# Belfast Area E

Area E was one of the eight district electoral areas (DEA) which existed in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 1973 to 1985. Located in the north-west of the city, the district elected six members to Belfast City Council and contained the wards of Ardoyne; Ballygomartin; Ballysillan; Highfield; Legoniel; and Woodvale. The DEA formed part of the Belfast North and Belfast West constituencies.

## History

The area was created for the 1973 local government elections, combining most of the former Shankill ward and parts of the former Woodvale and Clifton wards with parts of the former Antrim Rural District. It was abolished for the 1985 local government elections. The Ardoyne, Ballysillan and Legoniel wards became part of a new Oldpark DEA, while the remaining wards formed part of the new Court DEA.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) | Councillor (Party) |
| 1981 | Hugh Smyth (PUP)/ (Independent Unionist) | Billy Bell (UUP) | Alfie Ferguson (UUP) | George Haffey (DUP) | George Seawright (DUP) | Laurence Kennedy (Anti H-Block) |
| 1977 | Hugh Smyth (PUP)/ (Independent Unionist) | Billy Bell (UUP) | Alfie Ferguson (UUP) | Fred Proctor (DUP) | James Weir (Independent) | Samuel Egerton (Alliance) |
| 1973 | Hugh Smyth (PUP)/ (Independent Unionist) | David Smylie (United Loyalist) | William Christie (UUP) | Fred Proctor (DUP) | Billy Boyd (NILP) | James Robinson (Alliance) |

## 1981 Election

1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent, 1 x Independent Unionist
1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Anti H-Block
1977-1981 Change: DUP and Anti H-Block gain from Alliance and Independent, Independent Unionist joins PUP
Area E - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| | DUP | George Haffey | 23.73% | 4,142 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Billy Bell* | 17.79% | 3,105 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | George Seawright | 11.39% | 1,989 | 3,442.6 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | PUP | Hugh Smyth* | 11.06% | 1,931 | 1,957 | 2,177.72 | 2,204.72 | 2,220.72 | 2,229.72 | 2,231.92 | 2,234.12 | 2,311.85 | 2,316.36 | 2,548.36 | |
| | UUP | Alfie Ferguson* | 2.10% | 367 | 395.4 | 625.42 | 989.62 | 990.24 | 1,016.79 | 1,017.3 | 1,019.1 | 1,375.09 | 1,380.69 | 1,789.06 | 2,200.15 |
| | Anti H-Block | Laurence Kennedy | 6.13% | 1,070 | 1,070 | 1,070 | 1,070 | 1,092 | 1,100.2 | 1,184.2 | 1,510 | 1,510 | 1,890 | 1,892.86 | 1,904.97 |
| | Alliance | Samuel Egerton* | 5.79% | 1,011 | 1,017.8 | 1,033.92 | 1,062.72 | 1,090.92 | 1,165.83 | 1,169.83 | 1,186.83 | 1,207.67 | 1,500.67 | 1,569.39 | 1,706.56 |
| | Ulster Democratic | Samuel Doyle | 6.50% | 1,135 | 1,164.2 | 1,257.82 | 1,293.42 | 1,294.42 | 1,312.53 | 1,316.24 | 1,318.44 | 1,359.66 | 1,367.28 | 1,481.88 | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Fred Proctor* | 3.96% | 692 | 754.4 | 982.56 | 1,032.36 | 1,032.36 | 1,046.89 | 1,050.29 | 1,053.2 | 1,129.37 | 1,130.88 | | |
| | SDLP | Alphonsus Maginness | 3.54% | 618 | 618 | 618.62 | 619.42 | 663.42 | 678.42 | 719.42 | 863.82 | 864.44 | | | |
| | UUP | James Sands | 2.21% | 386 | 413.2 | 546.81 | 639.61 | 640.61 | 655.16 | 656.16 | 657.16 | | | | |
| | Independent | Patrick Hunter | 1.84% | 321 | 324.2 | 324.82 | 325.62 | 332.62 | 345.13 | 524.13 | | | | | |
| | Independent | James Weir* | 1.78% | 311 | 311.8 | 313.35 | 313.95 | 322.95 | 329.95 | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Peter Emerson | 1.16% | 202 | 203.6 | 214.45 | 220.45 | 232.76 | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Margaret McNulty | 1.01% | 177 | 177 | 178.86 | 179.06 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 28,598 Valid: 17,457 (61.04%) Spoilt: 624 Quota: 2,494 Turnout: 18,081 (63.22%) ||||||||||||||||

## 1977 Election

1973: 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x NILP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x United Loyalist, 1 x Independent Unionist
1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent, 1 x Independent Unionist
1973-1977 Change: UUP and Independent gain from NILP and United Loyalist
Area E - 6 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 | Billy Bell | 24.38% | 3,297 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | James Weir | 16.15% | 2,184 | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Fred Proctor* | 12.98% | 1,755 | 1,860.84 | 1,873.52 | 1,874.36 | 1,898.12 | 2,512.12 | | | |
| | Alliance | Samuel Egerton | 9.04% | 1,223 | 1,263.32 | 1,352.32 | 1,497.22 | 1,506.88 | 1,513.84 | 1,518.84 | 1,561.28 | 2,084.28 |
| | UUP | Alfie Ferguson | 2.71% | 366 | 1,106.04 | 1,118.98 | 1,123.04 | 1,323.24 | 1,366.76 | 1,497.76 | 1,566.38 | 1,748.98 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Hugh Smyth* | 8.43% | 1,140 | 1,174.44 | 1,179.44 | 1,180.42 | 1,214.98 | 1,240.58 | 1,353.58 | 1,657.4 | 1,714.82 |
| | UUP | David Smylie* | 4.93% | 667 | 798.46 | 811.88 | 812.16 | 1,062.46 | 1,109.5 | 1,249.5 | 1,390.36 | 1,501.78 |
| | NI Labour | George Chambers | 5.98% | 809 | 872.84 | 930.52 | 998.84 | 1,022.92 | 1,031.32 | 1,051.32 | 1,108.2 | |
| | Independent | Hugh Stockman | 5.31% | 718 | 741.94 | 767.36 | 785.98 | 801.98 | 822.08 | 891.08 | | |
| | DUP | Bill Lavery | 5.29% | 715 | 760.78 | 765.88 | 767.42 | 784.94 | | | | |
| | UUP | James Sands | 3.05% | 412 | 577.48 | 859.58 | 590.56 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Peter Emerson | 1.75% | 236 | 248.6 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 30,109 Valid: 13,522 (44.91%) Spoilt: 706 Quota: 1,932 Turnout: 14,228 (47.25%) |||||||||||||

## 1973 Election

1973: 1 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x NILP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x United Loyalist, 1 x Independent Unionist
Area E - 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 |
| | UUP | William Christie | 39.88% | 7,875 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Fred Proctor | 10.92% | 2,156 | 3,413.95 | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Hugh Smyth | 10.86% | 2,145 | 3,131.7 | | | | | | |
| | NI Labour | Billy Boyd | 8.90% | 1,758 | 2,439.85 | 2,485.73 | 2,518.7 | 2,554.11 | 2,808.9 | 2,879.9 | |
| | United Loyalist | David Smylie | 6.13% | 1,210 | 1,761.2 | 2,295.1 | 2,463.53 | 2,556.84 | 2,578.66 | 2,581.61 | 3,030.61 |
| | Alliance | James Robinson | 7.35% | 1,452 | 2,003.85 | 2,051.95 | 2,071.27 | 2,104.13 | 2,183.45 | 2,216.75 | 2,487.35 |
| | SDLP | J. P. Goan | 5.12% | 1,012 | 1,016.55 | 1,018.03 | 1,018.03 | 1,018.03 | 1,388.98 | 1,974.63 | 1,985.47 |
| | DUP | K. B. Hoy | 2.60% | 514 | 1,110.05 | 1,247.32 | 1,309.48 | 1,352.84 | 1,376.8 | 1,380.8 | |
| | Republican Labour | T. Fleming | 4.26% | 842 | 845.25 | 845.25 | 845.25 | 845.9 | 870.9 | | |
| | SDLP | P. J. Tanney | 2.19% | 432 | 433.3 | 433.67 | 434.3 | 434.51 | | | |
| | NI Labour | George Chambers | 1.34% | 264 | 338.1 | 346.24 | 349.6 | 358.59 | | | |
| | Independent | J. Moore | 0.45% | 88 | 208.25 | 223.79 | 236.81 | | | | |
| Electorate: 31,548 Valid: 19,748 (62.60%) Spoilt: 267 Quota: 2,822 Turnout: 20,015 (63.44%) ||||||||||||