1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1969 Northern Ireland general election
| previous_year = 1969
| previous_mps = List of members of the 12th House of Commons of Northern Ireland
| elected_mps = MLAs elected
| next_election = Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention
| next_year = 1975
| seats_for_election = All 78 seats to the Northern Ireland Assembly
40 seats were needed for a majority
| election_date = 28 June 1973
| image1 = Brian Faulkner (cropped).jpg
| image1_size =
| leader1 = Brian Faulkner
| leader_since1 = 23 March 1971
| party1 = Ulster Unionist Party
| leaders_seat1 = South Down
| last_election1 =
| seats1 = 31{{efn|name=UUP|{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}|border=darkgray}} Pro-White Paper
(24 members)}}
{{Color box|#bf98e3|border=darkgray}} Anti-White Paper
(7 members)}}
| seat_change1 =
| popular_vote1 = 258,790
| percentage1 = 35.8%
| swing1 =
| image2 = {{eppt|Social Democratic and Labour Party}}
| image2_size = 95x50px
| leader2 = Gerry Fitt
| leader_since2 = 21 August 1970
| party2 = Social Democratic and Labour Party
| leaders_seat2 = Belfast North
| last_election2 =
| seats2 = 19
| seat_change2 =
| popular_vote2 = 159,773
| percentage2 = 22.1%
| swing2 =
| image3 = Ian Paisley 1970.png
| image3_size =
| leader3 = Ian Paisley
| leader_since3 = 30 September 1971
| party3 = Democratic Unionist Party
| leaders_seat3 = North Antrim
| last_election3 =
| seats3 = 8
| seat_change3 =
| popular_vote3 = 78,228
| percentage3 = 10.8%
| swing3 =
| image4 =
| image4_size = 95x50px
| leader4 = Oliver Napier
| leader_since4 = 1972
| party4 = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
| leaders_seat4 = Belfast East
| last_election4 =
| seats4 = 8
| seat_change4 =
| popular_vote4 = 66,541
| percentage4 = 9.2%
| swing4 =
| image5 =
| image5_size = 95x50px
| leader5 = William Craig
| leader_since5 = 9 February 1972
| party5 = Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
| leaders_seat5 = North Antrim
| last_election5 =
| seats5 = 7
| seat_change5 =
| popular_vote5 = 75,709
| percentage5 = 10.5%
| swing5 =
| map_image = Northern Ireland Assembly election 1973.png
| map_size = 470px
| map_caption = Percentage of seats gained by each of the parties
| title = Chief Executive
| posttitle = Chief Executive after election
| before_election = Brian Faulkner as Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
| after_election = Brian Faulkner
}}
{{Politics of Northern Ireland 1972-98}}
The 1973 elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly took place following the publication of the British government's white paper Northern Ireland Constitutional Proposals which proposed a 78-member Northern Ireland Assembly, elected by proportional representation. The proposals for a Northern Ireland Assembly contained in the White Paper were put into effect through the Northern Ireland Assembly Act 1973 in May 1973.{{Cite legislation UK |type=act |year=1973|chapter=17|act=Northern Ireland Assembly Act 1973}}
A cross-community coalition of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) under Brian Faulkner, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland was agreed in November, and following the Sunningdale Agreement, a Power Sharing Executive was established from 1 January 1974. After opposition from within the UUP and the Ulster Workers Council Strike, the executive and assembly collapsed in May 1974.
Result
The election results were:
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%; margin-bottom:0"
|colspan=10|File:Northern Irish general election 1973.png |
| style="width:70px;" colspan="2"| Party
! style="width:70px;"|Votes ! style="width:70px;"|Vote % ! style="width:70px;"|Seats ! style="width:70px;"|Seats % |
|---|
| width="1" bgcolor=48A5EE|
! style="text-align:left; font-weight:normal; background:#F9F9F9" colspan="1" width="200"| Ulster Unionist Party | 258,790 | style="text-align:right;"|35.8 | style="text-align:right;"|31{{Efn|name=UUP}} | style="text-align:right;"|39.8 |
| {{Party name with colour|Social Democratic and Labour Party}}
| style="text-align:right;"|159,773 | style="text-align:right;"|22.1 | style="text-align:right;"|19 | style="text-align:right;"|24.4 |
| {{Party name with colour|Democratic Unionist Party}}
| style="text-align:right;"|78,228 | style="text-align:right;"|10.8 | style="text-align:right;"|8 | style="text-align:right;"|10.3 |
| {{Party name with colour|Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party}}
| style="text-align:right;"|75,709 | style="text-align:right;"|10.5 | style="text-align:right;"|7 | style="text-align:right;"|9.0 |
| {{Party name with colour|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}
| style="text-align:right;"|66,541 | style="text-align:right;"|9.2 | style="text-align:right;"|8 | style="text-align:right;"|10.3 |
| {{Party name with colour|Northern Ireland Labour Party}}
| style="text-align:right;"|18,675 | style="text-align:right;"|2.6 | style="text-align:right;"|1 | style="text-align:right;"|1.3 |
| | style="text-align:left;"|West Belfast Loyalist Coalition
| style="text-align:right;"|16,869 | style="text-align:right;"|2.3 | style="text-align:right;"|3 | style="text-align:right;"|3.8 |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Unionist}}
| style="text-align:right;"|13,755 | style="text-align:right;"|1.9 | style="text-align:right;"|1 | style="text-align:right;"|1.3 |
| {{Party name with colour|Republican Clubs}}
| style="text-align:right;"|13,064 | style="text-align:right;"|1.8 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| {{Party name with colour|Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)}}
| style="text-align:right;"|6,270 | style="text-align:right;"|0.9 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
| style="text-align:right;"|4,091 | style="text-align:right;"|0.6 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| | style="text-align:left;"|Loyalist
| style="text-align:right;"|2,752 | style="text-align:right;"|0.4 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| | style="text-align:left;"|Independent pro-White Paper
| style="text-align:right;"|2,008 | style="text-align:right;"|0.3 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Nationalist}}
| style="text-align:right;"|2,000 | style="text-align:right;"|0.3 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| {{Party name with colour|Republican Labour Party}}
| style="text-align:right;"|1,750 | style="text-align:right;"|0.2 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| {{Party name with colour|Ulster Liberal Party}}
| style="text-align:right;"|811 | style="text-align:right;"|0.1 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| {{Party name with colour|National Front (UK)}}
| style="text-align:right;"|591 | style="text-align:right;"|0.1 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| {{Party name with colour|Ulster Constitution Party}}
| style="text-align:right;"|202 | style="text-align:right;"|0.0 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| | style="text-align:left;"|Independent Loyalist
| style="text-align:right;"|189 | style="text-align:right;"|0.0 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| {{Party name with colour|Communist Party of Ireland}}
| style="text-align:right;"|123 | style="text-align:right;"|0.0 | style="text-align:right;"|0 | style="text-align:right;"| — |
| |Total
|722,151 |100.0 |78 |100.0 |
:All parties listed.
| style="width:60%; text-align:center;"
|+ ↓ |
| style="color:white;"
| style="background:{{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}; width:35.8%;" | 31 | style="background:{{party color|Social Democratic and Labour Party}}; width:24.4%;" | 19 | style="background:{{party color|Democratic Unionist Party}}; width:10.3%;" | 8 | style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}; width:10.3%;" | 8 | style="background:{{party color|Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party}}; width:9.0%;" | 7 | style="background:grey; width:3.8%;" | 3 | style="background:{{party color|Northern Ireland Labour Party}}; width:1.3%;" | 1 | style="background:{{party color|Independent Unionist}}; width:1.3%;" | 1 |
| UUP
| SDLP | DUP | APNI | Vanguard | | |
Votes summary
{{Bar box
|title=Popular vote
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=500px
|barwidth=290px
|bars=
{{Bar percent|Ulster Unionist|#48A5EE|35.8}}
{{Bar percent|SDLP|#99FF66|22.1}}
{{Bar percent|Democratic Unionist|#D46A4C|10.8}}
{{Bar percent|Vanguard|darkorange|10.5}}
{{Bar percent|Alliance|gold|9.2}}
{{Bar percent|NI Labour|#DC241f|2.6}}
{{Bar percent|West Belfast Loyalist|#555555|2.3}}
{{Bar percent|Independent Unionist|#0077FF|1.9}}
{{Bar percent|Republican Clubs|#EE0000|1.8}}
{{Bar percent|Nationalist|#32cd32|0.9}}
{{Bar percent|Independent|#dddddd|0.6}}
{{Bar percent|Other|#777777|1.5}}
}}
Seats summary
{{Bar box
|title=Parliamentary seats
|titlebar=#ddd
|width=500px
|barwidth=290px
|bars=
{{Bar percent|Ulster Unionist|#48A5EE|39.8}}
{{Bar percent|SDLP|#99FF66|24.4}}
{{Bar percent|Democratic Unionist|#D46A4C|10.3}}
{{Bar percent|Alliance|gold|10.3}}
{{Bar percent|Vanguard|darkorange|9.0}}
{{Bar percent|West Belfast Loyalist|#555555|3.8}}
{{Bar percent|NI Labour|#DC241f|1.3}}
{{Bar percent|Independent Unionist|#0077FF|1.3}}
}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
Footnotes
Notes
{{notelist}}
Sources
- http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fa73.htm
{{Northern Ireland elections}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Northern Ireland Assembly Election, 1973}}
Category:Northern Ireland Assembly (1973)
Category:1973 elections in the United Kingdom