2005 Belfast City Council election explained

See main article: Northern Ireland local elections, 2005.

Election Name:	2005 Belfast City Council election
Country:	Northern Ireland
Flag Image:	Flag of Belfast.svg
Type:	parliamentary
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	2001 Belfast City Council election
Previous Year:	2001
Next Election:	Belfast City Council election, 2011
Next Year:	2011
Seats For Election:	All 51 seats to Belfast City Council
Majority Seats:	26
Party1:	Democratic Unionist Party
Seats1:	15
Seat Change1:	5
Party2:	Sinn Féin
Seats2:	14
Seat Change2:	0
Party3:	Social Democratic and Labour Party
Seats3:	8
Seat Change3:	1
Party4:	Ulster Unionist Party
Seats4:	7
Seat Change4:	4
Party5:	Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Seats5:	4
Seat Change5:	1
Party6:	Progressive Unionist Party
Seats6:	2
Seat Change6:	1
Party7:	Independent (politician)
Seats7:	1
Seat Change7:	0
Lord Mayor
Before Election:	Tom Ekin
Before Party:	Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
Posttitle:	Lord Mayor
After Election:	Wallace Browne
After Party:	Democratic Unionist Party

Elections to Belfast City Council were held on 5 May 2005 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used nine district electoral areas to elect a total of 51 councillors, most representing the more heavily populated north and west.

The DUP emerged as the largest party, and Wallace Browne became Lord Mayor.

Election results

Note: "Votes" are the first preference votes.

Districts summary

Others|-|align="left"|Balmoral|22.2|2|10.3|0|bgcolor="#99FF66"|33.1|bgcolor="#99FF66"|2|19.7|1|12.9|1|0.0|0|1.8|0|6|-|align="left"|Castle|bgcolor="#D46A4C"|38.6|bgcolor="#D46A4C"|2|18.6|1|27.1|2|10.5|1|2.5|0|0.0|0|2.7|0|6|-|align="left"|Court|bgcolor="#D46A4C"|67.7|bgcolor="#D46A4C"|3|3.3|0|0.0|0|7.7|0|0.0|0|10.7|1|13.9|1|5|-|align="left"|Laganbank|15.1|1|17.8|1|bgcolor="#99FF66"|31.5|bgcolor="#99FF66"|2|18.8|1|9.5|0|0.0|0|7.2|0|5|-|align="left"|Lower Falls|0.0|0|bgcolor="#008800"|85.2|bgcolor="#008800"|5|11.9|0|0.0|0|0.0|0|0.0|0|3.5|0|5|-|align="left"|Oldpark|22.3|1|bgcolor="#008800"|47.5|bgcolor="#008800"|3|15.9|1|7.9|1|0.0|0|3.8|0|3.2|0|6|-|align="left"|Pottinger|bgcolor="#D46A4C"|41.7|bgcolor="#D46A4C"|3|8.9|0|6.3|0|22.0|1|7.5|1|11.0|1|2.5|1|6|-|align="left"|Upper Falls|0.0|0|bgcolor="#008800"|75.2|bgcolor="#008800"|4|24.8|1|0.0|0|0.0|0|0.0|0|0.0|0|5|-|align="left"|Victoria|bgcolor="#D46A4C"|37.5|bgcolor="#D46A4C"|3|0.0|0|2.4|0|33.0|2|23.4|2|2.1|0|1.7|0|7|- class="unsortable" class="sortbottom" style="background:#C9C9C9"|align="left"| Total|25.8|15|30.6|14|17.1|8|13.8|7|6.8|4|2.7|2|3.2|1|51|-|}

District results

Balmoral

2001: 2 x UUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x DUP
2005: 2 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance
2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from UUP

Castle

2001: 2 x DUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP
2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x SDLP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x UUP
2001-2005 Change: No change

Court

2001: 2 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent
2005: 3 x DUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Independent
2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from UUP

Laganbank

2001: 2 x SDLP, 2 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin,
2005: 2 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP
2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from UUP

Lower Falls

2001: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2005: 5 x Sinn Féin
2001-2005 Change: Sinn Féin gain from SDLP

Oldpark

2001: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP, 1 x DUP, 1 x PUP
2005: 3 x Sinn Féin, 1 x DUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x UUP
2001-2005 Change: UUP gain from PUP

Pottinger

2001: 3 x DUP, 1 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Alliance
2005: 2 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 1 x PUP, 1 x Sinn Féin
2001-2005 Change: DUP and Alliance gain from UUP and Sinn Féin

Upper Falls

2001: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2005: 4 x Sinn Féin, 1 x SDLP
2001-2005 Change: No change

Victoria

2001: 3 x UUP, 2 x DUP, 2 x Alliance
2005: 3 x DUP, 2 x UUP, 2 x Alliance
2001-2005 Change: DUP gain from UUP