The placeConstituency · Northern Ireland · Electorate 72,917 · 2023 boundaries

Belfast East.

Democratic Unionist Party MP Gavin Robinson holds the seat on 46.6% of the vote.

Member of ParliamentGavin Robinson · Democratic Unionist Party
Boundary set2023
ONS codeN05000001
Electorate · 2024
72.9k
Registered to vote
2024 GE — winner
46.6%
Democratic Unionist Party · +6.3pp over Ind
Settlements
0
Named built-up areas
Crime · per 1k pop · 3mo
data.police.uk · 12mo rolling
Dispatch
3 Jun 2026

Robinson has attracted scrutiny for hosting Robert Jenrick at a DUP event -- a choice directly criticised in the Belfast-based press, which questioned his judgment in associating with a politician whose positions on immigration and asylum have drawn widespread condemnation. He has also been vocal on security issues: condemning the Lurgan proxy bomb attack as a return to Troubles-era tactics, and branding Irish rap group Kneecap a "hatefest" while calling for legal accountability. In parliament, he backed referring Prime Minister Starmer to the Privileges Committee over the Mandelson appointment, and opposed carrying over the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill -- a significant stance given the bill's contentious immunity provisions.

At 57% voting participation, Robinson sits below the Commons average, though this partly reflects Northern Ireland MPs' structural relationship with Westminster legislation. He is a near-perfect party-line voter at 99.7%, with one rebel vote recorded -- against his party on a Mental Health Bill clause in October 2025. His speeches cluster around economy and jobs, defence, and crime, consistent with a unionist MP focused on security, constitutional matters, and Northern Ireland's economic position. He consistently opposes progressive taxation, employer NI increases, and worker rights measures, while backing victims' rights and parliamentary scrutiny at high rates.

His membership of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee aligns with his speech record and his public interventions on legacy, terrorism, and community issues. He sits notably below his party average on public health votes -- 25% against the DUP's 59% -- a gap the available data does not fully explain. News coverage over the past 90 days skews toward cost-of-living and crime, with broadly neutral-to-positive sentiment outside the Jenrick controversy.

§ 03Demographics.Census 2021 · vs national avg

Headline indicators.

IndicatorLocalNationalΔ

Ethnicity.

Source · Census 2021

Population by age & sexCensus 2021 · 18 bands · click to expand
Male 48.5% Female 51.5% Median seat
MaleAgeFemale
85+
80-84
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
16-19
10-15
5-9
0-4

Source · Census 2021 (ONS) · % of usual residents; tick marks the median seat per band

§ 06Election history.5 contests · created on 2023 boundaries

2024 — full result.

CandidateVotes%
Gavin RobinsonWONDUP19,89446.6
Naomi LongInd17,21840.3
John RossInd1,9184.5
Ryan WarrenInd1,8184.3
Brian SmythInd1,0772.5
Séamas De FaoiteInd6191.4
Ryan NorthInd1620.4

Turnout 42,706

Prior contests.

YearWinner%
2019Gavin RobinsonDUP49.2
2017Gavin RobinsonDUP55.8
2015Gavin RobinsonDUP49.3
2010Long, NaomiInd37.2
Sources, methods & last update
Method The dispatch paragraphs are AI-generated from the public sources listed below. Every figure links to its source. If we’re wrong, please tell us — corrections within 48 hours.
BoundariesONS Open Geography Portal
2023 boundary review
Wards & councilsLGBCE · Democracy Club
DCLEAPIL v1.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
SettlementsONS Built-Up Areas
Census 2021
DemographicsONS · Nomis · Census 2021
National avg over 575 seats
Crimedata.police.uk
LSOA-aggregated · rolling 12mo
ElectionsElectoral Commission