The February 1974 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland was held on 28 February with 12 MPs elected in single-seat constituencies using first-past-the-post as part of the wider general election in the United Kingdom.

Quick Facts 12 seats in Northern Ireland of the 635 seats in the House of Commons, First party ...

February 1974 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland

← 1970 28 February 1974 Oct. 1974 →
12 seats in Northern Ireland of the 635 seats in the House of Commons
First party Second party   Leader Harry West William Craig Party Ulster Unionist Vanguard Leader since Jan. 1974 1973 Leader's seat Fermanagh and South Tyrone Belfast East Seats won 7 3 Seat change 1 New Popular vote 232,103 75,944 Percentage 32.3% 10.6%   Third party Fourth party   Leader Gerry Fitt Ian Paisley Party Social Democratic and Labour Party DUP Leader since 1970 1971 Leader's seat Belfast West Antrim North Seats won 1 1 Seat change New New Popular vote 160,437 58,656 Percentage 22.4% 8.2%

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The election took place soon after the Sunningdale Agreement, signed 9 December 1973. On 1 January 1974, an Executive was formed under the terms of the Agreement, based on the result of the 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election, with Ulster Unionist Party leader Brian Faulkner as Chief Executive. It had six members from the UUP, four from the nationalist SDLP and one from the Alliance Party. These parties had both been founded in 1970.

Later in January 1974, the Ulster Unionist Council voted against participation in the Executive and Faulkner lost the leadership of the UUP to Harry West. West formed the United Ulster Unionist Council with the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party (VUPP), founded in 1972 by William Craig, and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), founded in 1971 by Ian Paisley. They agreed that only one anti-Sunningdale Unionist would stand in each constituency. This strategy proved successful, with the UUUC winning 11 of the 12 seats. Seven supporters of Faulkner stood as Pro-Assembly Unionists, including outgoing MPs Stanley McMaster and Rafton Pounder.

On the nationalist side, former Republican Labour Party leader Gerry Fitt had formed the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). Fitt held his seat in Belfast West, but the split in the nationalist vote in Fermanagh and South Tyrone allowed Harry West to gain a seat from Unity. Bernadette McAliskey, who had held a seat for Unity since 1969 for Mid Ulster, contested as an independent but lost, again where a split in the nationalist vote allowed a new Unionist MP to gain.

In the election as a whole, the Conservative Party failed to return to government and the Labour Party formed a minority government led by Harold Wilson as Prime Minister.

More information Party, MPs ...

Results^[1][2][3]

Party		MPs		Votes
		No.	Change	No.	%	Change
	Ulster Unionist	7	1	232,103	32.3%	21.9
	Vanguard	3	3	75,944	10.6%	New
	DUP	1	1	58,656	8.2%	New
	SDLP	1	1	160,437	22.4%	New
	Pro-Assembly Unionist	0		94,301	13.1%	Splinter
	Alliance	0		22,660	3.2%	New
	Unity	0	2	17,593	2.4%	15.7
	NI Labour	0		15,483	2.2%	10.4
	Republican Clubs	0		15,152	2.1%	2.1
	Independent	0		25,297	3.6%	3.2
Total		12		723,288	100

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