1985 Belfast City Council election

Main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 1985

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.

1985 Belfast City Council election

← 1981 17 May 1985 1989 →
All 51 seats to Belfast City Council 26 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party UUP DUP Alliance Seats won 14 11 8 Seat change 1 4 1   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Party Sinn Féin SDLP Ind. Unionist Seats won 7 6 2 Seat change 7 0 1   Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party   Party Workers' Party PUP Protestant Unionist Seats won 1 1 1 Seat change 1 0 1
Lord Mayor before election Alfie Ferguson UUP Lord Mayor John Carson UUP

The UUP became the largest party, overtaking the DUP and John Carson became the Lord Mayor.

Election results

Belfast Local Election Result 1985^[1]

Party		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

^[1]

Results of the Belfast City Council election, 1985
by district

Ward	%	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

Balmoral

1985: 2 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance

Balmoral - 6 seats^[2]

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

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist

Castle - 6 seats^[2]

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

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Protestant Unionist, 1 x Independent Unionist

Court - 5 seats^[2]

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

1985: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance

Laganbank - 5 seats^[2]

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

1985: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance

Lower Falls - 5 seats^[2]

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

1985: 2 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Workers' Party

Oldpark - 6 seats^[2]

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

1985: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Alliance

Pottinger - 6 seats^[2]

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

1985: 2 x Sinn Féin, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance

Upper Falls - 5 seats^[2]

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

1985: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance

Victoria - 7 seats^[2]

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%)

References

1. "Belfast Council results". 27 July 2011. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
2. "Local Government Results 1985". EONI. Retrieved 8 July 2021.