See main article: 1997 United Kingdom general election.
| Election Name: | 1997 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1992 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland |
| Previous Year: | 1992 |
| Election Date: | 1 May 1997 |
| Next Election: | 2001 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland |
| Next Year: | 2001 |
| Seats For Election: | 18 seats in Northern Ireland of the 659 seats in the House of Commons |
| Turnout: | 67.4% |
| Leader1: | David Trimble |
| Party1: | Ulster Unionist Party |
| Leader Since1: | 28 August 1995 |
| Leaders Seat1: | Upper Bann |
| Seats1: | 10 |
| Popular Vote1: | 258,439 |
| Percentage1: | 32.7% |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Leader2: | John Hume |
| Leader Since2: | 6 May 1979 |
| Party2: | Social Democratic and Labour Party |
| Leaders Seat2: | Foyle |
| Seats2: | 3 |
| Popular Vote2: | 190,844 |
| Percentage2: | 24.1% |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Leader4: | Gerry Adams |
| Leader Since4: | 1983 |
| Party4: | Sinn Féin |
| Leaders Seat4: | Belfast West |
| Seats4: | 2 |
| Popular Vote4: | 126,921 |
| Percentage4: | 16.1% |
| Seat Change4: | 2 |
| Leader5: | Ian Paisley |
| Party5: | Democratic Unionist Party |
| Leader Since5: | 30 September 1971 |
| Leaders Seat5: | North Antrim |
| Seats5: | 2 |
| Popular Vote5: | 107,348 |
| Percentage5: | 13.6% |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
The 1997 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland was held on 1 May with 18 MPs elected in single-seat constituencies using first-past-the-post as part of the wider general election in the United Kingdom. This was an increase of one seat in Northern Ireland, where the House of Commons as a whole had increased from 650 to 659 seats.
1,177,969 people were eligible to vote, up 53,069 from the 1992 general election. 67.39% of eligible voters turned out, down 2.6 percentage points from the last general election.[1]
The Labour Party led by Tony Blair won a large majority with 418 of 659 seats, returning to office after 18 years of Conservative Party government. In Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin gained two seats, beginning a steady growth in support in elections to the House of Commons.
Less than a year after this election, on 10 April 1998, the Good Friday Agreement was signed, providing for a Northern Ireland Assembly and devolved government through the Northern Ireland Executive.
| Party | MPs | Votes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Change | No. | % | Change | |||
| 10 | 1 | 258,439 | 32.7% | 1.8 | |||
| 3 | 1 | 190,844 | 24.1% | 0.6 | |||
| 2 | 2 | 126,921 | 16.1% | 6.1 | |||
| 2 | 1 | 107,348 | 13.6% | 0.5 | |||
| 1 | 1 | 12,817 | 1.6% | 1.6 | |||
| 0 | 62,972 | 8.0% | 0.7 | ||||
| 0 | 10,934 | 1.4% | 1.4 | ||||
| 0 | 9,858 | 1.2% | 4.5 | ||||
| 0 | New | 3,024 | 0.4% | New | |||
| 0 | 2,766 | 0.3% | 0.2 | ||||
| 0 | 2,210 | 0.3% | 0.1 | ||||
| 0 | 539 | 0.1% | |||||
| 0 | New | 81 | New | ||||
| 0 | 2,136 | 0.3% | 0.5 | ||||
| Total | 18 | 1 | 790,889 | 100 | |||