Elections to Belfast City Council were held on 15 May 1985 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used nine district electoral areas to elect a total of 51 councillors, most representing the more heavily populated north and west.
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All 51 seats to Belfast City Council 26 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The UUP became the largest party, overtaking the DUP and John Carson became the Lord Mayor.
Election results
editParty | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UUP | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27.5 | 24.4 | 28,165 | 0.7 | |
DUP | 11 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 21.6 | 19.9 | 23,052 | 5.9 | |
Alliance | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15.7 | 11.5 | 13,286 | 1.7 | |
Sinn Féin | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 13.7 | 15.6 | 18,077 | New | |
SDLP | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.8 | 14.2 | 16,479 | 0.1 | |
Ind. Unionist | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4,091 | 1.6 | |
Workers' Party | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 4,432 | 0.1 | |
Protestant Unionist | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 2,970 | 2.6 | |
PUP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2,588 | 0.3 | |
People's Democracy | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 131 | 3.6 | |
Ulster Democratic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 536 | 1.8 | |
Labour Party NI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 731 | New | |
Labour and Trade Union | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 556 | New | |
Green (NI) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 308 | New | |
Communist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 245 | 0.0 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.
Districts summary
editWard | % |
Cllrs |
% |
Cllrs |
% |
Cllrs |
% |
Cllrs |
% |
Cllrs |
% |
Cllrs |
% |
Cllrs |
% |
Cllrs |
Total Cllrs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UUP | DUP | Alliance | Sinn Féin | SDLP | Workers' Party | PUP | Others | ||||||||||
Balmoral | 41.7 | 2 | 25.5 | 2 | 18.5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 10.4 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2.9 | 0 | 5 |
Castle | 32.7 | 2 | 17.1 | 1 | 9.6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 19.6 | 1 | 3.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 17.6 | 1 | 6 |
Court | 21.6 | 2 | 17.9 | 1 | 5.1 | 0 | 3.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1.3 | 0 | 24.2 | 1 | 36.1 | 2 | 6 |
Laganbank | 30.0 | 2 | 22.1 | 1 | 20.8 | 1 | 16.9 | 1 | 5.6 | 0 | 5.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2.1 | 0 | 5 |
Lower Falls | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 9.4 | 1 | 57.2 | 3 | 23.4 | 1 | 9.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.6 | 0 | 5 |
Oldpark | 17.5 | 1 | 11.4 | 1 | 3.7 | 0 | 28.5 | 2 | 16.1 | 1 | 9.4 | 1 | 3.0 | 0 | 10.4 | 0 | 6 |
Pottinger | 28.9 | 2 | 47.5 | 3 | 8.3 | 1 | 4.6 | 0 | 2.8 | 0 | 2.4 | 0 | 3.2 | 0 | 2.3 | 0 | 6 |
Upper Falls | 0.0 | 0 | 2.9 | 0 | 7.3 | 1 | 44.1 | 2 | 39.2 | 2 | 3.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3.4 | 0 | 5 |
Victoria | 42.5 | 3 | 33.2 | 2 | 23.1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 1.2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 7 |
Total | 24.4 | 14 | 19.9 | 11 | 11.5 | 8 | 15.6 | 7 | 14.2 | 6 | 3.8 | 1 | 2.2 | 1 | 8.4 | 3 | 51 |
District results
editBalmoral
edit1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
UUP | Mary Crooks* | 19.07% | 2,438 | ||||||||
UUP | Jim Kirkpatrick | 14.23% | 1,820 | 2,014.16 | 2,061.12 | 2,137.12 | |||||
DUP | William Dickson* | 12.81% | 1,638 | 1,660.56 | 1,676.68 | 1,931.32 | 2,321.32 | ||||
Alliance | John Montgomery | 10.37% | 1,326 | 1,329.12 | 1,426.48 | 1,430.6 | 1,488.68 | 1,497.39 | 2,449.39 | ||
DUP | John Parkes | 7.80% | 998 | 1,009.28 | 1,032.64 | 1,281.76 | 1,536 | 1,691.44 | 1,780.22 | 1,908.19 | |
SDLP | Dorita Field | 10.42% | 1,332 | 1,332.24 | 1,446.24 | 1,448.24 | 1,457.24 | 1,457.24 | 1,587.04 | 1,772.63 | |
Alliance | David Cook* | 8.15% | 1,042 | 1,054 | 1,180.48 | 1,191.08 | 1,345.04 | 1,367.82 | |||
UUP | James Stewart* | 8.38% | 1,071 | 1,102.08 | 1,127.68 | 1,166.44 | |||||
DUP | Clarke Gibson | 7.80% | 620 | 633.68 | 646.8 | ||||||
Labour Party NI | Stanley Graham | 1.45% | 186 | 187.08 | |||||||
Workers' Party | Shaun McKeown | 1.04% | 133 | 133.12 | |||||||
Ind. Unionist | Victor Brennan | 0.99% | 127 | 127.6 | |||||||
Ind. Unionist | William Stevenson* | 0.44% | 56 | 57.44 | |||||||
Electorate: 23,220 Valid: 12,787 (55.07%) Spoilt: 315 Quota: 2,132 Turnout: 13,102 (56.43%) |
Castle
edit1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
UUP | John Carson* | 24.23% | 3,153 | ||||||||
SDLP | Alban Maginness | 15.19% | 1,977 | ||||||||
Ind. Unionist | Frank Millar* | 12.47% | 1,623 | 1,812.83 | 1,813.08 | 1,836.49 | 1,863.28 | ||||
DUP | Nigel Dodds | 11.54% | 1,502 | 1,622.95 | 1,623 | 1,625.05 | 1,632.51 | 2,179.51 | |||
UUP | Alfred Redpath | 8.51% | 1,107 | 1,783.5 | 1,783.5 | 1,797.73 | 1,821.83 | 1,916.83 | |||
Alliance | Tom Campbell | 6.14% | 799 | 822.37 | 825.42 | 919.79 | 1,333.54 | 1,337.77 | 1,351.99 | 1,870.99 | |
Ind. Unionist | William Gault* | 5.18% | 674 | 892.94 | 893.04 | 903.86 | 915.55 | 980.31 | 1,280.51 | 1,281.51 | |
SDLP | John Murphy | 4.45% | 579 | 581.87 | 672.17 | 864.67 | 885.52 | 885.52 | 887.89 | ||
DUP | Michael Whittley | 5.43% | 706 | 726.5 | 726.5 | 733.5 | 739.32 | ||||
Alliance | Robert Jamison | 3.45% | 449 | 474.42 | 475.87 | 530.04 | |||||
Workers' Party | Katherine Johnston | 3.41% | 444 | 448.51 | 451.06 | ||||||
Electorate: 24,488 Valid: 12,003 (49.02%) Spoilt: 323 Quota: 1,715 Turnout: 12,326 (50.33%) |
Court
edit1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Protestant Unionist, 1 x Independent Unionist
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||
Protestant Unionist | George Seawright* | 24.39% | 2,970 | |||||||||
PUP | Hugh Smyth* | 14.46% | 1,761 | |||||||||
DUP | Frederick Ashby* | 11.66% | 1,420 | 1,591.36 | 1,593.78 | 1,681.1 | 1,682.1 | 1,732.92 | 2,186.92 | |||
UUP | Herbert Ditty | 9.83% | 1,197 | 1,288.98 | 1,296.98 | 1,312.28 | 1,313.28 | 1,618.2 | 1,695.52 | 1,781.52 | ||
UUP | Fred Cobain | 6.60% | 804 | 846 | 847 | 856.1 | 858.1 | 1,028.28 | 1,101.26 | 1,216.26 | 1,457.46 | |
Ind. Unionist | Joseph Coggle* | 7.34% | 894 | 1,134.66 | 1,139.08 | 1,144.76 | 1,146.76 | 1,201.2 | 1,266.44 | 1,336.44 | 1,471.32 | |
Ulster Democratic | Samuel Doyle | 4.40% | 536 | 837.56 | 842.98 | 859.22 | 860.22 | 946.5 | 1,004.12 | 1,050.12 | 1,097.32 | |
Alliance | William Dukelow | 5.14% | 626 | 642.38 | 730.8 | 732.64 | 874.64 | 899.16 | 907 | 914 | ||
DUP | William Baxter | 4.70% | 572 | 706.4 | 708.82 | 800.34 | 800.34 | 826.64 | ||||
UUP | James Sands | 5.13% | 624 | 750 | 751 | 773.24 | 773.24 | |||||
Sinn Féin | Harry Fitzsimmons | 3.55% | 432 | 432.42 | 463.42 | 463.42 | ||||||
DUP | Robert Morrow | 1.49% | 182 | 260.96 | 261.38 | |||||||
Workers' Party | Peter Cullen | 1.29% | 157 | 161.62 | ||||||||
Electorate: 22,375 Valid: 12,175 (54.41%) Spoilt: 372 Quota: 1,740 Turnout: 12,547 (56.08%) |
Laganbank
edit1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||
UUP | William Blair* | 17.92% | 1,969 | |||||||||
Alliance | William McDowell | 12.97% | 1,425 | 1,456 | 1,808 | 1,811.15 | 1,841.15 | |||||
SDLP | Alasdair McDonnell* | 10.69% | 1,175 | 1,194 | 1,220 | 1,220.35 | 1,448.35 | 1,449.56 | 1,797.63 | 2,727.63 | ||
UUP | Dixie Gilmore | 6.62% | 727 | 733 | 741 | 841.8 | 844.94 | 1,358.26 | 1,387.61 | 1,398.61 | 1,513.61 | |
DUP | Rhonda Paisley | 12.06% | 1,325 | 1,334 | 1,338 | 1,344.51 | 1,344.51 | 1,408.98 | 1,419.33 | 1,419.33 | 1,427.33 | |
DUP | Raymond McCrea* | 10.03% | 1,102 | 1,107 | 1,108 | 1,116.61 | 1,117.61 | 1,146.52 | 1,152.59 | 1,152.59 | 1,160.59 | |
SDLP | Gerard McKettrick | 7.58% | 833 | 844 | 876 | 876 | 949 | 949 | 1,068 | |||
Workers' Party | Gerard Carr | 5.01% | 550 | 635 | 655 | 656.19 | 755.26 | 757.33 | ||||
UUP | Robert Wilson | 5.50% | 604 | 615 | 617 | 632.47 | 632.54 | |||||
Sinn Féin | Michael Conlon | 5.59% | 614 | 624 | 627 | 627.35 | ||||||
Alliance | Dan McGuinness | 3.95% | 434 | 455 | ||||||||
Labour and Trade Union | Robert Millar | 0.91% | 100 | |||||||||
NI Labour | John King | 0.66% | 73 | |||||||||
Communist | Michael Morrissey | 0.52% | 57 | |||||||||
Electorate: 20,934 Valid: 10,988 (52.49%) Spoilt: 297 Quota: 1,832 Turnout: 11,285 (53.91%) |
Lower Falls
edit1985: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||||
SDLP | Joe Hendron* | 22.06% | 2,606 | ||||
Sinn Féin | Sean McKnight | 16.41% | 1,939 | 1,963 | 1,985.4 | ||
Alliance | Will Glendinning* | 9.42% | 1,113 | 1,195 | 1,549.48 | 2,015.48 | |
Sinn Féin | Sean Keenan | 14.83% | 1,752 | 1,764 | 1,795.36 | 1,845.2 | |
Sinn Féin | Elizabeth Fitzsimons | 13.50% | 1,595 | 1,609 | 1,649.6 | 1,697.4 | |
Sinn Féin | Fra McCann | 12.42% | 1,467 | 1,472 | 1,499.44 | 1,552.4 | |
Workers' Party | Mary McMahon | 9.44% | 1,115 | 1,168 | 1,312.2 | ||
SDLP | Sean Mullan | 1.35% | 159 | ||||
Communist | Desmond Murray | 0.57% | 67 | ||||
Electorate: 21,058 Valid: 11,813 (56.10%) Spoilt: 450 Quota: 1,969 Turnout: 12,263 (58.23%) |
Oldpark
edit1985: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Workers' Party
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||||
UUP | Fred Proctor | 12.54% | 1,800 | 1,820 | 1,903 | 1,918 | 2,013 | 2,125 | ||||||||
Sinn Féin | Bobby Lavery | 12.20% | 1,752 | 1,765 | 1,766 | 1,786 | 1,793 | 1,794 | 2,373 | |||||||
Sinn Féin | Gerard McGuigan | 10.93% | 1,570 | 1,576 | 1,576 | 1,585 | 1,591 | 1,591 | 1,726 | 2,030.7 | ||||||
SDLP | Brian Feeney* | 10.56% | 1,516 | 1,544 | 1,544 | 1,677 | 1,841 | 1,842 | 1,863 | 1,867.4 | 1,867.4 | 2,475.4 | ||||
Workers' Party | Seamus Lynch | 9.36% | 1,344 | 1,383 | 1,386 | 1,531 | 1,696 | 1,701 | 1,731 | 1,735.4 | 1,735.4 | 1,895.5 | 2,226.5 | |||
DUP | Peter Lunn | 6.67% | 958 | 974 | 1,054 | 1,056 | 1,082 | 1,523 | 1,523 | 1,523 | 1,537.6 | 1,539.6 | 1,542.6 | 1,549.6 | 1,824.6 | |
UUP | David Smylie | 4.94% | 709 | 717 | 813 | 817 | 857 | 983 | 985 | 985 | 1,036.83 | 1,039.83 | 1,041.83 | 1,066.83 | 1,573.83 | |
Ind. Unionist | Nelson McCausland | 4.99% | 717 | 729 | 815 | 825 | 872 | 919 | 920 | 920 | 926.57 | 930.57 | 934.57 | 951.57 | ||
SDLP | Patrick Hunter | 5.48% | 787 | 812 | 814 | 867 | 913 | 913 | 922 | 924.2 | 924.2 | |||||
Sinn Féin | Paddy McManus | 5.39% | 774 | 781 | 781 | 787 | 787 | 787 | ||||||||
DUP | Pauline Whittley | 4.76% | 684 | 691 | 735 | 739 | 748 | |||||||||
Alliance | Arnold Carton | 3.73% | 535 | 597 | 618 | 695 | ||||||||||
Labour Party NI | Paddy Devlin* | 3.29% | 472 | 506 | 518 | |||||||||||
PUP | Patrick Bird | 3.02% | 433 | 444 | ||||||||||||
Green (NI) | Peter Emerson | 2.14% | 308 | |||||||||||||
Electorate: 25,774 Valid: 14,359 (55.71%) Spoilt: 389 Quota: 2,052 Turnout: 14,748 (57.22%) |
Pottinger
edit1985: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||||
DUP | Sammy Wilson* | 19.99% | 2,454 | ||||||||
DUP | Frank Leslie | 18.11% | 2,224 | ||||||||
UUP | Margaret Clarke | 16.28% | 1,999 | ||||||||
DUP | Jim Walker | 9.39% | 1,153 | 1,763.12 | |||||||
UUP | Reg Empey | 9.10% | 1,117 | 1,143.6 | 1,442.8 | 1,630.12 | 1,659.16 | 1,660.5 | 1,756.5 | ||
Alliance | Mervyn Jones | 8.30% | 1,019 | 1,026.56 | 1,039.48 | 1,044.64 | 1,127.4 | 1,272.74 | 1,309.88 | 1,547.28 | |
UUP | Harry Fletcher | 3.51% | 431 | 449.2 | 546.1 | 569.38 | 594.16 | 595.16 | 706.38 | 727.66 | |
Sinn Féin | Joseph O'Donnell | 4.61% | 566 | 566 | 566 | 566 | 572.28 | 634.6 | 635.6 | 713.42 | |
Workers' Party | Francis Cullen | 2.47% | 303 | 304.12 | 306.5 | 312.02 | 398.48 | 496.48 | 514.94 | ||
PUP | David Ervine | 3.21% | 394 | 402.12 | 442.58 | 448.1 | 459.68 | 460.68 | |||
SDLP | Carmel Maginness | 2.77% | 340 | 340.28 | 342.32 | 342.32 | 353.66 | ||||
Labour and Trade Union | Stan Dempsey | 1.78% | 218 | 219.68 | 227.16 | 232.44 | |||||
Communist | James Stewart | 0.25% | 61 | 64.08 | 66.8 | 67.16 | |||||
Electorate: 24,757 Valid: 12,279 (49.60%) Spoilt: 506 Quota: 1,755 Turnout: 12,785 (51.64%) |
Upper Falls
edit1985: 2 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||||
SDLP | Alex Attwood | 19.35% | 2,461 | |||||||||
Sinn Féin | Alex Maskey | 18.30% | 2,329 | |||||||||
Sinn Féin | Teresa Holland | 17.73% | 2,256 | |||||||||
SDLP | Cormac Boomer* | 13.01% | 1,655 | 1,890.43 | 1,897.72 | 1,900.42 | 1,903.42 | 1,958.24 | 2,028.22 | 2,161.22 | ||
Alliance | Pip Glendinning | 7.32% | 931 | 947.38 | 949.9 | 951.16 | 955.16 | 958.73 | 994.31 | 1,334.43 | 1,805.43 | |
Sinn Féin | Mairtin O'Muilleoir | 8.01% | 1,031 | 1,034.25 | 1,214.16 | 1,334.58 | 1,339.82 | 1,410.1 | 1,440.06 | 1,461.64 | 1,561.64 | |
SDLP | Mary Muldoon* | 6.28% | 799 | 834.36 | 840.84 | 843.36 | 850.36 | 903.78 | 940.23 | 1,035.15 | ||
Workers' Party | Gerald McCann | 3.03% | 386 | 389.77 | 390.67 | 391.63 | 405.76 | 413.51 | 463.37 | |||
DUP | Irene Lewis | 2.92% | 372 | 372.39 | 372.39 | 372.51 | 372.6 | 372.6 | 374.6 | |||
Labour and Trade Union | Michael Duffy | 1.87% | 238 | 243.2 | 244.82 | 246.14 | 255.14 | 273.81 | ||||
People's Democracy | John McAnulty* | 1.03% | 131 | 131.91 | 137.67 | 140.73 | 146 | |||||
SDLP | Peter Prendiville | 0.57% | 72 | 87.86 | 88.04 | 88.28 | 90.5 | |||||
Communist | Kevin McCorry | 0.47% | 60 | 60.39 | 61.11 | 61.17 | ||||||
Electorate: 23,327 Valid: 12,721 (54.53%) Spoilt: 331 Quota: 2,121 Turnout: 13,052 (55.95%) |
Victoria
edit1985: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance
Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||
DUP | Wallace Browne | 22.22% | 3,447 | |||||||
UUP | Thomas Patton* | 15.41% | 2,390 | |||||||
Alliance | Oliver Napier* | 14.89% | 2,309 | |||||||
UUP | William Corry* | 11.85% | 1,838 | 1,985.4 | ||||||
UUP | Dorothy Dunlop | 8.80% | 1,365 | 1,425.28 | 1,595.14 | 1,596.58 | 1,619.62 | 2,282.62 | ||
Alliance | George Thompson | 8.23% | 1,278 | 1,289.88 | 1,312.68 | 1,457.68 | 1,775.92 | 1,844.14 | 1,918.01 | |
DUP | Robin Newton | 3.64% | 564 | 1,611.64 | 1,636.15 | 1,640.03 | 1,644.03 | 1,772.26 | 1,910.87 | |
DUP | Samuel Walker | 7.29% | 1,131 | 1,330.76 | 1,400.49 | 1,401.68 | 1,408.72 | 1,579.34 | 1,708.82 | |
UUP | John McCrea | 6.46% | 1,002 | 1,033.68 | 1,175.61 | 1,176.61 | 1,186.53 | |||
SDLP | Barry Gilheany | 1.21% | 188 | 189.76 | 190.33 | |||||
Electorate: 30,776 Valid: 15,512 (50.40%) Spoilt: 427 Quota: 1,940 Turnout: 15,939 (51.79%) |