Election 97
Lagan Valley
Old constituency Lagan Valley
Current MP James Molyneaux
UUP 92 29,772
Alliance 92 6,207
SDLP 92 4,626
Conservative 92 4,423
Sinn Fein 92 3,346
Elected party Ulster Unionists
Lagan Valley

Robert Waller writes

A strongly Unionist, predominantly Protestant seat, Lagan Valley is compact and densely populated, with the major centre of Lisburn and a number of smaller communities.

The DUP gave the UUP a close fight here in the early 1980s, but they have not contested the UUP's James Molyneaux on the last three elections, and it seems that he can rely on a five-figure majority over the second-placed Alliance party in 1997.