West Belfast By-Election
It may have escaped your notice (it almost escaped mine), but there is a by-election in West Belfast on Thursday, due to Gerry Adams having left to represent County Louth in the Dáil.
The last time Sinn Féin got less than 50% of the vote here was in 1992, and the last time they got less than 60% of the vote here was in 1998. The result is therefore not in serious doubt. The candidates, and the votes each of their parties got in last month's Assembly election and last year's Westminster election, are as follows:
candidateMay 2011May 2010
Paul Maskey (SF)22,902 (66.1%)22,840 (71.1%)
Alex Attwood (SDLP)4,567 (13.2%)5,261 (16.4%)
Brian Kingston (DUP)2,587 (7.5%)2,436 (7.6%)
Gerry Carroll (People Before Profit)1,661 (4.8%)-
Bill Manwaring (UUP)1,471 (4.2%)1,000 (3.1%)
Aaron McIntyre (Alliance)365 (1.1%)596 (1.9%)
I am guessing that the votes will be counted during the day on Friday.
The last time Sinn Féin got less than 50% of the vote here was in 1992, and the last time they got less than 60% of the vote here was in 1998. The result is therefore not in serious doubt. The candidates, and the votes each of their parties got in last month's Assembly election and last year's Westminster election, are as follows:
candidateMay 2011May 2010
Paul Maskey (SF)22,902 (66.1%)22,840 (71.1%)
Alex Attwood (SDLP)4,567 (13.2%)5,261 (16.4%)
Brian Kingston (DUP)2,587 (7.5%)2,436 (7.6%)
Gerry Carroll (People Before Profit)1,661 (4.8%)-
Bill Manwaring (UUP)1,471 (4.2%)1,000 (3.1%)
Aaron McIntyre (Alliance)365 (1.1%)596 (1.9%)
I am guessing that the votes will be counted during the day on Friday.