West Belfast by-election

agendaNi reports on a predictable result in the West Belfast by-election, where voter turnout reached a record low.

Paul Maskey, who was re-elected as an MLA for West Belfast in May, won its Westminster by-election on 9 June by taking 70.6 per cent of the vote with 16,211 votes.

The SDLP’s Alex Attwood came in second with 3,088 votes and Gerry Carroll of the People Before Profit Alliance came third with 1,751.

In contrast to the Assembly election turnout of 57.9 per cent, voter turnout was 37.5 per cent. However, because it came five weeks after the Assembly election and AV referendum, Maskey said he was not surprised.

The West Belfast Westminster seat was held by Gerry Adams for 23 years (with a five-year intervention by the SDLP’s Joe Hendron from 1992-1997) therefore Maskey was always considered the front- runner.

Following the result he tweeted: “Thank you to the 23,000 people who voted in West Belfast for six candidates yesterday. Delighted that 7 out of 10 of them voted Sinn Féin.”

Maskey also stated that he would “strive to represent each and every constituent … on the Shankill, in Andersonstown, Suffolk, the Blacks Road, in Ballymurphy, the Lower Falls and the Colin area and every other single part of this constituency.”

Paul Maskey is the brother of MLA Alex Maskey. Alex Attwood’s poll, for the SDLP, fell from its Assembly result (4,567) but was a comfortable outcome given the turnout. People Before Profit described Carroll’s performance as “impressive” as it increased from 1,661 Assembly first preferences.

The new MP will continue to observe Sinn Féin’s abstentionist policy. DUP candidate Brian Kingston said he regretted that West Belfast would remain “voiceless in Parliament” and claimed that “by indulging in this hypocritical abstentionist policy Sinn Féin is denying the people their democratic right and entitlement.”

Sinn Féin MPs can lobby the UK Government on non-devolved matters such as immigration cases which MLAs must pass on to an MP. Its MPs are entitled to claim allowances and expenses. It also gives the party a high profile for having the ‘top job’ in the constituency.

The total unionist poll was 1,779 votes, compared to 3,436 in the 2010 Westminster election (DUP 2,436 and UCUNF 1,000), where the turnout was 54.9 per cent.

Peter Robinson said he was “truly humbled” that 1,393 voters had “endorsed the DUP’s platform of moving Northern Ireland forward.” He added that the “good performance” was a sign that unionists have the potential to gain a seat in West Belfast in the Assembly. Diane Dodds was the last and only unionist MLA between 2003 and 2007.

The by-election was called by the UK Government’s Chief Whip, Patrick McLoughlin, on 16 May following Gerry Adams’ appointment to the office of Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead on 26 January. Adams has been a TD for Louth since the Republic’s general election on 26 February.