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UK Parliament - South Down

RACE DETAILS

Parents

> United Kingdom > Northern Ireland > Northern Ireland > South Down

Office

Parliament

Type

General Election

Filing Deadline

April 20, 2010 - 06:00pm

Polls Open

May 06, 2010 - 01:00am

Polls Close

May 06, 2010 - 04:00pm

Term Start

May 17, 2010 - 12:00pm

Term End

May 17, 2015 - 12:00pm

Contributor

Ralphie

Last Modified

Ralphie May 06, 2010 09:37pm

Data Sources

[Link]

Description

BBC Profile:
Ex-Conservative turned Ulster Unionist MP Enoch Powell held South Down for the UUP for 13 years from 1974 to 1987. In 1987 the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Eddie McGrady entered Parliament at the fourth attempt when he beat Powell; he held the seat through four further general election victories.

In 2001 his majority reached 13,858 before Sinn Fein clawed slightly closer in 2005, when Catriona Ruane achieved a 3.8% swing to reduce McGrady's majority to 9,140.

At this election, boundary changes switch the Down District Council wards around Ballynahinch to the neighbouring Strangford constituency. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result above.

This is a sprawling rural and coastal constituency in the south east corner of Northern Ireland. It stretches from Downpatrick and Strangford Lough in the east to the edge of Newry and Carlingford Lough in the west. The main town, Downpatrick, is famous as the burial place of St Patrick. Its best known natural features are the Mountains of Mourne. Downpatrick serves as an administrative centre for the area and is home to the new Downe hospital, a 64m project which opened in 2009. Reflecting the rural nature of the seat, agriculture is important to South Down, as well as the fishing industry. The constituency contains the busy fishing ports Ardglass and Kilkeel. The port at Warrenpoint is both a seaside resort and contains a roll-on/roll-off ferry port, which serves Newry.

Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
No Boundary Changes

LAST GENERAL ELECTION
	Party	Social Democratic and Labour	Won	05/05/2005
	Name	Eddie McGrady	Votes	21,557 (44.75%)
	Term	05/17/2005 - 05/17/2010	Margin	9,140 (+18.97%)