# Belfast East (UK Parliament constituency)

Belfast East is a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons. The current MP is Gavin Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

## Boundaries

| 1885–1918 | In the parliamentary borough of Belfast, Dock ward (except the part in the Belfast North constituency); the part of Cromac ward in County Down; the townlands of Ballycloghan, Ballyhackamore, Ballymaghan, Ballymisert and Strandtown in the parish of Holywood; and the townlands of Ballyrushboy, Knock and Multyhogy in the parish of Knockbreda. |
| 1922–1950 | The Pottinger and Victoria Divisions |
| 1950–1974 | In the county borough of Belfast, the wards of Mountpottinger, Dock and Victoria |
| 1974–1983 | In the county borough of Belfast, the wards of Pottinger and Victoria, and in the Rural District of Castlereagh, the district electoral divisions of Ballyhackamore, Ballymaconaghy, Ballymiscaw, Castlereagh, Dundonald, and Gilnakirk |
| 1983–1997 | The District of Belfast wards of Ballyhackamore, Ballymacarrett, Belmont, Bloomfield, Island, Orangefield, Shandon, Stormont, Sydenham, and The Mount, and the District of Castlereagh wards of Cregagh, Downshire, Lisnasharragh, and Wynchurch |
| 1997–2010 | The District of Belfast wards of Ballyhackamore, Ballymacarrett, Belmont, Bloomfield, Cherryvalley, Island, Knock, Orangefield, Stormont, Sydenham, and The Mount, and the District of Castlereagh wards of Cregagh, Downshire, Gilnahirk, Hillfoot, Lisnasharragh, Lower Braniel, Tullycarnet, Upper Braniel, and Wynchurch. |
| 2010–present | The District of Belfast wards of Ballyhackamore, Ballymacarrett, Belmont, Bloomfield, Cherryvalley, Island, Knock, Orangefield, Stormont, Sydenham, and The Mount, and the District of Castlereagh wards of Ballyhanwood, Carrowreagh, Cregagh, Downshire, Dundonald, Enler, Gilnakirk, Graham's Bridge, Lisnasharragh, Lower Braniel, Tullycarnet, and Upper Braniel. |
The seat was created in 1922 when, under the Government of Ireland Act 1920, the number of seats in Northern Ireland in the Westminster Parliament was cut from 30 to 13, following the establishment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland. The seat is centred on the east section of Belfast and also contains part of the district of Lisburn and Castlereagh.
Prior to the 2010 general election the Northern Ireland Boundary Commission proposed expanding Belfast East further into Castlereagh, taking in areas currently contained in Strangford, however almost all of these areas were part of Belfast East until 1983. A small part of the constituency was proposed for transfer to Belfast South.
Following a public meeting and revised recommendations, the new boundaries of Belfast East were confirmed by the commission and passed through Parliament through the use of the Northern Ireland Parliamentary Constituencies Order.

## History

Belfast East is an overwhelmingly unionist constituency with nationalist parties routinely failing to get more than 10% of the vote combined. The main interest has been the contest between unionist parties and the fortunes of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.
Dominated by the giant Samson and Goliath cranes of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, the constituency is socially mixed. There are large expanses of small Victorian terraced housing near Belfast City Centre and around the shipyard in Ballymacarrett. These areas have seen significant refurbishment, and in some places demolition and redevelopment, in recent years sparking a sharp rise in house prices. This is contrasted by a large amount of solidly lower-middle class housing and some exclusive residential districts such as the much mocked Cherryvalley. This social polarisation is to a large degree reflected by the political polarisation, at least within the broader unionist family, in the seat. The small Catholic population is split between the largely working class Short Strand enclave and minorities in the more middle-class parts of the seat.
The seat was consistently held by the Ulster Unionist Party until the 1974 general election when the sitting MP, Stanley McMaster, defended it as a Pro-Assembly Unionist against a united anti-Sunningdale Agreement coalition which nominated William Craig of the Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party. Craig won the seat and held it for five years, moving to the UUP in February 1978.
In the 1979 general election the constituency witnessed a very close three-way fight between Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party, William Craig for the UUP and Oliver Napier for the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. Less than 1000 votes separated the three candidates. Robinson beat Craig by the narrow margin of 64 votes. Also of note was that over 90% of votes went to parties that had not contested the seat at the previous election – in part due to realignments of the parties.
Robinson continued to hold the seat but the Alliance Party continued to poll well, and in 1987 John Alderdice polled 32.1% – the highest ever for Alliance in a Westminster election before 2010. However, their vote declined until 2010 and in 2005 they finished a distant third.
In the 2001 general election, Alliance proposed a pro-Good Friday Agreement pact with the Ulster Unionist Party in the hopes of getting UUP support in Belfast East. The UUP did not agree and so both parties stood. Robinson was re-elected with 42.5%, with the UUP, Alliance and Progressive Unionist Party carving up the pro-Agreement pro-union vote between them, but it is doubtful that an unopposed Alliance candidate could have consolidated all of that vote to beat Robinson.
In 2009 and 2010, Robinson became mired in a number of political scandals. In the 2010 general election, the Alliance Party candidate and sitting Lord Mayor of Belfast Naomi Long defeated Robinson in a shock result, more than tripling the Alliance vote and giving the Alliance their first seat in Westminster since 1974. Predictably, this was also the seat in which the Alliance gained the highest vote share, at 37.2%, more than double their best efforts elsewhere.
Of the 18 seats in the region, East Belfast has the highest percentage of Methodists. The 2019 winning vote share was the fourth-largest of the region, but just short of an absolute majority.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Party |
| 1885 | Edward de Cobain | | Ind. Conservative |
| 1886 | Edward de Cobain | | Irish Conservative |
| 1892 by-election | Gustav Wilhelm Wolff | | Irish Unionist |
| 1910 | Robert McMordie | | Irish Unionist |
| 1914 by-election | Robert Sharman-Crawford | | Irish Unionist |
| 1918 | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished | Constituency abolished |
| 1922 | Constituency recreated | Constituency recreated | Constituency recreated |
| 1922 | Herbert Dixon | | UUP |
| 1940 by-election | Henry Harland | | UUP |
| 1945 | Thomas Loftus Cole | | UUP |
| 1950 | Alan McKibbin | | UUP |
| 1959 by-election | Stanley McMaster | | UUP |
| February 1974 | William Craig | | Vanguard |
| 1978 | William Craig | | UUP |
| 1979 | Peter Robinson | | DUP |
| 2010 | Naomi Long | | Alliance |
| 2015 | Gavin Robinson | | DUP |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Gavin Robinson | 19,894 | 46.6 | −1.3 |
| | Alliance | Naomi Long | 17,218 | 40.3 | −1.8 |
| | TUV | John Ross | 1,918 | 4.5 | New |
| | UUP | Ryan Warren | 1,818 | 4.3 | −1.4 |
| | Green (NI) | Brian Smyth | 1,077 | 2.5 | New |
| | SDLP | Séamas de Faoite | 619 | 1.4 | −2.9 |
| | Independent | Ryan North | 162 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,676 | 6.2 | +1.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,706 | 59.0 | −5.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 72,917 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | +0.2 | |

### Elections in the 2010s

2019 notional result :
| Party | Party | Vote | % |
| | Democratic Unionist Party | 21,616 | 47.9 |
| | Alliance | 18,990 | 42.1 |
| | Ulster Unionist Party | 2,581 | 5.7 |
| | Social Democratic and Labour Party | 1,939 | 4.3 |
| Majority | Majority | 2,626 | 5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | 45,126 | 64.4 |
| Electorate | Electorate | 70,076 |
General election 2019: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Gavin Robinson | 20,874 | 49.2 | –6.6 |
| | Alliance | Naomi Long | 19,055 | 44.9 | +8.9 |
| | UUP | Carl McClean | 2,516 | 5.9 | +2.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,819 | 4.3 | –15.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,445 | 64.1 | –3.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 66,217 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | –7.4 | |
General election 2017: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Gavin Robinson | 23,917 | 55.8 | +6.5 |
| | Alliance | Naomi Long | 15,443 | 36.0 | –6.8 |
| | UUP | Hazel Legge | 1,408 | 3.3 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Mairéad O'Donnell | 894 | 2.1 | 0.0 |
| | Green (NI) | Georgina Milne | 561 | 1.3 | –1.4 |
| | NI Conservatives | Sheila Bodel | 446 | 1.0 | –1.8 |
| | SDLP | Séamas de Faoite | 167 | 0.4 | +0.1 |
| | Independent | Bobby Beck | 54 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,474 | 19.8 | +13.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,890 | 67.5 | +4.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,495 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | +6.6 | |
General election 2015: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Gavin Robinson | 19,575 | 49.3 | +16.5 |
| | Alliance | Naomi Long | 16,978 | 42.8 | +5.6 |
| | NI Conservatives | Neil Wilson | 1,121 | 2.8 | –18.4 |
| | Green (NI) | Ross Brown | 1,058 | 2.7 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Niall Ó Donnghaile | 823 | 2.1 | –0.3 |
| | SDLP | Mary Muldoon | 127 | 0.3 | –0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,597 | 6.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,682 | 62.8 | +4.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 63,157 | | |
| | DUP gain from Alliance | DUP gain from Alliance | Swing | +5.4 | |
General election 2010: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Alliance | Naomi Long | 12,839 | 37.2 | +25.0 |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 11,306 | 32.8 | –16.3 |
| | UCU-NF | Trevor Ringland | 7,305 | 21.2 | –8.9 |
| | TUV | David Vance | 1,856 | 5.4 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Niall Ó Donnghaile | 817 | 2.4 | –0.9 |
| | SDLP | Mary Muldoon | 365 | 1.1 | –1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,533 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,488 | 58.4 | +0.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,007 | | |
| | Alliance gain from DUP | Alliance gain from DUP | Swing | –22.9 | |

### Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 15,152 | 49.1 | +6.6 |
| | UUP | Reg Empey | 9,275 | 30.1 | +6.9 |
| | Alliance | Naomi Long | 3,746 | 12.2 | –3.6 |
| | Sinn Féin | Deborah Devenny | 1,029 | 3.3 | –0.1 |
| | SDLP | Mary Muldoon | 844 | 2.7 | +0.3 |
| | NI Conservatives | Alan Greer | 434 | 1.4 | –0.8 |
| | Workers' Party | Joe Bell | 179 | 0.6 | +0.3 |
| | Rainbow Dream Ticket | Lynda Gilby | 172 | 0.6 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,877 | 19.0 | –0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 30,831 | 58.0 | –5.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 52,899 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | –0.1 | |
General election 2001: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 15,667 | 42.5 | –0.1 |
| | UUP | Tim Lemon | 8,550 | 23.2 | –2.1 |
| | Alliance | David Alderdice | 5,832 | 15.8 | –8.0 |
| | PUP | David Ervine | 3,669 | 10.0 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Joe O'Donnell | 1,237 | 3.4 | +1.3 |
| | SDLP | Ciara Farren | 880 | 2.4 | +0.8 |
| | NI Conservatives | Terry Dick | 800 | 2.2 | –0.2 |
| | Workers' Party | Joe Bell | 123 | 0.3 | –0.3 |
| | Rainbow Dream Ticket | Rainbow George Weiss | 71 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,117 | 19.3 | +2.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,829 | 63.0 | –0.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,455 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | +1.0 | |

### Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 16,640 | 42.6 | –11.9 |
| | UUP | Reg Empey | 9,886 | 25.3 | New |
| | Alliance | Jim Hendron | 9,288 | 23.8 | –3.5 |
| | NI Conservatives | Sarah Dines | 928 | 2.4 | –7.6 |
| | Sinn Féin | Dominic Carr | 810 | 2.1 | +0.4 |
| | SDLP | Patricia Lewsley | 629 | 1.6 | New |
| | Former Captain NI Football Team | Derek Dougan | 541 | 1.4 | New |
| | Workers' Party | Joe Bell | 237 | 0.6 | –0.3 |
| | Natural Law | David Collins | 70 | 0.2 | –0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,754 | 17.3 | –9.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 39,029 | 63.2 | –4.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,837 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | | |
1997 Changes are compared to the 1992 notional results shown below.
Notional 1992 UK General Election Result : Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | N/A | 22,635 | 54.5 | N/A |
| | Alliance | N/A | 11,337 | 27.3 | N/A |
| | NI Conservatives | N/A | 4,170 | 10.0 | N/A |
| | Others | N/A | 2,723 | 6.6 | N/A |
| | Sinn Féin | N/A | 686 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,298 | 27.2 | N/A |
General election 1992: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 18,437 | 51.5 | –10.4 |
| | Alliance | John Alderdice | 10,650 | 29.8 | –2.3 |
| | NI Conservatives | David Greene | 3,314 | 9.3 | New |
| | Ind. Unionist | Dorothy Dunlop | 2,256 | 6.3 | New |
| | Sinn Féin | Joe O'Donnell | 679 | 1.9 | –0.1 |
| | Workers' Party | Joe Bell | 327 | 0.9 | –3.1 |
| | Natural Law | Guy Redden | 128 | 0.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,787 | 21.7 | –8.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,791 | 67.7 | +7.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 52,869 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 20,372 | 61.9 | +16.6 |
| | Alliance | John Alderdice | 10,574 | 32.1 | +8.0 |
| | Workers' Party | Frances Cullen | 1,314 | 4.0 | +2.9 |
| | Sinn Féin | Joe O'Donnell | 649 | 2.0 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,798 | 29.8 | +9.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,909 | 60.2 | –9.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 54,628 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | | |
By-election 1986: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 27,607 | 81.0 | +35.7 |
| | Alliance | Oliver Napier | 5,917 | 17.4 | –6.7 |
| | Workers' Party | Frances Cullen | 578 | 1.7 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21,690 | 63.6 | +43.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,102 | 61.7 | –8.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,256 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | | |
Note: The by-election was caused by the decision of all Unionist MPs to resign their seats and seek re-election on a platform of opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
General election 1983: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 17,631 | 45.3 | +13.9 |
| | UUP | Jeremy Burchill | 9,642 | 24.8 | –6.4 |
| | Alliance | Oliver Napier | 9,373 | 24.1 | –5.5 |
| | Sinn Féin | Denis Donaldson | 682 | 1.8 | New |
| | Labour and Trade Union | Muriel Tang | 584 | 1.5 | New |
| | SDLP | Peter Prendiville | 519 | 1.3 | New |
| | Workers' Party | Frances Cullen | 421 | 1.1 | New |
| | New Agenda | Herbert Boyd | 59 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,989 | 20.5 | +20.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,911 | 70.0 | +2.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 55,539 | | |
| | DUP hold | DUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1970s

General election 1979: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | DUP | Peter Robinson | 15,994 | 31.4 | New |
| | UUP | William Craig | 15,930 | 31.2 | New |
| | Alliance | Oliver Napier | 15,066 | 29.6 | New |
| | Unionist Party NI | Norman Agnew | 2,017 | 4.0 | –23.0 |
| | NI Labour | George Chambers | 1,982 | 3.9 | –10.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 64 | 0.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,989 | 67.6 | +0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 75,481 | | |
| | DUP gain from Vanguard | DUP gain from Vanguard | Swing | | |
General election October 1974: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Vanguard | William Craig | 31,594 | 59.1 | +10.7 |
| | Unionist Party NI | Peter McLachlan | 14,417 | 27.0 | New |
| | NI Labour | David Bleakley | 7,415 | 13.9 | –0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 17,177 | 32.1 | +18.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,426 | 67.1 | –4.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 79,591 | | |
| | Vanguard hold | Vanguard hold | Swing | | |
General election February 1974: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Vanguard | William Craig | 27,817 | 48.4 | New |
| | Pro-Assembly Unionist | Stanley McMaster | 20,077 | 34.9 | New |
| | NI Labour | David Bleakley | 8,122 | 14.1 | –26.4 |
| | SDLP | Desmond Gillespie | 1,502 | 2.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,740 | 13.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,518 | 71.9 | –3.7 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 80,032 | | |
| | Vanguard gain from UUP | Vanguard gain from UUP | Swing | | |
General election 1970: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Stanley McMaster | 26,778 | 59.5 | +4.8 |
| | NI Labour | David Bleakley | 18,259 | 40.5 | –4.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,519 | 19.0 | +9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,037 | 75.6 | +7.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,524 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1960s

General election 1966: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Stanley McMaster | 21,283 | 54.7 | –4.1 |
| | NI Labour | Robert McBirney | 17,650 | 45.3 | +8.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,633 | 9.4 | –12.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,933 | 68.2 | –4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,077 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1964: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Stanley McMaster | 24,804 | 58.8 | –1.3 |
| | NI Labour | Samuel Watt | 15,555 | 36.9 | −0.3 |
| | Ind. Republican | David McConnell | 1,827 | 4.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,249 | 21.9 | –1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,186 | 72.5 | –18.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,196 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1950s

General election 1959: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Stanley McMaster | 26,510 | 60.1 | –2.4 |
| | NI Labour | James Gardner | 16,412 | 37.2 | +7.0 |
| | Sinn Féin | Barney Boswell | 1,204 | 2.7 | –4.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 9,249 | 22.9 | –9.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,126 | 90.7 | +20.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 48,663 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
1959 Belfast East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Stanley McMaster | 19,524 | 57.8 | –4.7 |
| | NI Labour | James Gardner | 14,264 | 42.2 | +12.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,260 | 15.6 | –16.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,788 | 57.9 | –12.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 58,388 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1955: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Alan McKibbin | 26,938 | 62.5 | +0.8 |
| | NI Labour | Tom Boyd | 13,041 | 30.2 | –8.1 |
| | Sinn Féin | Liam Mulcahy | 3,156 | 7.3 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 13,897 | 32.3 | +8.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 43,135 | 70.4 | –4.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,258 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1951: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Alan McKibbin | 28,881 | 61.7 | –1.6 |
| | NI Labour | Tom Boyd | 17,910 | 38.3 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,971 | 23.4 | –3.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 46,791 | 74.5 | –2.1 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 62,798 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |
General election 1950: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Alan McKibbin | 29,844 | 63.3 | +6.9 |
| | NI Labour | Tom Boyd | 17,338 | 36.7 | –6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 12,506 | 26.6 | +13.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,182 | 76.6 | +13.4 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 61,561 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1940s

General election 1945: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Thomas Loftus Cole | 21,443 | 56.4 | N/A |
| | NI Labour | Tom Boyd | 17,338 | 43.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,869 | 12.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 38,017 | 63.2 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 60,175 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | N/A | |
1940 Belfast East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Henry Harland | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |

### Elections in the 1930s

General election 1935: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Herbert Dixon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 59,101 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
General election 1931: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Herbert Dixon | 28,431 | 75.1 | 0.0 |
| | NI Labour | John Campbell | 9,410 | 24.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 19,021 | 50.2 | 0.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,841 | 66.2 | +0.5 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 57,166 | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1920s

General election 1929: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | UUP | Herbert Dixon | 27,855 | 75.1 |
| | Ulster Liberal | Denis Ireland | 9,230 | 24.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 18,625 | 50.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 37,085 | 65.7 |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
General election 1924: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Herbert Dixon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
General election 1923: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Herbert Dixon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold | UUP hold |
General election 1922: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | UUP | Herbert Dixon | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | UUP win (seat recreated) | UUP win (seat recreated) | UUP win (seat recreated) | UUP win (seat recreated) | UUP win (seat recreated) |

### Elections in the 1910s

1914 Belfast East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Robert Sharman-Crawford | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
December 1910 general election: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Robert McMordie | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
January 1910 general election: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Gustav Wilhelm Wolff | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1900s

1906 general election: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Gustav Wilhelm Wolff | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
1900 general election: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Gustav Wilhelm Wolff | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |

### Elections in the 1890s

1895 general election: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Gustav Wilhelm Wolff | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
1892 general election: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Gustav Wilhelm Wolff | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold |
1892 Belfast East by-election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Unionist | Gustav Wilhelm Wolff | 4,746 | 64.6 | –15.7 |
| | Ind. Unionist | William Thomas Charley | 2,607 | 35.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,139 | 29.2 | –31.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,353 | 64.8 | –7.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,339 | | |
| | Irish Unionist hold | Irish Unionist hold | Swing | | |

### Elections in the 1880s

1886 general election: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Irish Conservative | Edward de Cobain | 5,055 | 80.3 | +35.9 |
| | Irish Parliamentary | Robert McCalmont | 1,239 | 19.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,816 | 60.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,294 | 72.6 | –6.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,666 | | |
| | Irish Conservative gain from Ind. Conservative | Irish Conservative gain from Ind. Conservative | Swing | | |
1885 general election: Belfast East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Ind. Conservative | Edward de Cobain | 3,033 | 44.4 | |
| | Irish Conservative | James Corry | 2,929 | 42.9 | |
| | Liberal | Robert Wallace Murray | 870 | 12.7 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 104 | 1.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,832 | 78.8 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,666 | | |
| | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) | Ind. Conservative win (new seat) |