1986 South Down by-election

1986 South Down
by-election

South Down constituency
First party Second party   Candidate Enoch Powell Eddie McGrady Party UUP SDLP Popular vote 24,963 23,121 Percentage 48.4% 44.8 Swing 8.1% 5.5%
Location of South Down within Northern Ireland
MP before election Enoch Powell Ulster Unionist Party Elected MP Enoch Powell Ulster Unionist Party

The South Down by-election of 1986 was part of a co-ordinated series of by-elections aimed to show opposition to the Anglo Irish agreement. It resulted in the narrow victory of the incumbent Ulster Unionist Party, Enoch Powell, who increased his majority by 1,294 votes despite rising support for Irish Nationalist candidates. His opponent Eddie McGrady would later take the seat in the 1987 general election.

1986 South Down by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UUP	Enoch Powell	24,963	48.4	+8.1
	SDLP	Eddie McGrady	23,121	44.8	+5.5
	Sinn Féin	Hugh McDowell	2,963	5.7	−2.2
	Workers' Party	Sean Magee	522	1.0	−0.7
Majority			1,842	3.6	+2.5
Turnout			51,569	73.8	−3.9
Registered electors			69,843
	UUP hold		Swing

Previous result

General election 1983: South Down

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UUP	Enoch Powell	20,693	40.3	−9.7
	SDLP	Eddie McGrady	20,145	39.3	+2.0
	Sinn Féin	Patrick Fitzsimmons	4,074	7.9	New
	DUP	Cecil Harvey	3,743	7.3	New
	Alliance	Patrick Forde	1,823	3.6	−5.2
	Workers' Party	Margaret Magee	851	1.7	New
Majority			548	1.0	−11.8
Turnout			51,329	77.7	+5.7
Registered electors			66,923
	UUP hold		Swing

External links

• A Vision Of Britain Through Time