until 1987. In the October 1974 general election the former Conservative MP Enoch Powell defended the seat for the UUP, representing a coup for them as they gained the support of a high-profile English politician, offering them a spokesperson to the United Kingdom as a whole. Powell advocated a policy of integration for Northern Ireland whereby all forms of devolution would be wound up and the province governed as an integral part of the United Kingdom. As part of this, he campaigned for the province to have the same ratio of MPs to population as in the rest of the United Kingdom, rather than fewer, which had previously been justified due to the existence of the devolved Stormont Parliament. Powell was successful in this, but a side effect was that in his own constituency; a significant block of unionist voters were removed, resulting in a nationalist majority. Powell managed to survive for two election cycles due to a split nationalist vote, but in 1987, he narrowly lost to Eddie McGrady of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, who held the seat until he retired in 2010. Since then, the unionist vote has declined further due to boundary changes, which excluded mainly unionist Dromore and Saintfield, and a trend for many unionists to tactically vote for the SDLP at Westminster elections to avoid the seat falling to Sinn Féin. However, in 2017, Sinn Féin gained the constituency for the first time with Chris Hazzard defeating former leader of the SDLP Margaret Ritchie as part of the SDLP's parliamentary wipeout at that year's snap general election. The winning vote share in 2019 was the smallest of the 650 nationwide; it was just under of the total votes that were cast. Members of Parliament The Member of Parliament since the 2017 general election has been Chris Hazzard of Sinn Féin. He succeeded SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie. In this section by-elections are indicated by an asterisk after the date and italic type. Elections Elections in the 2010s This seat saw the largest decrease in vote share for the SDLP at the 2019 general election. Elections in the 2000s Elections in the 1990s Elections in the 1980s Elections in the 1970s Elections in the 1960s Elections in the 1950s Elections in the 1910s Elections in the 1900s Elections in the 1890s Elections in the 1880s See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland References