# 2001 Belfast City Council election

Elections to Belfast City Council were held on 7 June 2001 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.
Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party, although Jim Rodgers from the UUP became Lord Mayor.

## Election results

Belfast Local Election Result 2001 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Sinn Féin | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 27.5 | 28.4 | 34,727 | 0.8 |
| UUP | 11 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 21.6 | 18.3 | 22,318 | 1.8 |
| DUP | 10 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 19.6 | 18.1 | 22,128 | 6.0 |
| SDLP | 9 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 15.7 | 17.4 | 21,308 | 1.8 |
| Alliance | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5.9 | 6.8 | 8,330 | 2.4 |
| PUP | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 7,130 | 3.4 |
| Independent | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3,660 | 2.9 |
| NI Women's Coalition | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 1,321 | 0.1 |
| Workers' Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 859 | 0.3 |
| NI Conservatives | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 305 | 0.1 |
| UK Unionist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 74 | New |
| Third Way | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 28 | New |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Belfast City Council election, 2001 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | Sinn Féin | Sinn Féin | UUP | UUP | DUP | DUP | SDLP | SDLP | Alliance | Alliance | PUP | PUP | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Balmoral | 9.9 | 0 | 34.7 | 2 | 10.1 | 1 | 29.8 | 2 | 12.4 | 1 | 3.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 6 |
| Castle | 14.1 | 1 | 11.0 | 1 | 33.3 | 2 | 27.8 | 2 | 6.9 | 0 | 2.5 | 0 | 4.4 | 0 | 6 |
| Court | 2.8 | 0 | 23.1 | 1 | 34.0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 22.0 | 1 | 18.1 | 1 | 5 |
| Laganbank | 16.2 | 1 | 26.2 | 2 | 8.1 | 0 | 28.8 | 2 | 7.6 | 0 | 2.6 | 0 | 10.5 | 0 | 5 |
| Lower Falls | 80.2 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 15.9 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 3.9 | 0 | 5 |
| Oldpark | 46.8 | 3 | 7.0 | 0 | 15.0 | 1 | 19.1 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 9.4 | 1 | 1.7 | 0 | 6 |
| Pottinger | 9.7 | 1 | 28.2 | 2 | 36.2 | 2 | 3.5 | 0 | 5.3 | 0 | 13.3 | 1 | 3.8 | 0 | 6 |
| Upper Falls | 68.3 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 28.5 | 1 | 0.9 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2.3 | 0 | 5 |
| Victoria | 0.0 | 0 | 36.6 | 2 | 28.0 | 2 | 1.8 | 0 | 22.8 | 2 | 4.2 | 0 | 6.6 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 28.4 | 14 | 18.3 | 11 | 18.1 | 10 | 17.4 | 9 | 6.8 | 3 | 5.8 | 3 | 5.2 | 1 | 51 |

## District results
### Balmoral

1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP 2001: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP 1997-2001 Change: No change
Balmoral - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | SDLP | Carmel Hanna* | 22.60% | 3,077 | | | |
| | UUP | Mary Crooks* | 16.72% | 2,276 | | | |
| | UUP | Bob Stoker* | 14.93% | 2,032 | | | |
| | SDLP | Catherine Molloy* | 7.25% | 987 | 1,919.77 | 1,945.77 | |
| | Alliance | Tom Ekin* | 12.37% | 1,684 | 1,780.57 | 1,935.49 | 2,047.4 |
| | DUP | Ruth Patterson | 10.11% | 1,377 | 1,377.74 | 1,779.11 | 1,982.6 |
| | Sinn Féin | Stephen Long | 9.91% | 1,349 | 1,435.21 | 1,445.58 | 1,446.53 |
| | DUP | Thomas Morrow | 3.09% | 421 | 425.07 | | |
| | UUP | John Hiddleston | 3.02% | 411 | 415.44 | | |
| Electorate: 20,958 Valid: 13,614 (64.96%) Spoilt: 259 Quota: 1,945 Turnout: 13,873 (66.19%) ||||||||

### Castle

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Sinn Féin,
2001: 2 x DUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP 1997-2001 Change: DUP and SDLP gain from UUP and Alliance
Castle - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | DUP | Nigel Dodds* | 27.94% | 3,949 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Alban Maginness* | 17.83% | 2,520 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Ian Crozier | 5.37% | 759 | 2,142.12 | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Danny Lavery* | 14.09% | 1,991 | 1,992.02 | 2,094.62 | | | | | |
| | UUP | David Browne* | 10.97% | 1,550 | 1,868.75 | 1,874.95 | 1,946.95 | 1,947.7 | 1,951.7 | 1,979.41 | 2,337.41 |
| | SDLP | Pat Convery | 9.93% | 1,403 | 1,407.08 | 1,698.88 | 1,699.13 | 1,749.68 | 1,775.83 | 1,786.83 | 1,911.93 |
| | Alliance | Tom Campbell* | 6.96% | 984 | 1,027.86 | 1,090.06 | 1,094.56 | 1,106.71 | 1,131.07 | 1,141.27 | 1,325.27 |
| | PUP | Janet Carson | 2.49% | 352 | 456.04 | 457.84 | 478.44 | 478.74 | 484.45 | 490.41 | |
| | NI Women's Coalition | Elizabeth Byrne McCullough | 1.79% | 253 | 259.12 | 277.32 | 279.12 | 284.67 | 300.38 | 308.63 | |
| | Independent | David Mahood | 1.26% | 178 | 218.8 | 220.2 | 229.05 | 229.05 | 230.15 | 236.71 | |
| | Independent | Alexander Blair | 0.77% | 109 | 115.63 | 116.03 | 117.78 | 117.78 | 118.83 | | |
| | Workers' Party | Marcella Delaney | 0.59% | 84 | 87.57 | 91.37 | 91.62 | 94.02 | | | |
| Electorate: 21,068 Valid: 14,132 (67.08%) Spoilt: 365 Quota: 2,019 Turnout: 14,497 (68.81%) ||||||||||||

### Court

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x UDP 2001: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent 1997-2001 Change: DUP gain from UUP, UDP becomes Independent
Court - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | DUP | Eric Smyth* | 26.71% | 2,605 | | | | |
| | Independent | Frank McCoubrey* | 17.76% | 1,732 | | | | |
| | UUP | Chris McGimpsey* | 15.66% | 1,527 | 1,612.8 | 1,661.97 | | |
| | PUP | Hugh Smyth* | 13.70% | 1,336 | 1,450.66 | 1,478.05 | 1,510.05 | 1,774.05 |
| | DUP | Elaine McMillen | 7.38% | 720 | 1,401.33 | 1,411.89 | 1,438.85 | 1,639.85 |
| | PUP | William Smith | 8.34% | 813 | 861.75 | 875.75 | 893.67 | 991.67 |
| | UUP | Fred Cobain* | 7.40% | 722 | 764.51 | 787.9 | 812.78 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Mick Conlon | 2.76% | 269 | 269.39 | | | |
| | Third Way | David Kerr | 0.29% | 28 | 31.9 | | | |
| Electorate: 15,674 Valid: 9,752 (62.22%) Spoilt: 333 Quota: 1,626 Turnout: 10,085 (64.34%) |||||||||

### Laganbank

1997: 2 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x Alliance
2001: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin 1997-2001 Change: SDLP gain from Alliance
Laganbank - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | UUP | Michael McGimpsey* | 18.64% | 2,019 | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Alex Maskey* | 16.14% | 1,748 | 1,748.33 | 1,768.33 | 1,799.33 | 1,869.33 | | |
| | SDLP | Peter O'Reilly | 14.88% | 1,612 | 1,614.86 | 1,624.97 | 1,663.41 | 1,865.41 | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick McCarthy | 13.95% | 1,511 | 1,516.06 | 1,532.06 | 1,602.94 | 1,799.04 | 1,841.04 | |
| | UUP | Jim Clarke* | 7.56% | 819 | 952.7 | 954.76 | 1,083.14 | 1,118.56 | 1,118.56 | 1,839.56 |
| | Alliance | Mark Long | 7.62% | 825 | 846.67 | 857.78 | 929.65 | 1,149.62 | 1,159.62 | 1,195.62 |
| | DUP | Richard Scott | 8.14% | 882 | 900.48 | 901.48 | 993.97 | 999.08 | 999.08 | |
| | NI Women's Coalition | Anne Monaghan | 6.49% | 703 | 709.93 | 740.93 | 834.81 | | | |
| | PUP | Dawn Purvis | 2.64% | 286 | 302.5 | 309.61 | | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Paddy Lynn | 1.46% | 158 | 158.55 | 173.66 | | | | |
| | Independent | Andrew Frew | 1.30% | 141 | 143.31 | 148.31 | | | | |
| | Independent | Barbara Muldoon | 1.18% | 128 | 128.66 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 17,687 Valid: 10,832 (61.24%) Spoilt: 250 Quota: 1,806 Turnout: 11,082 (62.66%) |||||||||||

### Lower Falls

1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP 2001: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP 1997-2001 Change: No change
Lower Falls - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Sinn Féin | Fra McCann* | 18.97% | 2,399 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Tom Hartley* | 18.59% | 2,351 | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Máire Cush | 17.63% | 2,230 | | | | |
| | SDLP | Margaret Walsh* | 15.94% | 2,016 | 2,262 | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Marie Moore* | 15.16% | 1,917 | 1,928 | 1,955.17 | 1,977.94 | 1,996.94 |
| | Sinn Féin | Sean McKnight* | 9.86% | 1,247 | 1,272 | 1,521.99 | 1,735.83 | 1,761.83 |
| | Workers' Party | John Lowry | 3.86% | 488 | | | | |
| Electorate: 18,349 Valid: 12,648 (68.93%) Spoilt: 581 Quota: 2,109 Turnout: 13,229 (72.10%) |||||||||

### Oldpark

1997: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP 2001: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP 1997-2001 Change: DUP gain from UUP
Oldpark - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | Sinn Féin | Gerard Brophy | 17.25% | 2,755 | | | | | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Margaret McClenaghan | 15.44% | 2,467 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Nelson McCausland* | 14.97% | 2,392 | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Martin Morgan* | 12.09% | 1,932 | 1,958.52 | 1,993.69 | 2,006.81 | 2,007.56 | 2,931.56 | | |
| | PUP | Billy Hutchinson* | 9.49% | 1,516 | 1,516.85 | 1,608.02 | 1,608.5 | 1,648.65 | 1,670.24 | 1,704.24 | 2,471.24 |
| | Sinn Féin | Eoin O'Broin | 5.99% | 957 | 1,298.36 | 1,315.53 | 1,455.69 | 1,455.79 | 1,534.41 | 1,837.41 | 1,857.46 |
| | Sinn Féin | Kathy Stanton | 8.13% | 1,298 | 1,340.67 | 1,344.35 | 1,360.99 | 1,361.04 | 1,391.08 | 1,501.08 | 1,510.14 |
| | UUP | Fred Proctor* | 6.99% | 1,116 | 1,116.34 | 1,246.51 | 1,246.51 | 1,311.01 | 1,327.35 | 1,355.35 | |
| | SDLP | Joleen Connelly | 6.97% | 1,114 | 1,151.06 | 1,202.06 | 1,210.86 | 1,211.01 | | | |
| | Independent | James Bates | 1.31% | 209 | 209.17 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Thomas McCullough | 1.00% | 160 | 161.36 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Rene Graig | 0.37% | 59 | 59.17 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 23,866 Valid: 15,975 (66.94%) Spoilt: 687 Quota: 2,283 Turnout: 16,662 (69.81%) ||||||||||||

### Pottinger

1997: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Sinn Féin 2001: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Alliance 1997-2001 Change: Sinn Féin gain from Alliance
Pottinger - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | DUP | Sammy Wilson* | 30.21% | 3,918 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Reg Empey* | 23.88% | 3,097 | | | | | | | | | |
| | PUP | David Ervine* | 12.20% | 1,582 | 1,748.42 | 2,005.46 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Margaret Clarke* | 4.31% | 559 | 621.01 | 1,279.99 | 1,338.86 | 1,366.14 | 1,398.3 | 1,406.09 | 1,508.73 | 1,524.67 | 1,892.91 |
| | Sinn Féin | Joseph O'Donnell | 9.75% | 1,264 | 1,264 | 1,265.68 | 1,266.26 | 1,267.26 | 1,268.26 | 1,285.26 | 1,287.26 | 1,451.29 | 1,567.85 |
| | DUP | Harry Toan | 1.58% | 205 | 1,377.89 | 1,430.39 | 1,440.54 | 1,445.54 | 1,475.47 | 1,477.47 | 1,529.03 | 1,532.03 | 1,552.64 |
| | DUP | Mary Campbell | 4.45% | 577 | 1,146.22 | 1,196.62 | 1,204.16 | 1,209.37 | 1,232.61 | 1,236.56 | 1,297.52 | 1,302.59 | 1,328.67 |
| | Alliance | Mervyn Jones* | 5.34% | 693 | 702.01 | 801.13 | 825.2 | 842.04 | 845.14 | 881.27 | 929.43 | 1,189.34 | |
| | SDLP | Leo Van Es | 3.54% | 459 | 463.24 | 514.06 | 518.41 | 518.41 | 518.41 | 554.41 | 561.83 | | |
| | Independent | John Bushell | 1.68% | 218 | 236.55 | 254.19 | 259.7 | 262.12 | 268.5 | 283.98 | | | |
| | PUP | Robin Stewart | 0.97% | 127 | 132.3 | 141.12 | 163.16 | 168.29 | 175.43 | 177.43 | | | |
| | Workers' Party | Joseph Bell | 0.99% | 129 | 131.65 | 134.59 | 136.04 | 138.33 | 140.33 | | | | |
| | UK Unionist | David Fairfield | 0.57% | 74 | 94.14 | 118.5 | 127.49 | 135.57 | | | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Jason Docherty | 0.51% | 66 | 70.24 | 89.56 | 93.91 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 21,854 Valid: 12,968 (59.34%) Spoilt: 458 Quota: 1,853 Turnout: 13,426 (61.43%) ||||||||||

### Upper Falls

1997: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP 2001: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP 1997-2001 Change: No change
Upper Falls - 5 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| | Sinn Féin | Paul Maskey | 21.81% | 3,349 | | | |
| | SDLP | Alex Attwood* | 21.23% | 3,260 | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Gerard O'Neill | 18.66% | 2,866 | | | |
| | Sinn Féin | Michael Browne* | 16.08% | 2,469 | 2,548.68 | 2,628.26 | |
| | Sinn Féin | Chrissie McAuley* | 11.73% | 1,801 | 2,442.52 | 2,494.96 | 2,592.96 |
| | SDLP | Brian Heading | 7.24% | 1,112 | 1,131.44 | 1,569.13 | 1,774.13 |
| | NI Women's Coalition | Mary Catney | 2.38% | 365 | 385.4 | 450.72 | |
| | Alliance | Mary Ayers | 0.89% | 136 | 137.92 | 183.69 | |
| Electorate: 22,107 Valid: 15,358 (69.47%) Spoilt: 614 Quota: 2,560 Turnout: 15,972 (72.25%) ||||||||

### Victoria

1997: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 2 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist 2001: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance 1997-2001 Change: Independent Unionist joins UUP
Victoria - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| | UUP | Ian Adamson* | 19.43% | 3,286 | | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | David Alderdice* | 18.45% | 3,119 | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Wallace Browne* | 14.74% | 2,492 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Jim Rodgers* | 13.73% | 2,322 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Alan Crowe* | 3.44% | 582 | 1,569.16 | 1,716.04 | 1,727.89 | 1,858.75 | 1,881.65 | 2,011.63 | 2,194.63 | |
| | Alliance | Naomi Long | 4.31% | 729 | 776.36 | 1,399.58 | 1,401.23 | 1,407.62 | 1,416.83 | 1,702.74 | 1,792.2 | 2,017.89 |
| | DUP | Robin Newton* | 8.69% | 1,469 | 1,492.31 | 1,516.45 | 1,636 | 1,658.41 | 1,678.71 | 1,702.85 | 1,810.58 | 1,955.77 |
| | DUP | Margaret McKenzie | 4.63% | 783 | 811.12 | 826.76 | 1,045.16 | 1,059.29 | 1,076.49 | 1,111.65 | 1,226.47 | 1,426.49 |
| | Independent | Danny Dow* | 4.41% | 746 | 758.58 | 816.04 | 823.39 | 830.77 | 857.54 | 890.67 | 996.7 | |
| | PUP | Robert Moorhead | 4.12% | 697 | 715.87 | 736.27 | 739.87 | 745.72 | 761.15 | 795.85 | | |
| | SDLP | Ciara Farren | 1.80% | 305 | 310.18 | 383.62 | 383.77 | 384.76 | 390.78 | | | |
| | NI Conservatives | Peter Gray | 1.41% | 239 | 261.57 | 284.35 | 286.45 | 291.76 | 301.92 | | | |
| | Independent | Sammy Walker | 0.67% | 114 | 123.25 | 130.39 | 130.39 | 133.36 | | | | |
| | Independent | Billy Hands | 0.09% | 15 | 16.48 | 17.84 | 17.84 | 18.02 | | | | |
| | Independent | Lawrence John | 0.06% | 11 | 12.11 | 14.15 | 14.15 | 14.24 | | | | |
| Electorate: 28,160 Valid: 17,468 (62.03%) Spoilt: 559 Quota: 2,114 Turnout: 16,909 (60.05%) |||||||||||||