Newry and Armagh by-election, 1986
Encyclopedia
The 1986 by-election
in Newry and Armagh
was caused by the resignation of incumbent Member of Parliament
Jim Nicholson
.
Nicholson, along with all sitting Unionist MPs, resigned their Westminster seats in December 1985, to highlight their opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement
and to use the resultant by-elections to campaign on the issue.
The poll was held on January 23, 1986, however Nicholson was not re-elected, losing his seat to the nationalist SDLP
candidate Seamus Mallon
. Nicholson also failed to recapture the seat at the following general election
.
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in Newry and Armagh
Newry and Armagh (UK Parliament constituency)
Newry and Armagh is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.-Boundaries:The seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from the old Armagh constituency with the...
was caused by the resignation of incumbent Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Jim Nicholson
Jim Nicholson (UK politician)
James Frederick "Jim" Nicholson is a Northern Ireland Ulster Unionist Party politician, who is currently a Member of the European Parliament .-Career:...
.
Nicholson, along with all sitting Unionist MPs, resigned their Westminster seats in December 1985, to highlight their opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
and to use the resultant by-elections to campaign on the issue.
The poll was held on January 23, 1986, however Nicholson was not re-elected, losing his seat to the nationalist SDLP
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
candidate Seamus Mallon
Seamus Mallon
Seamus Frederick Mallon born 17 August 1936, in Markethill, County Armagh, is an Irish politician and former Deputy Leader of the nationalist Social Democratic and Labour Party in Northern Ireland...
. Nicholson also failed to recapture the seat at the following general election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
.