1967 Londonderry Borough Council election

Elections to Londonderry Borough Council were held on 17 May 1967, amidst the Northern Ireland civil rights movement.

Results by ward.

The election would be the last for the unreformed Londonderry Borough Council, with local government in Northern Ireland being reformed from 1969 onwards. The council elected was the last with a Unionist majority. Albert Anderson continued as Mayor.

The Northern Ireland Labour Party stood for the first time in local elections in the city.[1] It made a particularly strong showing under its local party chairman, Willie Breslin, with the party taking 30% of the vote. Due to the electoral system however the party failed to win any seats.[2] The Ulster Unionist Party stood in both wards with a unionist majority, and the Nationalist Party only in the one ward with a nationalist majority. Two independent candidates also stood.[1]

Results

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The final result saw no change from the previous election, which had been held in 1964 and in which no seats had been contested. Two of the Nationalist Party councillors were new, with Mary Harrigan being the first woman to serve on the council since 1926.[3]

Londonderry Borough Council election, 1967[4]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  UUP 12 0 0 0 66.7 32.2 25,535[1]
  Nationalist 8 0 0 0 33.3 33.9 26,880
  NI Labour 0 0 0 0 0.0 31.9 25,296
Registered electors 23,312[2]
Turnout 16,263[3] 69.76%

The 1969 report by Lord Cameron into "Disturbances in Northern Ireland" (paragraph 134) gives the total electorate as 23,210 rather than 23,312, and divides the 23,210 into 14,429 Catholic voters and 8,781 Other voters.

Ward results

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North Ward

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North Ward - results by party
8 Councillors[4]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Ulster Unionist Party 8 0 0 0 100.0 17,198
  Northern Ireland Labour Party 0 0 0 0 0.0 7,861
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 1,227
Registered electors 6,476[5]
Turnout 4,648[6] 71.77%
Total valid votes 4,582[7] 70.75%

The 1969 report by Lord Cameron into "Disturbances in Northern Ireland" (paragraph 134) divides the total ward electorate of 6,476 into 2,530 Catholic voters and 3,946 Other voters.

North Ward
6 elected Councillors
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP John A. Allen 2,768 60.41
UUP William Beatty 2,908 63.47
UUP John A. Canning 2,907 63.44
UUP Robert Stewart 2,832[5] 61.81
UUP Alfred Wallace 2,877 62.79
UUP James J. Whyte 2,906 63.42
NI Labour Ivan Cooper 1,328 28.98
NI Labour Ernest G. Cowan 1,228 26.80
NI Labour Henry L. Doherty 1,434 31.30
NI Labour Richard J. Foster 1,258 27.46
NI Labour George S. Stewart 1,289 28.13
NI Labour Janet Wilcock 1,324 28.90
Independent George C. Austin 1,227 26.78
Total votes 26,286
Total valid votes 4,582[8]

South Ward

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South Ward - results by party
8 Councillors[9]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland) 8 0 0 0 100.0 26,880
  Northern Ireland Labour Party 0 0 0 0 0.0 14,174
Registered electors 11,287[10]
Turnout 7,487[11] 66.33%
Total valid votes 7,160[12] 63.44

The 1969 report by Lord Cameron into "Disturbances in Northern Ireland" (paragraph 134) gives the total ward electorate as 11,185 rather than 11,287, and divides the 11,185 into 10,047 Catholic voters and 1,138 Other voters.

South Ward
6 Councillors
Electorate: 6,476
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Nationalist James Doherty 4,692 65.53
Nationalist James R. Doherty 4,552 63.58
Nationalist Patrick Friel 4,624 64.58
Nationalist Mary Harrigan 4,293 59.96
Nationalist Thomas McDonnell 4,282 59.80
Nationalist Michael Eugene O'Hare 4,437 59.80
NI Labour Edward J. Campbell 2,145 29.96
NI Labour Joseph Doherty 2,701 29.96
NI Labour Paul Grace 2,402 33.55
NI Labour Charles V. Grant 2,286 31.93
NI Labour Jeremiah Mallett 2,244 31.34
NI Labour Barry McLaughlin 2,396 33.46
Total votes 41,054

Waterside Ward

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Waterside Ward
4 Councillors[13]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Ulster Unionist Party 4 0 0 0 100.0 8,337
  Northern Ireland Labour Party 0 0 0 0 0.0 3,261
  Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 234
Registered electors 5,549[14]
Turnout 4,128[15] 74.39%
Total valid votes 4,101[16] 73.91%

The 1969 report by Lord Cameron into "Disturbances in Northern Ireland" (paragraph 134) divides the total ward electorate of 5,549 into 1,852 Catholic voters and 3,697 Other voters.

Waterside Ward
3 elected Councillors
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
UUP Albert Wesley Anderson 2,740 66.81
UUP Leonard Hutchinson 2,834 69.11
UUP John T. McParland 2,763 67.37
NI Labour James B. Hinds 1,116 27.21
NI Labour John I. Hutchinson 1,057 25.77
NI Labour Michael T. Roddy[6] 1,088 26.53
Independent Denis Colclough 234 5.71
Total votes 11,832

Notes

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1.^ Voters in North and South wards could each vote for up to 6 candidates and voters in Waterside ward could vote for up to 3 candidates. As a result totals for registered electors and turnout do not bear a direct relation to votes.
2.^ Two aldermen were elected unopposed in each of the North ward and the South ward and one alderman was elected unopposed in the Waterside ward.
3.^ The Derry Journal gives 25,550 as the total of 17,198 (North ward) and 8,337 (Waterside ward).

References

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  1. ^ a b "Local election bid by Paisleyites". Irish Times. 16 May 1967.
  2. ^ "Labour and civil rights activist". irishtimes.com.
  3. ^ "Unionists increase Belfast strength". Irish Times. 19 May 1967.
  4. ^ "Labour Challenge Defeated - No Change in Derry Corporation". Derry Journal. 19 May 1967. p. 1.
  5. ^ The Derry Journal gives a figure of 2,877, which is identical to the number of votes for the next candidate Alfred Wallace. That figure, when added to the totals for the other Ulster Unionist candidates, does not equal the total Ulster Unionist poll of 17,198 given by the Derry Journal. The figure of 2,832 given by the Londonderry Sentinel, when added to the totals for the other Ulster Unionist candidates, does equal the total Ulster Unionist poll of 17,198 given by the Derry Journal.
  6. ^ The Derry Journal gives a figure of 1,083. That figure, when added to the totals for the other candidates, does not equal the total Labour poll of 3,261 given by the Derry Journal. The figure of 1,088 given by the Londonderry Sentinel, when added to the totals for the other candidates, does equal the total Labour poll of 3,261 given by the Derry Journal.