1986 Upper Bann by-election

1986 Upper Bann by-election

South Down constituency
First party Second party   Candidate Harold McCusker Tom French Party UUP Workers' Party Popular vote 29,311 6,978 Percentage 80.8% 19.2 Swing 23.9 13.7%
Location of South Down within Northern Ireland
MP before election Harold McCusker Ulster Unionist Party Elected MP Harold McCusker Ulster Unionist Party

The 1986 Upper Bann by-election was one of the fifteen 1986 Northern Ireland by-elections held on 23 January 1986, to fill vacancies in the Parliament of the United Kingdom caused by the resignation in December 1985 of all sitting Unionist Members of Parliament (MPs). The MPs, from the Ulster Unionist Party, Democratic Unionist Party and Ulster Popular Unionist Party, did this to highlight their opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Each of their parties agreed not to contest seats previously held by the others, and each outgoing MP stood for re-election.

1986 Upper Bann by-election[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	UUP	Harold McCusker	29,311	80.8	+23.9
	Workers' Party	Tom French	6,978	19.2	+13.7
Majority			22,333	61.4	+20.4
Turnout			36,861	57.2	−14.8
Registered electors			63,484
	UUP hold		Swing

References

1. Results of Byelections in the 1983-87 Parliament in the United Kingdom Election Results website maintained by David Boothroyd

Other references

• British Parliamentary By Elections: Campaign literature from the by-elections
• CAIN: Westminster By-Elections (NI) - Thursday 23 January 1986
• Northern Ireland Elections: Westminster by-elections 1986