republican Clubs	John O'Hare	1.7	702	703.47	715.43	715.44	725.44
	Alliance	Reginald Donnelly	0.5	194	202.33	223.49	223.51	225
	Alliance	Maureen Smyth	0.4	169	232.70	238.22	238.67	242.67
	NI Labour	Patrick Doherty	0.4	151	152.47	172.02	172.03	174.03
	Communist Party	James Stewart	0.3	123	130.35	131.96	132.20
Electorate: 70,791 Valid: 44,208 Spoilt: 2,834 Quota: 5,911 Turnout: 41,374

Note: John Laird, Hugh Smyth, Jean Coulter and William Spence used the label "West Belfast Loyalist Coalition" simultaneously whilst standing under different party affiliations.

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References

"Statement of Persons Nominated". EONI. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
1996 Candidates – West Belfast, Northern Ireland Elections

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] "Statement of Persons Nominated". EONI. Retrieved 8 February 2017.

[2] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[3] 1996 Candidates – West Belfast, Northern Ireland Elections

Northern Ireland Assembly
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Committees	Executive Office Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Communities Economy Education Finance Health Infrastructure
Constituencies	Belfast East Belfast North Belfast South Belfast West East Antrim East Londonderry Fermanagh and South Tyrone Foyle Lagan Valley Mid Ulster Newry and Armagh North Antrim North Down South Antrim South Down Strangford Upper Bann West Tyrone
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Elections	1998 2003 2007 2011 2016 2017
Members	1st Assembly (1998–03) 2nd Assembly (2006–07) 3rd Assembly (2007–11) 4th Assembly (2011–16) 5th Assembly (2016–17) 6th Assembly (2017–)
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