In the 1970 UK general election, who was elected MP for North Antrim, became the longest serving MP from Northern Ireland, and led the Democratic Unionist Party from 1971 to 2008?
North Antrim (UK Parliament constituency) comparable to the North and Mid Antrim divisions which had existed from 1885 to 1922. Since 1950 the Westminster elections have been relatively uncompetitive. In 1951, it was one of the last four seats to be uncontested in a UK general election. More recently, one man repeatedly won by a large majority: the Reverend Ian Paisley was first elected as a Protestant Unionist Party candidate in the 1970 general election. The following year that party changed to the Democratic Unionist Party and Paisley held the seat for 40 years until his retirement in 2010. This is the longest continuous period
1986 North Antrim by-election 1986 North Antrim by-election The 1986 North Antrim 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. All but one of the Unionists