1969 Northern Ireland general election

Unlike previous elections that produced a large unambiguous majority for the Ulster Unionist Party, this one gave more complex results.

The Ulster Unionists were divided over a variety of reforms introduced by Prime Minister Terence O'Neill and this division spilled over into the election with official Ulster Unionist candidates standing either in support of or opposition to O'Neill and a number of Unofficial Unionists, who were independent pro O'Neill candidates standing against unsupportive Official Unionist candidates. The results left O'Neill without a clear majority for his reforms and he resigned not long afterwards.

The Nationalist Party that had for a long time represented the bulk of the Catholic minority faced strong challenges and two of its leading figures were defeated.

The leader Eddie McAteer lost Foyle to the independent John Hume{{cite journal |last1=Mullan |first1=Kevin |title=John Hume in February 1969: A 36 year political career is launched |journal=Derry Journal |date=3 August 2020 |url=https://www.derryjournal.com/news/people/john-hume-february-1969-36-year-political-career-launched-2931967}} and Paddy Gormley lost Mid Londonderry to the independent Ivan Cooper. Both Hume and Cooper would go on to form the Social Democratic and Labour Party which would take over the Nationalist mantle.

Ian Paisley's Protestant Unionist Party that was broadly opposed to O'Neill's agenda on civil rights, put up a number of candidates. Although none of them were returned O'Neill was almost defeated by Paisley in Bannside a seat that had not been contested since 1949. Paisley gained the seat at a 1970 by-election.

Due to the local selection rules a number of anti-O'Neill candidates managed to get reselected or selected for seats. Many of them were opposed by 17 unofficial Unionist candidates supporting O'Neill,{{Cite web |title=History repeating as the Union itself stands at the ‘crossroads’ |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/history-repeating-as-the-union-itself-stands-at-the-crossroads-1.3803845 |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=The Irish Times |language=en}} often backed by the New Ulster Movement. They won three seats{{Cite web |title=CAIN: Politics: Elections: Stormont General Election (NI) Monday 24 February 1969 |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/politics/election/rs1969.htm |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=cain.ulster.ac.uk}} - Belfast Clifton (where the sitting Unionist MP for was forbidden by a court order from referring to himself as the official Unionist candidate because of a violation of the rules at his selection meeting); Bangor and Belfast Willowfield.

{{Election Summary Begin with Candidates| title = Northern Ireland General Election 1969|image=File:Northern Irish general election 1969.png}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Ulster Unionist Party

|candidates = 44

|seats = 36{{Efn|name=UUP}}

|gain = 4

|loss = 4

|net = 0

|votes = 269,501

|votes % = 48.2

|seats % = 69.2

|plus/minus = -10.9

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Unofficial Unionist

|candidates = 15

|seats = 3

|gain = 3

|loss = 0

|net = +3

|votes = 72,120

|votes % = 12.9

|seats % = 5.8

|plus/minus = +12.9

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Northern Ireland Labour Party

|candidates = 16

|seats = 2

|gain = 1

|loss = 1

|net = 0

|votes = 45,113

|votes % = 8.1

|seats % = 3.8

|plus/minus = -12.3

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)

|candidates = 9

|seats = 6

|gain = 0

|loss = 3

|net = -3

|votes = 42,315

|votes % = 7.6

|seats % = 11.5

|plus/minus = -0.6

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = National Democratic Party (Northern Ireland)

|candidates = 7

|seats = 0

|gain = 0

|loss = 1

|net = -1

|votes = 26,009

|votes % = 4.6

|seats % =

|plus/minus = -0.1

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = People's Democracy (Ireland)

|candidates = 8

|seats = 0

|gain = 0

|loss = 0

|net = 0

|votes = 23,645

|votes % = 4.2

|seats % =

|plus/minus = +4.2

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidates = 4

|seats = 3

|gain = 3

|loss = 1

|net = +2

|votes = 21,977

|votes % = 3.9

|seats % = 5.8

|plus/minus = +3.9

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Protestant Unionist Party

|candidates = 5

|seats = 0

|gain = 0

|loss = 0

|net = 0

|votes = 20,991

|votes % = 3.8

|seats % =

|plus/minus = +3.8

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Independent Unionist

|candidates = 3

|seats = 0

|gain = 0

|loss = 0

|net = 0

|votes = 13,932

|votes % = 2.5

|seats % =

|plus/minus = +2.5

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Republican Labour Party

|candidates = 5

|seats = 2

|gain = 1

|loss = 1

|net = 0

|votes = 13,115

|votes % = 2.4

|seats % = 3.8

|plus/minus = +1.4

}}

{{Election Summary Party with Candidates|

|party = Ulster Liberal Party

|candidates = 2

|seats = 0

|gain = 0

|loss = 1

|net = -1

|votes = 7,337

|votes % = 1.3

|seats % =

|plus/minus = -2.6

}}

{{Election Summary with Candidates|

|party = People's Progressive

|candidates = 1

|seats = 0

|gain = 0

|loss = 0

|net = 0

|votes = 2,992

|votes % = 0.5

|seats % =

|plus/minus = +0.5

}}

|}

Electorate: 912,087 (778,031 in contested seats); Turnout: 71.9% (559,087).

{{bar box

|title=Popular vote

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=500px

|barwidth=290px

|bars=

{{bar percent|Ulster Unionist Party|#48A5EE|48.2}}

{{bar percent|Unofficial Unionist|#AADFFF|12.9}}

{{bar percent|Labour|#cd5c5c|8.1}}

{{bar percent|Nationalist|#32cd32|7.6}}

{{bar percent|National Democratic|#DDFFDD|4.7}}

{{bar percent|Independent|{{party color|Independent}}|3.8}}

{{bar percent|Peoples' Democracy|red|4.2}}

{{bar percent|Protestant Unionist|#D46A4C|3.8}}

{{bar percent|Independent Unionist|#AADFFF|2.5}}

{{bar percent|Republican Labour|#85de59|2.4}}

{{bar percent|Ulster Liberal|#DAA520|1.3}}

{{bar percent|People's Progressive|skyblue|0.5}}

}}

{{bar box

|title=Parliamentary seats

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=500px

|barwidth=290px

|bars=

{{bar percent|Ulster Unionist Party|#48A5EE|69.2}}

{{bar percent|Nationalist|#32cd32|11.5}}

{{bar percent|Independent|#dddddd|5.8}}

{{bar percent|Unofficial Unionist|#AADFFF|5.8}}

{{bar percent|Labour|#cd5c5c|3.9}}

{{bar percent|Republican Labour|#85de59|3.9}}

}}

• List of members of the 12th House of Commons of Northern Ireland

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/totals.html Northern Ireland Parliamentary Election Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116175039/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/totals.html |date=16 November 2017 }}

{{refend}}

{{Northern Ireland elections}}

Northern Ireland general election

1969

Northern Ireland general election

Category:1969 elections in Northern Ireland