Upper Bann (UK Parliament constituency)

For other constituencies of the same name, see Upper Bann (disambiguation).

Upper Bann
County constituency
for the House of Commons
Boundary of Upper Bann in Northern Ireland
DistrictArmagh, Banbridge and Craigavon
Electorate77,905 (March 2011)
Major settlementsLurgan, Portadown
Current constituency
Created1983
Member of ParliamentCarla Lockhart (DUP)
Seats1
Created from

Upper Bann is a parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland, which is represented in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Carla Lockhart of the Democratic Unionist Party.

Constituency profile

Upper Bann includes the post-industrial towns of Portadown, Craigavon, and Lurgan.

History

The constituency has a unionist majority, with the combined votes for nationalist parties reaching around 35% in elections. The Ulster Unionist Party has traditionally been dominant though it has been supplanted by the Democratic Unionist Party in recent years. The constituency contains Portadown and Drumcree, key locations for the Orange Order and elections to both local councils and the Northern Ireland Assembly have seen independent candidates standing on issues related to Orange Order parades performing well.

In 1990 the sitting MP, Harold McCusker, died and the subsequent by-election was notable as for the first time since the early 1970s two UK-wide political parties stood in a Northern Ireland parliamentary election, the Conservatives and the rump of the Social Democratic Party. However the result was disappointing for the Conservatives, whilst the SDP polled a mere 154 votes. In that by-election David Trimble was elected and five years later he became leader of the Ulster Unionist Party. Trimble's leadership came in for much criticism from the rival Democratic Unionist Party and they strongly targeted the area.

In the 2001 general election there was a strong rumour that the DUP leader Ian Paisley would contest the seat himself, in the hope of unseating Trimble, but in the event he stayed in his North Antrim constituency and the DUP instead nominated David Simpson. The campaign was amongst the most bitter in the entire province, with Trimble coming in for fierce personal attacks. He benefitted, however, from the decision of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland not to contest the seat themselves but instead support him and the UUP. When the results were counted Simpson was initially ahead and many believed he had won, but Trimble pulled ahead to hold the seat on a narrow majority of 2058.

In the subsequent 2003 assembly election the DUP were only 386 votes behind the UUP. Then in the 2005 general election Trimble was defeated by Simpson. Simpson retained his seat in the 2010 general election, although the UUP vote has remained fairly static. The nationalist vote had continued to grow until the 2019 general election, which could have made this seat a possible battleground between nationalists and unionists.[2]

Boundaries

The seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from parts of Armagh and South Down.

1983–1997 The district of Craigavon; and

in the district of Banbridge, the wards of Ballydown, Central, Edenderry, Gilford, Laurencetown, Loughbrickland, and Seapatrick.[3]

1997–2024 The district of Craigavon; and

in the district of Banbridge, the wards of Ballydown, Banbridge West, Edenderry, Fort, Gilford, Lawrencetown, Loughbrickland, Seapatrick, and The Cut.[4][5]

2024– In Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, the wards of Ballybay, the part of the Banbridge East ward to the west of the eastern boundary of the 1997–2024 Upper Bann constituency, Banbridge North, Banbridge South, Banbridge West, Bleary, Brownlow, Corcrain, Craigavon Centre, Derrytrasna, the part of the Donaghcloney ward to the west of the western boundary of the 1997–2024 Lagan Valley constituency, Gilford, Kernan, Killycomain, Knocknashane, Lough Road, the part of the Loughgall ward to the south of the northern boundary of the 1997–2024 Newry and Armagh constituency, Mahon, Mourneview, Parklake, Shankill, the part of The Birches ward to the east of the western boundary of the 1997–2024 Upper Bann constituency, and the Waringstown.[6]

Members of Parliament

David Trimble served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party following a 1995 leadership election. He resigned shortly after his defeat at the 2005 general election.

Election MP Party
1983 Harold McCusker UUP
1986 b
1987
1990 b David Trimble UUP
1992
1997
2001
2005 David Simpson DUP
2010
2015
2017
2019 Carla Lockhart DUP
2024

Elections

Elections in the 2020s

2024 general election: Upper Bann[7][8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Carla Lockhart 21,642 45.7 +4.9
Sinn Féin Catherine Nelson 14,236 30.1 +5.4
Alliance Eóin Tennyson 6,322 13.3 +0.6
UUP Kate Evans 3,662 7.7 −4.8
SDLP Malachy Quinn 1,496 3.2 −6.2
Majority 7,406 15.6 −0.8
Turnout 47,358 58.3 −2.1
Registered electors 81,249
DUP hold Swing −0.2

Elections in the 2010s

2019 general election: Upper Bann[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP Carla Lockhart 20,501 41.0 −2.5
Sinn Féin John O'Dowd 12,291 24.6 −3.3
Alliance Eóin Tennyson 6,433 12.9 +8.4
UUP Doug Beattie 6,197 12.4 −3.0
SDLP Dolores Kelly 4,623 9.2 +0.6
Majority 8,210 16.4 +0.8
Turnout 50,045 60.4 −3.5
Registered electors 82,856
DUP hold Swing +0.5
2017 general election: Upper Bann[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP David Simpson 22,317 43.5 +10.8
Sinn Féin John O'Dowd 14,325 27.9 +3.3
UUP Doug Beattie 7,900 15.4 −12.5
SDLP Declan McAlinden 4,397 8.6 −0.4
Alliance Tara Doyle 2,319 4.5 +0.7
Majority 7,992 15.6 +11.8
Turnout 51,258 63.9 +4.9
Registered electors 80,168
DUP hold Swing +3.7
2015 general election: Upper Bann[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP David Simpson 15,430 32.7 −1.1
UUP Jo-Anne Dobson 13,166 27.9 +2.2
Sinn Féin Catherine Seeley 11,593 24.6 −0.1
SDLP Dolores Kelly 4,238 9.0 −3.8
Alliance Peter Lavery 1,780 3.8 +0.8
CISTA Martin Kelly 460 1.0 New
Workers' Party Damien Harte 351 0.7 New
NI Conservatives Amandeep Singh Bhogal 201 0.4 New
Majority 2,264 4.8 −3.3
Turnout 47,219 59.0 +3.7
Registered electors 80,060
DUP hold Swing −1.7
2010 general election: Upper Bann[15][16][17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP David Simpson 14,000 33.8 −3.8
UCU-NF Harry Hamilton 10,639 25.7 +0.2
Sinn Féin John O'Dowd 10,237 24.7 +3.7
SDLP Dolores Kelly 5,276 12.8 −0.2
Alliance Brendan Heading 1,231 3.0 +0.8
Majority 3,361 8.1 −4.0
Turnout 41,383 55.3 −5.9
Registered electors 74,732
DUP hold Swing −1.9

Elections in the 2000s

2005 general election: Upper Bann[17][18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DUP David Simpson 16,679 37.6 +8.1
UUP David Trimble 11,281 25.5 −8.0
Sinn Féin John O'Dowd 9,305 21.0 −0.1
SDLP Dolores Kelly 5,747 13.0 −1.9
Alliance Alan Castle 955 2.2 New
Workers' Party Tom French 355 0.8 −0.2
Majority 5,398 12.1 N/A
Turnout 44,322 61.2 −9.1
Registered electors 71,645
DUP gain from UUP Swing +8.1
2001 general election: Upper Bann[17][19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP David Trimble 17,095 33.5 −10.1
DUP David Simpson 15,037 29.5 +18.0
Sinn Féin Dara O'Hagan 10,771 21.1 +9.0
SDLP Dolores Kelly 7,607 14.9 −9.3
Workers' Party Tom French 527 1.0 −0.2
Majority 2,058 4.0 −15.4
Turnout 51,037 70.3 +2.5
Registered electors 72,574
UUP hold Swing −14.1

Elections in the 1990s

1997 general election: Upper Bann[17][20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP David Trimble 20,836 43.6 −15.4
SDLP Bríd Rodgers 11,584 24.2 +0.8
Sinn Féin Bernadette O'Hagan 5,773 12.1 +0.6
DUP Mervyn Carrick 5,482 11.5 New
Alliance William Ramsay 3,017 6.3 +0.7
Workers' Party Tom French 554 1.2 −1.3
NI Conservatives Brian Price 433 0.9 −2.5
Natural Law Jack Lyons 108 0.2 New
Majority 9,252 19.4 −16.2
Turnout 47,787 67.8 +0.4
Registered electors 70,503
UUP hold Swing −8.1
1992 general election: Upper Bann[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP David Trimble 26,824 59.0 −2.5
SDLP Bríd Rodgers 10,661 23.4 +2.9
Sinn Féin Brendan Curran 2,777 6.1 −1.3
Alliance William Ramsay 2,541 5.6 −0.3
NI Conservatives Collette Jones 1,556 3.4 N/A
Workers' Party Tom French 1,120 2.5 −2.2
Majority 16,163 35.6 −5.4
Turnout 45,479 67.4 +1.4
Registered electors 67,446
UUP hold Swing
1990 Upper Bann by-election[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP David Trimble 20,547 58.0 −3.5
SDLP Bríd Rodgers 6,698 18.9 −1.6
Sinn Féin Sheena Campbell 2,033 5.7 −1.7
Ulster Independence Hugh Ross 1,534 4.3 New
Workers' Party Tom French 1,083 3.1 −1.6
NI Conservatives Colette Jones 1,038 3.0 New
Alliance William Ramsay 948 2.7 −3.2
Ulster Democratic Gary McMichael 600 1.7 New
Green Peter Doran 576 1.6 New
Independent Labour Erskine Holmes 235 0.6 New
SDP Alistair Dunn 154 0.4 New
Majority 13,849 39.1 −1.9
Turnout 35,446 53.4 −12.6
Registered electors 66,377
UUP hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

1987 general election: Upper Bann[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Harold McCusker 25,137 61.5 +4.6
SDLP Bríd Rodgers 8,676 20.5 +3.6
Sinn Féin Brendan Curran 3,126 7.4 −2.0
Alliance Mary Cook 2,487 5.9 New
Workers' Party Tom French 2,004 4.7 −0.8
Majority 17,361 41.0 ±0.0
Turnout 41,430 66.0 −6.0
Registered electors 64,540
UUP hold Swing
1986 Upper Bann by-election[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Harold McCusker 29,311 80.8 +23.9
Workers' Party Tom French 6,978 19.2 +13.7
Majority 22,333 61.6 +20.6
Turnout 36,861 57.2 −14.8
Registered electors 63,484
UUP hold Swing
1983 general election: Upper Bann[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Harold McCusker 24,888 56.9
SDLP James McDonald 7,807 17.9
DUP Jim Wells 4,547 10.4
Sinn Féin Brendan Curran 4,110 9.4
Workers' Party Tom French 2,392 5.5
Majority 17,081 41.0
Turnout 41,644 72.0
Registered electors 60,734
UUP win (new seat)

See also

References

  1. ^ "'Upper Bann', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  2. ^ Keenan, Dan. "Constituency Profile: Upper Bann". The Irish Times.
  3. ^ Schedule (a) County constituencies, "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 1982 (No. 1838)" (PDF). legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 22 December 1982.
  4. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 1995: Schedule", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 23 November 1995, SI 1995/2992 (sch.)
  5. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 2008: Schedule", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 11 June 2008, SI 2008/1486 (sch.)
  6. ^ "Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023: Schedule 2", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 15 November 2023, SI 2023/1230 (sch. 2)
  7. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  8. ^ "General election for the constituency of Upper Bann on 4 July 2024". UK Parliament.
  9. ^ "Seat Details". Electoral Calculus. 30 November 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Upper Bann Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  11. ^ "Election of a Member of Parliament for the UPPER BANN Constituency – Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Electoral Office of Northern Ireland. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  12. ^ "Election 2017 Results – Election Polling". electionpolling.co.uk.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ^ "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland – EONI". eoni.org.uk.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ 2010 General Election – Upper Bann BBC News
  17. ^ a b c d Upper Bann ARK – Access Research Knowledge
  18. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  21. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Results of Byelections in the 1987-92 Parliament". United Kingdom Election Results. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ^ 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
  25. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

54°25′18″N 6°23′46″W / 54.42167°N 6.39611°W / 54.42167; -6.39611

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