For other constituencies of the same name, see
East Antrim.
East Antrim is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The MP since 2005 is Sammy Wilson of the Democratic Unionist Party.
The constituency of East Antrim is used for elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Constituency profile
The seat covers the east coast from Cushendun down to Carrickfergus. The seat is strongly unionist and one of the few areas of Northern Ireland which voted to leave the European Union.[1]
History
The pre-1922 constituency was a strongly conservative then unionist area, where republican and nationalist candidates were not elected. A victory for the Unionist candidate in 1918 by 15,206 votes to Sinn Féin's 861 votes demonstrated the virtual unanimity of the unionist support. Sinn Féin did not contest the 1919 East Antrim by-election.
Similarly, the post-1983 constituency has been overwhelmingly unionist, with the combined votes for nationalist parties rarely exceeding 10%. However, there have been above average votes for parties outside the traditional unionist block, such as the Alliance and the Conservatives. In the local government elections for the equivalent area many votes often go to independent candidates or groups such as the Newtownabbey Ratepayers Association. While the SDLP sprung a surprise in 1998 by overtaking a DUP candidate to win the final seat due to Ulster Unionist transfers – the first time that any nationalist candidate has benefited in this way.
The main interest in Westminster Elections has been the contest between the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party. In 1983 the UUP were only 367 votes ahead of the DUP. As part of a pact to oppose the Anglo-Irish Agreement the DUP did not contest the seat until 1992 but they still failed to come close, though in the 1996 elections to the Northern Ireland Forum they were only slightly behind the UUP. But in the 2001 general election they achieved an astonishing result when they came with 128 votes of winning the Westminster seat, despite not having targeted it. In the 2003 Assembly election they followed this up by gaining two additional MLAs and outpolling the UUP for the first time.
The DUP remained eager to take the Westminster seat and in the 2005 general election they did so.
Boundaries
From 1801 to 1885, County Antrim returned two MPs to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom sitting at the Palace of Westminster, with separate representation for the parliamentary boroughs of Belfast and Carrickfergus. Under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Carrickfergus ceased to exist as a parliamentary borough and the parliamentary county was divided into four divisions: North Antrim, Mid Antrim, East Antrim, and South Antrim. The division of East Antrim was defined as:[2]
It was not affected by the Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918.[3] Sinn Féin contested the 1918 general election on an abstentionist platform in its election manifesto pledging that instead of taking up any seats at Westminster, they would establish an assembly in Dublin. All MPs elected to Irish seats were invited to participate in the First Dáil convened in January 1919, but no members outside of Sinn Féin did so.[4]
The Government of Ireland Act 1920 established the Parliament of Northern Ireland, which came into operation in 1921. The representation of Northern Ireland in the Parliament of the United Kingdom was reduced from 30 MPs to 13 MPs, taking effect at the 1922 United Kingdom general election. At Westminster, the four divisions of County Antrim were replaced by a two-member county constituency of Antrim. A seven-seat constituency of Antrim was created for the House of Commons of Northern Ireland, which formed the basis in republican theory for representation in the Second Dáil.[5] Under the Representation of the People Act 1948, all two-member constituencies were divided. Antrim was divided into the county constituencies of North Antrim and South Antrim.
The constituency of East Antrim was recreated in 1983, from parts of North Antrim and South Antrim, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17.
Prior to the 2010 general election, the Boundary Commission originally proposed two significant changes for East Antrim. In the south of the constituency it was proposed to transfer a further part of Newtownabbey to the North Belfast constituency whilst in the north the seat would have gained the Glens and Ballycastle in Moyle district from North Antrim. East Antrim would have been renamed Antrim Coast and Glens. However, this latter part of the proposal raised many questions, with some already arguing that the Glens have no natural ties to Jordanstown (and in 1995 the previous Boundary Commission cited this very reason when rejecting such a proposal). Following consultation and revising the recommendations, the new boundaries for East Antrim were confirmed. The constituency boundaries were amended again by the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, and first contested at the 2024 general election.
| 1983–1997
|
The districts of Carrickfergus and Larne; and
in the district of Newtownabbey, the wards of Bradan, Cloughfern, Coole, Dunanney, Hopefield, Monkstown, Rostulla, Whiteabbey, and Whitehouse.[6]
|
| 1997–2010
|
The districts of Carrickfergus and Larne; and
in the district of Newtownabbey, the wards of Cloughfern, Jordanstown, Monkstown, and Rostulla.[7]
|
| 2010–2024
|
The districts of Carrickfergus and Larne;
in the district of Moyle, the wards of Glenaan, Glenariff, and Glendun; and
in the district of Newtownabbey, the wards of Jordanstown, Monkstown, and Rostulla.[8]
|
| 2024–
|
In Antrim and Newtownabbey, the part of the Abbey ward to the north of the northern boundary of the 2010–2024 Belfast North constituency, and the wards of Jordanstown, Monkstown, and Rostulla;
and in Mid and East Antrim the wards of Ballycarry and Glynn, Boneybefore, Burleigh Hill, Cairncastle, Carnlough and Glenarm, Castle, Craigyhill, Curran and Inver, Gardenmore, Glenravel, Glenwhirry, Gortalee, Greenisland, Islandmagee, Kilroot, Kilwaughter, Love Lane, Slemish, Sunnylands, The Maidens, Victoria, Whitehead South, and Woodburn.[9]
|
Members of Parliament
The Member of Parliament since the 2005 general election is Sammy Wilson of the Democratic Unionist Party. In that election he defeated Roy Beggs of the Ulster Unionist Party, who had sat for the seat since it was created at the 1983 general election.
Election results
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
See also
References
- ^ a b "Antrim East: Seat Details". Electoral Calculus. 30 November 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23), s. 8 and Seventh Schedule, Part III" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk.
- ^ "Redistribution of Seats (Ireland) Act 1918 (7 & 8 Geo. 5. c. 65), Fourth Schedule, Part I" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk.
- ^ "3. An Rolla". Dáil Debates (in Irish). F (1). Houses of the Oireachtas. 21 January 1919. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ "Appendix 19: Dáil Éireann: Extract from Minutes of Meeting on 16th August 1921: Copy of Roll". Dáil Debates. T (17). Houses of the Oireachtas.
- ^ Schedule (a) County constituencies, "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 1982 (No. 1838)" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 22 December 1982.
- ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 1995: Schedule", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 23 November 1995, SI 1995/2992 (sch.)
- ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 2008: Schedule", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 11 June 2008, SI 2008/1486 (sch.)
- ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023: Schedule 2", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 15 November 2023, SI 2023/1230 (sch. 2)
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "A" (part 2)
- ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "East Antrim – General election results 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
- ^ "East Antrim Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
- ^ "Dickson to stand in Westminster election". Larne Times. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ "McMullan candidate in Westminster election". Larne Times. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ "Ulster Unionist Party announces general election candidates". Belfast Telegraph. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ "DUP general election candidates announced". Belfast Telegraph. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
- ^ "Statement of Persons nominated". Electoral Office of Northern Ireland. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ "UK Parliamentary Election Result 2017 – East Antrim". Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "East Antrim parliamentary constituency – Election 2017". BBC.
- ^ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland – EONI". eoni.org.uk.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ Results of Byelections in the 1983–87 Parliament Archived 5 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine in the United Kingdom Election Results website Archived 7 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine maintained by David Boothroyd
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Walker, B.M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. pp. 326, 383. ISBN 0901714127.
Bibliography
- Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. ISBN 0901714127.
- Stenton, M.; Lees, S., eds. (1978). Who's Who of British members of parliament: Volume II 1886–1918. The Harvester Press.
External links
| Authority control databases: People | |
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