# 1981 North Down Borough Council election

Elections to North Down Borough Council were held on 20 May 1981 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used four district electoral areas to elect a total of 20 councillors.

## Election results

North Down Borough Council Election Result 1981 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Alliance | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 30.0 | 25.2 | 6,132 | 13.3 |
| DUP | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 25.0 | 23.7 | 5,766 | 15.4 |
| UUP | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 20.0 | 22.6 | 5,477 | 4.7 |
| UPUP | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 15.0 | 17.6 | 4,272 | New |
| Ind. Unionist | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 6.1 | 1,477 | 1.7 |
| Unionist Party NI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 892 | 5.4 |
| PUP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 270 | New |
Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

## Districts summary

Results of the North Down Borough Council election, 1981 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | Alliance | Alliance | DUP | DUP | UUP | UUP | UPUP | UPUP | UPNI | UPNI | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 26.4 | 1 | 19.3 | 1 | 18.7 | 1 | 7.6 | 0 | 10.3 | 1 | 17.7 | 1 | 5 |
| Area B | 15.0 | 1 | 36.7 | 2 | 11.3 | 0 | 29.1 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 7.9 | 0 | 5 |
| Area C | 31.7 | 2 | 21.3 | 1 | 23.8 | 1 | 23.2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Area D | 30.1 | 2 | 15.3 | 1 | 41.1 | 2 | 9.9 | 0 | 3.5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Total | 25.2 | 6 | 23.7 | 5 | 22.6 | 4 | 17.6 | 3 | 3.8 | 1 | 7.1 | 1 | 20 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1977: 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x UPNI, 1 x Independent Unionist 1981: 1 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x UPNI, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist 1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from Alliance
North Down Area A - 5 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 |
| | Ind. Unionist | Edmund Mills* | 17.64% | 1,216 | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Raymond Trousdale | 10.74% | 740 | 742 | 744.8 | 752.9 | 753.9 | 794.55 | 1,356.55 | | | |
| | UUP | Bruce Mulligan* | 10.05% | 693 | 696 | 701.1 | 715.35 | 720.4 | 784.45 | 826.3 | 900.78 | 1,391.78 | |
| | Unionist Party NI | William Bailie* | 9.50% | 655 | 680 | 691.2 | 700.55 | 707.65 | 796.95 | 812.35 | 860.51 | 1,036.64 | 1,218.14 |
| | Alliance | Donald Hayes | 11.78% | 812 | 821 | 825.95 | 834.05 | 984.35 | 1,023.6 | 1,024.65 | 1,034.17 | 1,053.48 | 1,092.48 |
| | Alliance | Jane Copeland | 10.30% | 710 | 713 | 716.15 | 726.2 | 856.5 | 880 | 888.05 | 893.65 | 910.32 | 932.07 |
| | UUP | George Allport | 8.78% | 605 | 609 | 618.25 | 631.6 | 632.75 | 703.75 | 728.75 | 798.19 | | |
| | DUP | Elizabeth Loan | 8.59% | 592 | 592 | 594.6 | 612.75 | 612.85 | 672.45 | | | | |
| | UPUP | Valerie Kinghan | 4.05% | 279 | 284 | 288.3 | 448.2 | 450.25 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Julian Hamilton | 4.32% | 298 | 300 | 301.1 | 302.1 | | | | | | |
| | UPUP | Margaret McGimpsey | 3.58% | 247 | 250 | 253.4 | | | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | Dorothy Smith | 0.81% | 56 | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,648 Valid: 6,893 (54.50%) Spoilt: 176 Quota: 1,149 Turnout: 7,067 (55.87%) ||||||||||||||

### Area B

1977: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard 1981: 2 x DUP, 2 x UPUP, 1 x Alliance 1977-1981 Change: UPUP (two seats) and DUP gain from UUP (two seats) and Vanguard
North Down Area B - 5 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 |
| | UPUP | George Green* | 17.95% | 1,200 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Wesley Graham | 14.54% | 972 | 975 | 978.99 | 986.41 | 1,005.11 | 1,026.18 | 1,029.18 | 1,052.6 | 1,082.74 | 1,406.79 | | |
| | DUP | John McCormick | 12.28% | 821 | 823 | 828.18 | 835.39 | 857.02 | 893.23 | 895.37 | 909.07 | 927.49 | 1,273.82 | | |
| | Alliance | James Magee* | 10.96% | 733 | 733 | 737.76 | 739.32 | 761.51 | 766.51 | 1,006.58 | 1,031.91 | 1,060.17 | 1,064.31 | 1,075.31 | 1,090.78 |
| | UPUP | Cecil Braniff | 4.58% | 306 | 313 | 324.03 | 473.79 | 488.93 | 561.54 | 566.68 | 749.1 | 782.57 | 805.92 | 891.92 | 980.19 |
| | UUP | Chalmers Quee | 5.77% | 386 | 387 | 393.72 | 397.42 | 443.26 | 455.47 | 463.89 | 495.15 | 771.25 | 792.67 | 851.67 | 906.27 |
| | DUP | George McMurtry | 9.91% | 663 | 667 | 669.8 | 674.35 | 693.71 | 719.78 | 721.92 | 734.34 | 746.69 | | | |
| | UUP | Phyllis Brown | 5.53% | 370 | 373 | 376.92 | 388.69 | 417.25 | 429.39 | 441.46 | 454.65 | | | | |
| | UPUP | William Elliott | 3.50% | 234 | 236 | 251.19 | 273.93 | 305.42 | 319.63 | 325.63 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Anne Wilson | 4.01% | 268 | 268 | 268.7 | 269.84 | 286.26 | 288.26 | | | | | | |
| | PUP | Thomas O'Brien | 4.04% | 270 | 272 | 273.4 | 276.54 | 285.75 | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | John Shields* | 3.48% | 233 | 235 | 241.44 | 246.28 | | | | | | | | |
| | UPUP | James Boyle* | 3.04% | 203 | 205 | 224.39 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ind. Unionist | William Johnston | 0.42% | 28 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,099 Valid: 6,687 (47.43%) Spoilt: 201 Quota: 1,115 Turnout: 6,888 (48.85%) ||||||||||||||||

### Area C

1977: 2 x Alliance, 2 x UUP, 1 x Vanguard 1981: 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUP, 1 x UPUP, 1 x DUP 1977-1981 Change: UPUP and DUP gain from UUP and Vanguard
North Down Area C - 5 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 |
| | UPUP | Mary O'Fee* | 18.28% | 1,021 | | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | William Morrow* | 17.17% | 959 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Alan Graham | 16.24% | 929 | 932.92 | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Hazel Bradford* | 16.24% | 907 | 916.36 | 976.84 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Brian Wilson | 7.95% | 444 | 447.6 | 454.68 | 464.68 | 459.94 | 460.02 | 776.08 | 834.24 |
| | UUP | Terence McKeag | 7.56% | 422 | 428.55 | 471.72 | 512.72 | 513.32 | 514.16 | 551.04 | 765.48 |
| | UPUP | Maisie McMullan* | 4.89% | 273 | 324.44 | 390 | 392 | 392.62 | 393.38 | 415.78 | |
| | Alliance | Thomas Rollins* | 6.57% | 367 | 370.84 | 378.84 | 378.84 | 391.18 | 391.18 | | |
| | DUP | George McKinnie | 4.71% | 263 | 264.75 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,215 Valid: 5,585 (54.67%) Spoilt: 135 Quota: 931 Turnout: 5,720 (56.00%) ||||||||||||

### Area D

1977: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x UUUP 1981: 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance, 1 x DUP 1977-1981 Change: DUP gain from UUUP
North Down Area D - 5 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 | Ellie McKay | 21.01% | 1,076 | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | John Auld* | 15.68% | 803 | 887.84 | | | | | | | |
| | DUP | Gordon Dunne | 9.94% | 509 | 524.54 | 534.96 | 542.59 | 804.16 | 882.16 | | | |
| | Alliance | Susan O'Brien | 14.20% | 727 | 738.97 | 741.39 | 751.81 | 752.23 | 764.38 | 767.89 | 769.13 | 841.13 |
| | Alliance | Michael Clarke | 8.26% | 423 | 426.15 | 429.36 | 439.2 | 440.2 | 457.77 | 470.11 | 470.11 | 799.11 |
| | UPUP | Frederick White* | 7.30% | 374 | 389.75 | 497.43 | 552.48 | 566.11 | 667.53 | 686.9 | 710.46 | 722.46 |
| | Alliance | Irene Cave | 7.64% | 391 | 396.46 | 398.46 | 418.3 | 419.3 | 449.29 | 455.66 | 458.76 | |
| | UUP | Thomas Bussell* | 4.39% | 225 | 288.42 | 293.68 | 358.2 | 369.3 | | | | |
| | DUP | Edith Cole | 5.41% | 277 | 283.72 | 287.93 | 297.35 | | | | | |
| | Unionist Party NI | Trevor Boyd | 3.53% | 181 | 187.51 | 191.93 | | | | | | |
| | UPUP | Eric Griffith | 2.64% | 135 | 139.83 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 9,205 Valid: 5,121 (55.63%) Spoilt: 125 Quota: 854 Turnout: 5,246 (56.99%) |||||||||||||