All eyes on South Down as voters prepare to elect MP

All eyes on South Down as voters prepare to elect MP

3 July 2024

VOTERS across the district make history tomorrow when they will elect three MPs for the first time.

Changes in parliamentary boundaries in South Down and Strangford have set up an intriguing election battle between the major parties with all eyes on Sinn Fein, the DUP, Alliance and SDLP, while voters in Saintfield will select the MP for the new Belfast South and Mid Down constituency.

Parts of the Downpatrick ward, in tandem with those of Dunsford, Kilclief, Strangford village, Saul, Raholp and parts of Teconnaught, Annacloy and Drumaness are being moved from South Down into Strangford.

Crossgar — which was previously split between South Down and Strangford — has been totally subsumed into Strangford as a result of the boundary changes. 

Sinn Fein’s Chris Hazzard is expected to retain his South Down seat, with the DUP’s Jim Shannon expected to get over the line in Strangford where the boundary changes are expected to help Alliance in particular. 

But neither man will be taking anything for granted.

The SDLP’s Claire Hanna, who currently holds the South Belfast seat, is widely expected to retain it in the newly enlarged constituency, despite the influx of thousands of unionist voters from Saintfield. 

Her current majority is 15,000.

Mr Hazzard saw off the challenge from the SDLP’s Michael Savage in 2019, but with Mr Savage no longer involved in front line politics, the party has turned to South Down MLA Colin McGrath who will be contesting his first Westminster poll.

Five years ago, Patrick Brown polled almost 9,920 votes for Alliance, with his performance paving the way for an Assembly seat in 2022. But he dramatically quit Stormont in April citing “personal reasons.”

He was replaced by former Slieve Croob councillor Andy McMurray at Stormont, who the party has also selected as its Westminster candidate.

Elsewhere in South Down, the DUP’s Diane Forsythe is the party’s standard bearer while for the Ulster Unionists it’s Michael O’Loan with Jim Wells the TUV flag bearer. Rosemary McGlone is Aontú’s candidate, with the other South Down runners being the Green Party’s Declan Walsh and Hannah Westropp for the Conservatives.

Mr Shannon has been Strangford’s MP since 2010 and is defending a majority of almost of 7,100. While Strangford has lost Saintfield, the DUP man will be guarding against complacency.

Wards to the west of Comber have also been moved to the new South Belfast and Mid Down constituency, with the switch of a number of South Down wards significantly increasing nationalist voters in what has been a unionist stronghold for decades.

As in South Down, much focus will be on Alliance’s performance in Strangford. The party’s Kellie Armstrong polled 10,634 votes in 2019 but she is not standing this time round, with the party selecting former Assumption Grammar School student Michelle Guy.

In the most recent Westminster election, Alliance cut Mr Shannon’s majority by 11,000 votes.

Elsewhere in Strangford, Richard Smart is the UUP candidate, with Will Poland representing the SDLP.

The other Strangford candidates are Independents Gareth Burns and Garreth Falls, the Green Party’s Alexandra Braidner, the TUV’s Ron McDowell, Sinn Fein’s Noel Sands and Barry Hetherington for the Conservatives.

During the early hours of Friday it is expected that all the votes will have been counted and Down District will not only have three MPs for the first time in its history, but the voting pattern will provide all the parties with an insight into the potential outcome of the 2027 Assembly election given the new parliamentary boundaries.