1986 South Down by-election

{{Short description|UK parliamentary by-election}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Use British English|date=November 2013}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1986 South Down
by-election

| type = parliamentary

| country = United Kingdom

| seats_for_election = South Down constituency

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 1983 United Kingdom general election

| previous_year = 1983

| election_date = 23 January 1986

| next_election = 1987 United Kingdom general election

| next_year = 1987

| candidate1 = Enoch Powell

| image1 = File:Enoch Powell Allan Warren.jpg

| party1 = Ulster Unionist Party

| last_election1 =

| popular_vote1 = 24,963

| percentage1 = 48.4%

| swing1 = {{increase}}8.1%

| candidate2 = Eddie McGrady

| image2 = 160x160px

| party2 = Social Democratic and Labour Party

| last_election2 =

| popular_vote2 = 23,121

| percentage2 = 44.8%

| swing2 = {{increase}}5.5%

| map_image = SouthDownConstituency.svg

| map_size = 200px

| map_caption = Location of South Down within Northern Ireland

| title = MP

| before_election = Enoch Powell

| before_party = Ulster Unionist Party

| posttitle =

| after_election = Enoch Powell

| after_party = Ulster Unionist Party

}}

The South Down by-election of 1986 was part of a co-ordinated series of by-elections aimed to show opposition to the Anglo Irish agreement. It resulted in the narrow victory of the incumbent Ulster Unionist Party, Enoch Powell, who increased his majority by 1,294 votes despite rising support for Irish Nationalist candidates. His opponent Eddie McGrady would later take the seat in the 1987 general election.

{{Election box begin |

|title=1986 South Down by-election{{cite web|url=http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1983.html|title=By-election Result|website=United Kingdom Election Results|access-date=7 May 2018|archive-date=5 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180405203844/http://www.election.demon.co.uk/by1983.html|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|

|party = Ulster Unionist Party

|candidate = Enoch Powell

|votes = 24,963

|percentage = 48.4

|change = +8.1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Social Democratic and Labour Party

|candidate = Eddie McGrady

|votes = 23,121

|percentage = 44.8

|change = +5.5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Sinn Féin

|candidate = Hugh McDowell

|votes = 2,963

|percentage = 5.7

|change = -2.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|

|party = Workers' Party (Ireland)

|candidate = Sean Magee

|votes = 522

|percentage = 1.0

|change = -0.7

}}

{{Election box majority|

|votes = 1,842

|percentage = 3.6

|change = +2.6

}}

{{Election box turnout|

|votes = 51,569

|percentage = 73.8

|change = -3.9

}}

{{Election box registered electors|

|reg. electors = 69,843

}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Ulster Unionist Party

|swing =

}}

{{Election box end}}