NI election: Sinn Féin now biggest party in Westminster, Stormont and council after DUP losses
In a dramatic night for Northern Ireland politics, Sinn Féin is now the largest party at Westminster, Stormont and at council level.
The Alliance Party also made history with Sorcha Eastwood becoming the first non-unionist MP in the DUP stronghold of Lagan Valley. The 38-year-old MLA is also the first woman to hold the seat that the former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson held for 27 years following her defeat of DUP candidate, Jonathan Buckley by almost 3,000 votes.
It was a bruising Westminster election for the DUP, with the TUV leader Jim Allister delivered the biggest shock of the election by unseating DUP veteran MP Ian Paisley in North Antrim.
Sinn Féin deputy leader and Stormont First Minister Michelle O’Neill said her party had achieved a “tremendous result right across the board” and that the outcome “means change”.
“This speaks volumes that the change is happening – this place is changing,” she said.
All of Northern Ireland’s 18 seats have now been declared, with East Derry’s result coming just before 8am after a recount.
Sinn Féin won seven seats, on a par with their 2019 result, while the DUP won five, down from eight. The SDLP and Alliance Party remained on two and one respectively, while one each went to the Ulster Unionists, Traditional Unionist Voice and Independent - all gains.
The DUP also lost in South Antrim to former health minister Robin Swann – with the Ulster Unionists returning an MP to the House of Commons for the first time since 2017.
[ Freya McClements: Job done for Sinn Féin, but DUP faces terrible night with high-profile losses ]
DUP leader Gavin Robinson held his seat in the East Belfast battleground where he went head-to-head with Alliance leader Naomi Long for the fourth time.
Describing his victory as a “good result” for the party, Mr Robinson said he was “incredibly proud” of Mr Buckley, who ran in Mr Donaldson’s former seat, and that his defeat was a consequence of “divided unionism.
There was a loss for Alliance’s Stephen Farry in North Down who conceded defeat earlier in the night to Independent unionist Alex Easton.
Reacting to her landmark victory, Ms Eastwood said: “It’s a fantastic night for us but it’s also a fantastic night for the people of Lagan Valley.”
She added: “I’m a Lagan Valley girl born and bred, and this has been in our heart for a long time and I’m just delighted.”
Sinn Féin also retained its seats in Mid Ulster, North Belfast, Newry and Armagh and West Tyrone while the DUP held Upper Bann and East Antrim.
The SDLP retained its two seats with party leader Colum Eastwood securing a comfortable win over Sinn Féin’s Sandra Duffy in Foyle – but with a significantly reduced majority of just over 4,000 votes. Claire Hanna also retained her South Belfast seat comfortably receiving 21345 votes and a majority of over 12000.
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