# 1997 Newtownabbey Borough Council election

Elections to Newtownabbey Borough Council were held on 21 May 1997 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used four district electoral areas to elect a total of 25 councillors.

## Election results

Newtownabbey Borough Council Election Result 1997 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| UUP | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40.0 | 31.4 | 7,237 | 1.1 |
| Ind. Unionist | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12.0 | 13.0 | 2,991 | 4.0 |
| Alliance | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12.0 | 10.3 | 2,364 | 5.8 |
| DUP | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8.0 | 10.7 | 2,454 | 10.6 |
| Newtownabbey Labour Party | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 1,708 | 0.1 |
| Newtownabbey Ratepayers Association | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 1,424 | New |
| SDLP | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 6.5 | 1,500 | 1.0 |
| Ulster Democratic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4.0 | 5.8 | 1,332 | New |
| PUP | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 5.1 | 1,176 | 5.1 |
| UK Unionist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 681 | New |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 169 | 0.7 |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the Newtownabbey Borough Council election, 1997 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | UUP | UUP | Alliance | Alliance | DUP | DUP | SDLP | SDLP | UDP | UDP | PUP | PUP | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Antrim Line | 38.1 | 3 | 12.1 | 1 | 9.4 | 1 | 21.8 | 1 | 5.6 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 13.0 | 1 | 7 |
| Ballyclare | 42.6 | 3 | 14.9 | 1 | 17.8 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 3.5 | 0 | 5.7 | 0 | 15.5 | 0 | 5 |
| Macedon | 15.8 | 1 | 2.3 | 0 | 9.1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 8.5 | 1 | 7.2 | 0 | 57.1 | 4 | 6 |
| University | 26.7 | 3 | 12.5 | 1 | 9.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 5.6 | 0 | 8.7 | 1 | 37.0 | 2 | 7 |
| Total | 31.4 | 10 | 10.3 | 3 | 10.7 | 2 | 6.5 | 1 | 5.8 | 1 | 5.1 | 1 | 30.2 | 7 | 25 |

## Districts results
### Antrim Line

1993: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1997: 3 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP, 1 x Newtownabbey Ratepayers 1993-1997 Change: UUP and Newtownabbey Ratepayers gain from Alliance and Independent Unionist
Antrim Line - 7 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 |
| | SDLP | Tommy McTeague* | 21.82% | 1,500 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Edward Crilly* | 19.33% | 1,329 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | James Rooney* | 7.17% | 493 | 888.74 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Ivan Hunter | 7.74% | 532 | 533.41 | 856.11 | 1,009.11 | | | | |
| | UUP | Arthur Kell* | 10.94% | 752 | 755.76 | 831.01 | 865.01 | | | | |
| | DUP | Elizabeth Snoddy | 9.41% | 647 | 648.41 | 662.06 | 745.51 | 823.51 | 823.51 | 1,033.51 | |
| | Newtownabbey Ratepayers | John Blair* | 6.72% | 462 | 546.6 | 556.05 | 608.15 | 617.15 | 619.37 | 701.37 | 763.37 |
| | Alliance | Tommy Frazer | 4.89% | 336 | 473.71 | 481.76 | 503.75 | 504.75 | 525.54 | 584.13 | 605.13 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Arthur Templeton* | 6.43% | 442 | 445.76 | 458.01 | 486.86 | 505.86 | 506.1 | | |
| | Ulster Democratic | Billy Blair* | 5.56% | 382 | 382.94 | 403.24 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 16,864 Valid: 6,875 (40.77%) Spoilt: 120 Quota: 860 Turnout: 6,995 (41.48%) ||||||||||||

### Ballyclare

1993: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1997: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance 1993-1997 Change: Alliance gain from Independent Unionist
Ballyclare - 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 | James Bingham* | 19.68% | 847 | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Paul Girvan | 16.38% | 705 | 719.1 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Pat McCudden | 13.62% | 586 | 588.85 | 596.85 | 598.85 | 613.3 | 701.3 | 755.3 |
| | UUP | Vera McWilliam | 11.09% | 477 | 532.8 | 549.95 | 565.7 | 610.05 | 670.05 | 729.05 |
| | UUP | Edward Turkington | 8.41% | 362 | 384.65 | 401.4 | 424.45 | 479.9 | 518.65 | 641.3 |
| | UUP | Peter Walker | 8.09% | 348 | 358.65 | 367.25 | 378.85 | 396.45 | 425.45 | 482 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Samuel Cameron* | 6.09% | 262 | 268.75 | 286.9 | 316.15 | 354.3 | 399.6 | |
| | Newtownabbey Ratepayers | Etta Mann | 6.02% | 259 | 259.9 | 269.9 | 275.05 | 296.35 | | |
| | PUP | Norman Lavery | 5.23% | 225 | 228.15 | 230.15 | 263.2 | | | |
| | Ulster Democratic | Dave Burgess | 3.18% | 137 | 142.85 | 145 | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Leslie Porter | 2.21% | 95 | 96.95 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 11,796 Valid: 4,303 (36.48%) Spoilt: 79 Quota: 718 Turnout: 4,382 (37.15%) |||||||||||

### Macedon

1993: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Newtownabbey Labour, 1 x Independent Unionist 1997: 2 x Newtownabbey Labour, 1 x UUP, 1 x UDP, 1 x Newtownabbey Ratepayers, 1 x Independent Unionist 1993-1997 Change: Newtownabbey Labour, Newtownabbey Ratepayers and UDP gain from UUP, DUP and Alliance
Macedon - 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 |
| | Newtownabbey Labour | Mark Langhammer* | 21.16% | 1,103 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | David Hollis | 10.34% | 539 | 563.15 | 568.85 | 593.55 | 658.3 | 792.3 | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Andrew Beattie* | 11.42% | 595 | 617.05 | 627.1 | 655.5 | 710.25 | 752.25 | | |
| | Newtownabbey Labour | Robert Kidd | 7.54% | 393 | 534.05 | 563.95 | 581.65 | 603.75 | 630.75 | 718.55 | 731.75 |
| | Ulster Democratic | Tommy Kirkham | 8.48% | 442 | 460.2 | 462.2 | 468.2 | 486.55 | 508.6 | 682.3 | 695.5 |
| | Newtownabbey Ratepayers | Billy Webb | 9.15% | 477 | 534.4 | 585.95 | 624.1 | 646.45 | 664.25 | 690.05 | 694.45 |
| | DUP | Billy Snoddy* | 9.02% | 470 | 485.05 | 487.05 | 506.05 | 545.45 | 580.5 | 644.6 | 660.55 |
| | PUP | Bob Gourley | 7.14% | 372 | 396.15 | 398.85 | 406.55 | 426.9 | 452.05 | | |
| | UUP | Ricky Walker | 5.33% | 278 | 296.9 | 299.25 | 313.3 | 339 | | | |
| | UK Unionist | Norman Boyd | 4.89% | 255 | 265.5 | 266.85 | 283.85 | | | | |
| | Independent | George Reynolds | 3.24% | 169 | 177.75 | 189.8 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Julie Greaves | 2.28% | 119 | 136.5 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,642 Valid: 5,212 (41.23%) Spoilt: 139 Quota: 745 Turnout: 5,351 (42.33%) ||||||||||||

### University

1993: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent Unionist 1997: 3 x UUP, 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x Alliance, 1 x PUP 1993-1997 Change: PUP and Independent Unionist gain from DUP (two seats)
University - 7 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 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Fraser Agnew* | 13.21% | 878 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Ken Robinson | 10.62% | 706 | 708.2 | 748.35 | 760.45 | 764.5 | 770.5 | 800.75 | 801.8 | 832.8 | | | |
| | Alliance | Lynn Frazer* | 6.94% | 461 | 462.3 | 464.3 | 471.35 | 472.35 | 529.35 | 565.4 | 568.4 | 573.4 | 874.4 | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | George Herron* | 9.52% | 633 | 648.55 | 653.55 | 682.7 | 688.7 | 693.7 | 716.8 | 740 | 822.25 | 837.25 | | |
| | UUP | Barbara Gilliland* | 7.37% | 490 | 496.65 | 507.7 | 512.85 | 516.85 | 519.85 | 537.9 | 550.05 | 572.05 | 606.15 | 751.6 | 772.48 |
| | UUP | Bill Johnston | 7.51% | 499 | 501.1 | 507.1 | 513.5 | 517.5 | 520.5 | 531.75 | 545.9 | 567.95 | 584.05 | 715.55 | 729.95 |
| | PUP | William Greer | 6.74% | 448 | 449 | 452.05 | 452.2 | 537.3 | 548.3 | 560.3 | 571.45 | 654.55 | 671.6 | 708.4 | 713.8 |
| | DUP | Tony Lough* | 5.01% | 333 | 333.75 | 334.75 | 339.85 | 342.85 | 346.85 | 357.85 | 560.7 | 614.9 | 616.95 | 686.3 | 688.46 |
| | UK Unionist | Billy Boyd | 6.41% | 426 | 432.65 | 433.7 | 439.8 | 440.85 | 446.85 | 470.95 | 486.05 | 518.35 | 530.45 | | |
| | Alliance | William McKimmon | 5.55% | 369 | 369.55 | 371.55 | 376.55 | 378.55 | 442.55 | 506.55 | 506.55 | 510.55 | | | |
| | Ulster Democratic | Harry Speers | 5.58% | 371 | 372 | 375 | 377 | 395 | 400 | 407 | 425.1 | | | | |
| | DUP | Alan Hewitt* | 4.50% | 299 | 300.7 | 300.7 | 300.85 | 301.85 | 302.85 | 307.85 | | | | | |
| | Newtownabbey Ratepayers | Samuel Neill | 3.40% | 226 | 226.75 | 228.8 | 230.8 | 231.85 | 264.85 | | | | | | |
| | Newtownabbey Labour | William McClinton | 3.19% | 212 | 212 | 213 | 214 | 216 | | | | | | | |
| | PUP | Alexander Knell | 1.97% | 131 | 131.2 | 131.2 | 134.3 | | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | Jack McDonald | 1.29% | 86 | 88.45 | 89.45 | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Louie Robinson | 1.17% | 78 | 78.35 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 16,179 Valid: 6,646 (41.08%) Spoilt: 99 Quota: 831 Turnout: 6,745 (41.69%) ||||||||||||||||