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Belfast South — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Belfast South was won by SDLP at the 2019 general election, with a majority of 15,401 votes over DUP. This page covers every general election in Belfast South from 1885 to 2019.

Full Election History, 1885–2019

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1885 William Johnston (Independent Conservative) 3,610 66.0% John Workman (Liberal) 2,620 (47.9 pts) 81.2%
1886 William Johnston (Irish Unionist) 4,542 87.4% Andrew McErlean (Irish Parliamentary Party) 3,885 (74.7 pts) 77.1%
1892 William Johnston (Irish Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1895 William Johnston (Irish Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1900 William Johnston (Irish Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1906 Thomas Henry Sloan (Independent Unionist) 4,450 55.0% Arthur William Hill (Irish Unionist) 816 (10.1 pts) 84.8%
Dec 1910 James Chambers (Irish Unionist) 5,585 67.2% Thomas Henry Sloan (Independent Unionist) 2,863 (34.5 pts) 78.2%
Jan 1910 James Chambers (Irish Unionist) 5,772 61.9% Thomas Henry Sloan (Independent Unionist) 2,219 (23.8 pts) 87.8%
1922 Thomas Moles (Ulster Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1923 Thomas Moles (Ulster Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1924 Thomas Moles (Ulster Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1929 William John Stewart (Ulster Unionist) 24,019 62.9% Philip James Woods (Independent Unionist) 9,871 (25.9 pts) 64.7%
1931 William John Stewart (Ulster Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1935 William John Stewart (Ulster Unionist) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1945 Conolly Hugh Gage (Ulster Unionist) 24,282 52.2% Harry Cassidy Midgley (Commonwealth Labour) 10,186 (21.9 pts) 66.4%
1950 Conolly Hugh Gage (Ulster Unionist) 34,620 75.2% James McKernan (NI Labour) 23,192 (50.4 pts) 69.3%
1951 Conolly Hugh Gage (Ulster Unionist) 37,046 75.8% Robert McBrinn (NI Labour) 25,231 (51.6 pts) 73.8%
1955 David Callender Campbell (Ulster Unionist) 33,392 78.4% Edward Brown (NI Labour) 25,884 (60.8 pts) 65.7%
1959 David Campbell (Ulster Unionist) 30,164 69.9% Norman Searight (NI Labour) 20,846 (48.3 pts) 72.1%
1964 Rafton Pounder (Ulster Unionist) 27,422 69.8% John Barkley (NI Labour) 18,630 (47.4 pts) 68.3%
1966 Rafton Pounder (Ulster Unionist) 23,329 65.4% Erskine Holmes (NI Labour) 10,965 (30.7 pts) 63.3%
1970 Rafton Pounder (Ulster Unionist) 27,523 70.4% John Coulthard (NI Labour) 15,956 (40.8 pts) 68.4%
Oct 1974 Robert Bradford (Vanguard) 30,116 59.2% John Glass (Alliance) 18,401 (36.2 pts) 67.7%
Feb 1974 Robert Bradford (Vanguard) 22,083 42.6% Rafton Pounder (Pro-Assembly Unionist) 3,998 (7.7 pts) 69.6%
1979 Robert Bradford (Ulster Unionist) 28,875 61.7% Basil Glass (Alliance) 17,130 (36.6 pts) 67.9%
1983 Martin Smyth (Ulster Unionist) 18,669 50.0% David Cook (Alliance) 9,724 (26.0 pts) 69.6%
1987 Martin Smyth (Ulster Unionist) 18,917 57.8% David Cook (Alliance) 11,954 (36.5 pts) 60.3%
1992 Martin Smyth (Ulster Unionist) 16,336 48.6% Alasdair McDonnell (SDLP) 10,070 (30.0 pts) 64.5%
1997 Martin Smyth (Ulster Unionist) 14,201 36.0% Alasdair McDonnell (SDLP) 4,600 (11.7 pts) 62.2%
2001 Martin Smyth (Ulster Unionist) 17,008 44.8% Alasdair McDonnell (SDLP) 5,399 (14.2 pts) 63.9%
2005 Alasdair McDonnell (SDLP) 10,339 32.3% Jimmy Spratt (DUP) 1,235 (3.9 pts) 61.3%
2010 Alasdair McDonnell (SDLP) 14,026 41.0% Jimmy Spratt (DUP) 5,926 (17.3 pts) 57.7%
2015 Alasdair McDonnell (SDLP) 9,560 24.5% Jonathan Bell (DUP) 906 (2.3 pts) 60.3%
2017 Emma Little Pengelly (DUP) 13,299 30.4% Alasdair McDonnell (SDLP) 1,996 (4.6 pts) 66.3%
2019 Claire Hanna (SDLP) 27,079 57.2% Emma Little Pengelly (DUP) 15,401 (32.5 pts) 67.9%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Johnston Independent Conservative 3,61066.0% Yes
John Workman Liberal 99018.1% No
Robert Seeds Independent Conservative 87115.9% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Johnston Irish Unionist 4,54287.4% Yes
Andrew McErlean Irish Parliamentary Party 65712.6% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Johnston Irish Unionist Unopposed Yes

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Johnston Irish Unionist Unopposed Yes

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Johnston Irish Unionist Unopposed Yes

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Henry Sloan Independent Unionist 4,45055.0% Yes
Arthur William Hill Irish Unionist 3,63445.0% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Chambers Irish Unionist 5,58567.2% Yes
Thomas Henry Sloan Independent Unionist 2,72232.8% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Chambers Irish Unionist 5,77261.9% Yes
Thomas Henry Sloan Independent Unionist 3,55338.1% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Moles Ulster Unionist Unopposed Yes

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Moles Ulster Unionist Unopposed Yes

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Moles Ulster Unionist Unopposed Yes

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William John Stewart Ulster Unionist 24,01962.9% Yes
Philip James Woods Independent Unionist 14,14837.1% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William John Stewart Ulster Unionist Unopposed Yes

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William John Stewart Ulster Unionist Unopposed Yes

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Conolly Hugh Gage Ulster Unionist 24,28252.2% Yes
Harry Cassidy Midgley Commonwealth Labour 14,09630.3% No
James Morrow NI Labour 8,16617.5% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Conolly Hugh Gage Ulster Unionist 34,62075.2% Yes
James McKernan NI Labour 11,42824.8% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Conolly Hugh Gage Ulster Unionist 37,04675.8% Yes
Robert McBrinn NI Labour 11,81524.2% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Callender Campbell Ulster Unionist 33,39278.4% Yes
Edward Brown NI Labour 7,50817.6% No
Patrick Kearney Sinn Féin 1,6793.9% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Campbell Ulster Unionist 30,16469.9% Yes
Norman Searight NI Labour 9,31821.6% No
Sheelagh Murnaghan Ulster Liberal 3,2537.5% No
Brendan O'Reilly Sinn Féin 4341.0% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Rafton Pounder Ulster Unionist 27,42269.8% Yes
John Barkley NI Labour 8,79222.4% No
Judith Rosenfield Ulster Liberal 1,9414.9% No
Robert McKnight Independent Republican 1,1592.9% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Rafton Pounder Ulster Unionist 23,32965.4% Yes
Erskine Holmes NI Labour 12,36434.6% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Rafton Pounder Ulster Unionist 27,52370.4% Yes
John Coulthard NI Labour 11,56729.6% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Bradford Vanguard 30,11659.2% Yes
John Glass Alliance 11,71523.0% No
Stanley McMaster Independent Unionist 4,9829.8% No
Ben Caraher SDLP 2,3904.7% No
Erskine Holmes NI Labour 1,6433.2% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Bradford Vanguard 22,08342.6% Yes
Rafton Pounder Pro-Assembly Unionist 18,08534.9% No
David Cook Alliance 5,1189.9% No
Ben Caraher SDLP 4,1498.0% No
Erskine Holmes NI Labour 2,4554.7% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Bradford Ulster Unionist 28,87561.7% Yes
Basil Glass Alliance 11,74525.1% No
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 3,6947.9% No
Victor Brennan Unionist Party NI 1,7843.8% No
Jeffrey Dudgeon Labour Integrationist 6921.5% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Martin Smyth Ulster Unionist 18,66950.0% Yes
David Cook Alliance 8,94523.9% No
Raymond McCrea DUP 4,56512.2% No
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 3,2168.6% No
Sean McKnight Sinn Féin 1,1073.0% No
Gerry Carr Workers' Party 8562.3% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Martin Smyth Ulster Unionist 18,91757.8% Yes
David Cook Alliance 6,96321.3% No
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 4,26813.0% No
Gerry Carr Workers' Party 1,5284.7% No
Seán McKnight Sinn Féin 1,0303.1% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Martin Smyth Ulster Unionist 16,33648.6% Yes
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 6,26618.7% No
John Montgomery Alliance 5,05415.0% No
Andrew Fee NI Conservatives 3,35610.0% No
Seán Hayes Sinn Féin 1,1233.3% No
Peter Hadden Labour and Trade Union 8752.6% No
Paddy Lynn Workers' Party 3621.1% No
Teresa Mullen Natural Law 2120.6% No

1997

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Martin Smyth Ulster Unionist 14,20136.0% Yes
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 9,60124.3% No
David Ervine PUP 5,68714.4% No
Steve McBride Alliance 5,11212.9% No
Seán Hayes Sinn Féin 2,0195.1% No
Annie Campbell NI Women's Coalition 1,2043.0% No
Myrtle Boal NI Conservatives 9622.4% No
Niall Cusack Independent Labour 2920.7% No
Paddy Lynn Workers' Party 2860.7% No
James Anderson Natural Law 1200.3% No

2001

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Martin Smyth Ulster Unionist 17,00844.8% Yes
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 11,60930.6% No
Monica McWilliams NI Women's Coalition 2,9687.8% No
Alex Maskey Sinn Féin 2,8947.6% No
Geraldine Rice Alliance 2,0425.4% No
Dawn Purvis PUP 1,1122.9% No
Paddy Lynn Workers' Party 2040.5% No
Rainbow George Weiss Rainbow Dream Ticket 1150.3% No

2005

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 10,33932.3% Yes
Jimmy Spratt DUP 9,10428.4% No
Michael McGimpsey Ulster Unionist 7,26322.7% No
Alex Maskey Sinn Féin 2,8829.0% No
Geraldine Rice Alliance 2,0126.3% No
Lynda Gilby Rainbow Dream Ticket 2350.7% No
Paddy Lynn Workers' Party 1930.6% No

2010

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 14,02641.0% Yes
Jimmy Spratt DUP 8,10023.7% No
Paula Bradshaw Independent 5,91017.3% No
Anna Lo Alliance 5,11415.0% No
Adam McGibbon Green 1,0363.0% No

2015

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 9,56024.5% Yes
Jonathan Bell DUP 8,65422.2% No
Paula Bradshaw Alliance 6,71117.2% No
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir Sinn Féin 5,40213.9% No
Rodney McCune Ulster Unionist 3,5499.1% No
Clare Bailey Green 2,2385.7% No
Bob Stoker UKIP 1,9004.9% No
Ben Manton Conservative 5821.5% No
Lily Kerr The Workers' Party 3610.9% No

2017

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Emma Little Pengelly DUP 13,29930.4% Yes
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP 11,30325.9% No
Paula Bradshaw Alliance 7,94618.2% No
Mairtin Samuel O Muilleoir Sinn Féin 7,14316.3% No
Clare Bailey Green 2,2415.1% No
Michael Henderson Ulster Unionist 1,5273.5% No
Clare Salier Conservative 2460.6% No

2019

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Claire Hanna SDLP 27,07957.2% Yes
Emma Little Pengelly DUP 11,67824.7% No
Paula Bradshaw Alliance 6,78614.3% No
Michael Henderson Ulster Unionist 1,2592.7% No
Chris McHugh Aontú 5501.2% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1885: Independent Conservative margin 47.9 pts 1886: Irish Unionist margin 74.7 pts 1906: Independent Unionist margin 10.1 pts Dec 1910: Irish Unionist margin 34.5 pts Jan 1910: Irish Unionist margin 23.8 pts 1929: Ulster Unionist margin 25.9 pts 1945: Ulster Unionist margin 21.9 pts 1950: Ulster Unionist margin 50.4 pts 1951: Ulster Unionist margin 51.6 pts 1955: Ulster Unionist margin 60.8 pts 1959: Ulster Unionist margin 48.3 pts 1964: Ulster Unionist margin 47.4 pts 1966: Ulster Unionist margin 30.7 pts 1970: Ulster Unionist margin 40.8 pts Oct 1974: Vanguard margin 36.2 pts Feb 1974: Vanguard margin 7.7 pts 1979: Ulster Unionist margin 36.6 pts 1983: Ulster Unionist margin 26.0 pts 1987: Ulster Unionist margin 36.5 pts 1992: Ulster Unionist margin 30.0 pts 1997: Ulster Unionist margin 11.7 pts 2001: Ulster Unionist margin 14.2 pts 2005: SDLP margin 3.9 pts 2010: SDLP margin 17.3 pts 2015: SDLP margin 2.3 pts 2017: DUP margin 4.6 pts 2019: SDLP margin 32.5 pts 1885 1886 1906 Dec 1910 Jan 1910 1929 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Oct 1974 Feb 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019

Trend

Belfast South has been contested at 35 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Independent Conservative, Irish Unionist, Independent Unionist, Ulster Unionist, Vanguard, SDLP, DUP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Belfast South in the 2019 general election?

SDLP won Belfast South in 2019 with 27,079 votes (57.2%), a majority of 15,401 votes over DUP in second place.

Which parties have won Belfast South since 1885?

Since 1885, Belfast South has been won by: DUP, Independent Conservative, Independent Unionist, Irish Unionist, SDLP, Ulster Unionist, Vanguard.

What was the closest result in Belfast South?

The closest result on record for Belfast South was 2015, when SDLP beat DUP by just 906 votes (2.3 percentage points).

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