Belfast East: MP, 2024 result and local figures
The MP for Belfast East is Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party), returned on 4 July 2024. On 4 July 2024 Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party) won 19,894 votes, 46.6% of the valid vote; Naomi Long (Alliance) came second with 17,218. 42,706 valid votes were cast by an electorate of 72,917, 58.6% of those registered. The majority was 2,676.
Key figures
What the figures show
In 2024/25, 17.8% of children under 16 in Belfast East (3,379) lived in relative low income families once housing costs are taken off, says the DWP; the UK figure is 26.0%. On the before-housing-costs measure it rose from 15.2% in 2021/22 to 15.9% in 2024/25.
The business register lists 4,000 local units for March 2026.
The claimant count for September 2026 was 1,970, or 2.9% of the working-age population. September 2025 had 2,155.
MP
Gavin Robinson, Democratic Unionist Party
- MP for Belfast East since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 7 May 2015
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Gavin Robinson on this site
In Parliament
The 5 most recent spoken contributions by Gavin Robinson in Hansard, from 19 October 2026 to 21 October 2026, quoted from the official report. Hansard search returns 190 spoken contributions by Gavin Robinson since 4 July 2024.
One of the fundamental principles of the debate yesterday and on Monday was that of upholding the rule of law, and the Secretary of State will know our questions about how the rule of law is upheld in Northern Ireland.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
The Secretary of State will know that Micheál Martin will apologise today to the family of Brian Stack, who was murdered by the IRA in 1983. They apologise 43 years later and they apologise after a failed criminal justice investigation with 194 errors and omissions.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
The Secretary of State misses the point. All that information sharing, which is permitted and is in the gift of those authorities, is about answering the question before the inquiry: whether UK state authorities could have prevented the atrocity.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
There you go; it is pathetic, Ms Ghani. This Committee will consider the amendments, but I have no doubt, given the lack of scrutiny and interest in most of what was before us yesterday, that they will be agreed on the nod—and then time will tell.
There is a recurring theme. We were told that the Irish Government would have a Garda legacy unit and that they would answer this mythical telephone, but they do not answer.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Read from the Hansard API on 26 October 2026. Up to two items per debate; remarks under 40 characters are left out. All contributions in Hansard.
General election, 4 July 2024
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Change in share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gavin Robinson | Democratic Unionist Party | 19,894 | 46.6% | −1.3 |
| Naomi Long | Alliance | 17,218 | 40.3% | −1.8 |
| John Ross | Traditional Unionist Voice | 1,918 | 4.5% | |
| Ryan Warren | Ulster Unionist Party | 1,818 | 4.3% | −1.5 |
| Brian Smyth | Green Party Northern Ireland | 1,077 | 2.5% | |
| Séamas De Faoite | Social Democratic & Labour Party | 619 | 1.4% | −2.8 |
| Ryan North | Independent | 162 | 0.4% |
Result summary as published: DUP hold. Change in share is in percentage points against the notional 2019 result on the new boundaries. Source: House of Commons Library, election results (data, read 14 October 2026).
Results on these boundaries
| Date | Election | First | Second | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2024 | General election | Democratic Unionist Party 46.6% | Alliance 40.3% | 2,676 | 58.6% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Democratic Unionist Party 47.9% | Alliance 42.1% | 2,626 | 64.4% |
Only results on the constituency boundaries first used at the 2024 general election are shown. The 2019 figures are the House of Commons Library's notional estimates of how votes cast in 2019 would have fallen on these boundaries, not a result that was declared. Source: House of Commons Library, constituency results.
Councils
Belfast East covers wards in 2 local authority areas, listed by the number of wards in the constituency.
- Belfast N09000003
- Lisburn and Castlereagh N09000007
Who has power over Belfast East
Every body that makes decisions for Belfast East, from the street up to the G20. Each one links to its page on the official record. How the ten levels work.
Level 1: Neighbourhood and community power
Residents' and tenants' groups, neighbourhood forums and local policing panels.
Level 2: Parish, town and community councils
Community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
- Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive makes law for Northern Ireland on devolved subjects
Level 6: National government
- Belfast East this page: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party) MP
- All 650 MPs votes, interests and costs
- UK government and Parliament official figures and sources
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (CoE / ECtHR) The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
- United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council) The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
- NATO NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- World Health Organization (WHO) WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
- Commonwealth of Nations The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
- World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Sources
| Figure | Period | Publisher | Read | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claimants as a share of residents aged 16 to 64 | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Claimant count | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Children in relative low income families, after housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Children in relative low income families, before housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Business sites (local units) | March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
"Data" is the file or query each figure was read from (its SHA-256 is in the link title); "area" shows the same table for this constituency alone.
Common questions
Who is the MP for Belfast East?
Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party), elected on 4 July 2024, according to UK Parliament records.
What was the 2024 general election result in Belfast East?
The House of Commons Library records 19,894 votes for Gavin Robinson of Democratic Unionist Party and a majority of 2,676; 58.6% of the electorate cast a valid vote.
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Belfast East?
The ONS claimant count for September 2026 is 1,970, 2.9% of the 16 to 64 population.
How many children in Belfast East live in low income families?
3,379 children under 16, 17.8%, after housing costs in 2024/25, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.
Built 14 October 2026 from official records; how these pages are compiled. This page lists what the record shows and gives no verdict on the MP or the area. Link moved or figure wrong? Tell us.