1986 North Down by-election explained

Election Name:1986 North Down by-election
Type:parliamentary
Country:United Kingdom
Seats For Election:Constituency of North Down
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1983 United Kingdom general election
Previous Year:1983
Election Date:23 Jan 1986
Candidate1:James Kilfedder
Party1:Ulster Popular Unionist Party
Popular Vote1:30,793
Percentage1:79.2%
Swing1: 23.1%
Candidate2:John Cushnahan
Party2:Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Popular Vote2:8,066
Percentage2:20.8%
Swing2: 1.3%
MP
Posttitle:Subsequent MP
Before Election:James Kilfedder
Before Party:Ulster Popular Unionist Party
After Election:James Kilfedder
After Party:Ulster Popular Unionist Party
Turnout:62.8% (3.4%)
Next Election:1987 United Kingdom general election
Next Year:1987

The 1986 North Down 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.

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