# 1983 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

The 1983 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland was held on 9 June with 17 MPs elected in single-seat constituencies using first-past-the-post as part of the wider general election in the United Kingdom. This was an increase of five seats, after the House of Commons (Redistribution of Seats) Act 1979 had come into effect to account for the reduced representation after direct rule had been imposed since 1972. New constituencies were drawn up in 1982.

## Results

The Conservative Party led by Margaret Thatcher as prime minister won another term in government.
The main beneficiaries of the increase of seats was the Ulster Unionist Party, now led by James Molyneaux. The SDLP lost a seat held by former leader Gerry Fitt to Gerry Adams of Sinn Féin, but the new SDLP leader John Hume gained a seat.
Results :
| Party | Party | MPs | MPs | Votes | Votes | Votes |
| Party | Party | No. | Change | No. | % | Change |
| | UUP | 11 | 6 | 259,952 | 34.0% | 2.6 |
| | DUP | 3 | | 152,749 | 20.0% | 9.8 |
| | SDLP | 1 | | 137,012 | 17.9% | 0.3 |
| | Sinn Féin | 1 | 1 | 102,701 | 13.4% | 13.4 |
| | UPUP | 1 | New | 22,681 | 3.0% | 3.0 |
| | Alliance | 0 | | 61,275 | 8.0% | 3.9 |
| | Workers' Party | 0 | | 14,650 | 1.9% | 0.2 |
| | Independent Socialist | 0 | | 10,326 | 1.3% | 1.3 |
| | Independent DUP | 0 | | 1,134 | 0.1% | 1.3 |
| | Independent | 0 | | 2,265 | 0.3% | 0.1 |
| Total | Total | 17 | 5 | 801734 | 100 | |

## MPs elected

| Constituency | Party | MP |
| Antrim East | UUP | Roy Beggs |
| Antrim North | DUP | Ian Paisley |
| Antrim South | UUP | Clifford Forsythe |
| Belfast East | DUP | Peter Robinson |
| Belfast North | UUP | Cecil Walker |
| Belfast South | UUP | Martin Smyth |
| Belfast West | Sinn Féin | Gerry Adams |
| Down North | UPUP | Jim Kilfedder |
| Down South | UUP | Enoch Powell |
| Fermanagh and South Tyrone | UUP | Ken Maginnis |
| Foyle | SDLP | John Hume |
| Lagan Valley | UUP | James Molyneaux |
| Londonderry East | UUP | William Ross |
| Mid Ulster | DUP | William McCrea |
| Newry and Armagh | UUP | Jim Nicholson |
| Strangford | UUP | John Taylor |
| Upper Bann | UUP | Harold McCusker |

### By-elections

In December 1985, all Unionist MPs resigned their seats in opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement and sought re-election in by-elections. These resulted in a loss of one seat to the SDLP
| Constituency | Date | Incumbent | Party | Winner | Party | Cause |
| Antrim North | 23 January 1986 | Ian Paisley | DUP | Ian Paisley | DUP | Resignation |
| Antrim East | 23 January 1986 | Roy Beggs | UUP | Roy Beggs | UUP | Resignation |
| Antrim South | 23 January 1986 | Clifford Forsythe | UUP | Clifford Forsythe | UUP | Resignation |
| Belfast East | 23 January 1986 | Peter Robinson | DUP | Peter Robinson | DUP | Resignation |
| Belfast North | 23 January 1986 | Cecil Walker | UUP | Cecil Walker | UUP | Resignation |
| Belfast South | 23 January 1986 | Martin Smyth | UUP | Martin Smyth | UUP | Resignation |
| Down North | 23 January 1986 | James Kilfedder | UPUP | James Kilfedder | UPUP | Resignation |
| Down South | 23 January 1986 | Enoch Powell | UUP | Enoch Powell | UUP | Resignation |
| Fermanagh and South Tyrone | 23 January 1986 | Ken Maginnis | UUP | Ken Maginnis | UUP | Resignation |
| Lagan Valley | 23 January 1986 | James Molyneaux | UUP | James Molyneaux | UUP | Resignation |
| East Londonderry | 23 January 1986 | William Ross | UUP | William Ross | UUP | Resignation |
| Mid Ulster | 23 January 1986 | William McCrea | DUP | William McCrea | DUP | Resignation |
| Strangford | 23 January 1986 | John Taylor | UUP | John Taylor | UUP | Resignation |
| Newry and Armagh | 23 January 1986 | James Nicholson | UUP | Seamus Mallon | SDLP | Resignation |
| Upper Bann | 23 January 1986 | Harold McCusker | UUP | Harold McCusker | UUP | Resignation |