LAST UPDATE | 6 May 2022
COUNTING IS WELL underway in Northern Ireland following yesterday’s Stormont Assembly election..
A total of 239 candidates ran across 18 five-seater constituencies in the region, with 90 MLAs set to be elected.
Kellie Armstrong from the Alliance Party was the first candidate elected this afternoon in what may be the beginning of a good day for her party.
Good morning. Orla Dwyer here starting out today’s liveblog as counting begins in the Stormont election in Northern Ireland.
The ballots are being counted but the counting is expected to run into tomorrow.
The first of the 90 MLAs are expected to be returned by this afternoon, however, so there is plenty to keep an eye on over the next few hours.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said he believes it will be difficult to form an Executive in NI after this election.
“I think it’d be difficult because this has been a difficult election,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
“And indeed we’ve seen for a number of years now a lot of polarisation on certain issues within Northern Ireland politics.”
On the NI Protocol, Coveney said: “We need to move away now from absolutist positions towards compromise and centreground where the Irish government is working in partnership with the British government and with the European Commission.
That’s the approach we’re trying to take and I hope that will be replicated in London as well.
The ballot boxes have been opened for the count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast this morning.
239 candidates are running for 90 seats across 18 five-seater constituencies.
An indicative voter turn out of around 54% was given by the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland last night.
And we’re off ! Boxes opened in Titanic Belfast @rtenews #NI22 #AE22 pic.twitter.com/iAzlwSs83r
— Vincent Kearney (@vincekearney) May 6, 2022
John Finucane, Sinn Féin MP for North Belfast and the party’s director of elections, has dismissed criticism that an Executive will be too difficult to form after this election.
“I don’t accept the premise that we are resigned to a protracted period of no executive. I don’t think that’s what the people voted for. We will know within the next few hours,” he told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.
Polling stations closed in NI at 10pm last night and we’ll have an official turnout figure later this morning.
An official estimate said turnout averaged at 54% across polling stations.
The DUP won 28 seats at the last Assembly elections in 2017, just ahead of Sinn Féin which returned 27 MLAs.
Next was the SDLP with 12 seats, the Ulster Unionist Party with 10 seats, Alliance with eight seats, the Green Party with two seats while People Before Profit and the TUV had one MLA each.
This time around, the DUP has been regarded as playing it safe, running 30 candidates, while Sinn Féin is running 34.
Meanwhile, the UUP is running 27 candidates, the Alliance Party is running 24, the SDLP is fielding 22, TUV is putting up 19 candidates, the Green Party is running 18 and People Before Profit 12, as is Aontú, while the Workers Party is running six candidates and the PUP three.
The Irish Republican Socialist Party and the Socialist Party are each fielding two candidates, while the Northern Ireland Conservatives, Cross Community Labour Alliance, Resume NI and Heritage Party are each running one candidate.
There are 24 independent candidates.
Security staff have apologised to those stuck in a very slow moving queue.
— Darran Marshall (@DarranMarshall) May 6, 2022
All bags are being security screened - but there are just two scanners available at the centre. @BBCNewsNI #AE22 https://t.co/bUZFiQEFIk
The BBC’s Darran Marshall says there is a long queue of people waiting to get into the election count centre in Magherafelt, Derry.
He says security staff apologised to people stuck in the queue.
In perhaps a bit of pathetic fallacy, it is lashing rain in many parts of Northern Ireland this morning.
Colum Eastwood, leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and MP for Foyle, held his cards close to his chest this morning as his party awaits the election results.
He said “we feel like we’ve done our best” at this point and that it’s too soon to get at indication of the outcome.
He told Morning Ireland that the turnout seemed about average at the count centres he visited yesterday.
There’s always one person who brings a football to the polling station. Getting my excuses in early and blaming the shoes.
— Colum Eastwood 🇺🇦 (@columeastwood) May 5, 2022
Just under two hours left to vote. Come out today and vote SDLP. #PeopleFirst pic.twitter.com/KYPdOkAH1L
The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland will be sharing the turnout figures and count results online throughout the day, so we’ll be hearing a lot from them later when results start to trickle in.
Welcome to the count for the NI Assembly Election 2022. We will be posting the turnout and results throughout the day. #AE22 pic.twitter.com/nDPUCmtXxl
— Electoral Office NI (@eoni_official) May 6, 2022
We all love a bit of election day colour, don’t we?
Well, politicians certainly do anyways. Here’s Ciarán and Natalie who took time out of their wedding day to cast their ballots in the Assembly election yesterday. Kudos.
Absolutely amazing - Ciarán and Natalie taking time out of their big day to get their vote in for a First Minister for all.
— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) May 5, 2022
My very best wishes to the newly wedded couple for their future! 👏🏼 pic.twitter.com/3o0PYDYtlT
DUP MP Sammy Wilson has said his party can’t enter a new Executive without changes to the NI Protocol.
He told BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme: ”If there is no legislation in the Queen’s speech and no plans to deal with the Protocol, we have made it very clear that the Assembly cannot function if the poison of the protocol is still there.”
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis said earlier this week that a move against the Protocol is unlikely to feature in the Queen’s Speech next week.
The DUP withdrew First Minister Paul Givan from the Stormont Executive in February in protest at the Protocol.
BBC NI’s Jayne McCormack is reporting that the Alliance Party’s Stephen Donnelly (not to be confused with the Health Minister) is polling well in West Tyrone based on early tallies.
Again stressing how early it is & so much to play for but in West Tyrone, hearing Alliance’s @SteveDonnelly95 polling well, close source says he’s “outpolling UUP and his best boxes haven’t been opened yet” #AE22
— Jayne McCormack (@BBCJayneMcC) May 6, 2022
At the same time as the Assembly elections in NI, councillors have been vying for seats at local elections in Scotland, Wales and many parts of England.
Boris Johnson has faced backlash from local Conservative leaders after his party lost a flagship London authority to Labour and suffered setbacks across England.
Keir Starmer’s party gained ground in London by taking the totemic Tory authority in Wandsworth, there was a mixed picture elsewhere with the loss of Hull to the Liberal Democrats but success in the new Cumberland authority.
So there’s a lot to keep an eye on across all parts of the UK today.
As a brief respite from politics, here’s BBC journalist Huw Edwards brushing off croissant crumbs in the early hours of this morning.
The TV presenter said he was “ashamed to say” he had a “little bit of croissant” while off camera. No shame here.
BREAKING: @thehuwedwards has just eaten a little bit of a crossaint pic.twitter.com/lgv8clvFzq
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) May 6, 2022
First counts from the NI elections aren’t due in for another few hours but here’s a peek into the Ulster University Jordanstown count centre in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. Courtesy of PA.
Could be a baby shark do do do do do 🎶
— Arlene Foster #ProudofNI. (@ArleneFosterUK) May 6, 2022
Former NI First Minister Arlene Foster is clearly having a much more relaxed time with the Assembly elections considering she’s not running this time around.
Instead of posting pictures shaking hands with constituents or setting up camp at a count centre, she tweeted a baby shark reference in response to BBC NI political correspondent Gareth Gordon.
Not something you would expect from the former DUP leader, but there’s a first time for everything.
Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden has said he is confident the UK government can “make the case” for Northern Ireland remaining in the UK if Sinn Féin is victorious in the Stormont election.
Asked on Sky News whether Boris Johnson could become the Prime Minister who oversees the break-up of the United Kingdom, Dowden said: “Let’s wait and see what the results are from Northern Ireland.
“If there is a sustained majority of nationalist opinion in favour of a united Ireland, that would have to be put forward in a referendum
“That’s beyond the power of the United Kingdom Government. We would have to allow that to happen were it the case”.
He went on to say: “Of course we would honour the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement if that was required, but I’m confident that we will be able to make the case for Northern Ireland remaining in the United Kingdom should that that arise, but I don’t think we’re at that stage”.
Striking workers have staged a demonstration outside the Stormont Assembly election count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast.
Council and education workers are holding a two-week strike over a pay offer which they have rejected.
Belfast City Council worker and Unite shop steward John Moore said they want politicians to take note that “this isn’t going to stop until people come to the table and talk to us”.
Former Alliance Party Executive Director Gerry Lynch says that the early signs are that Sinn Féin are holding the seats they need to.
Sinn Féin vote seems to be holding solidly from anything I'm hearing. Key defences for them are the 2nd seats in North Belfast and Foyle, and the 3rd in West Tyrone. Walk away with all those and they can call it a good day at the office. (And they'll be the largest party obvs.)
— Gerry Lynch (@gerrylynch) May 6, 2022
Morning and almost afternoon, Rónán Duffy here for the next few hours.
We haven’t been told exactly when the first declaration will be but the hope is sometime soon after lunchtime, not too specific I know.
Either way, we’ll have the latest here and give you the best indication before the first numbers come in.
Over in Britain where Boris Johnson is having his own problems, the prospect of Sinn Féin being the largest party in Northern Ireland is making headlines in the context of what it could mean for the union in the United Kingdom.
In truth it doesn’t mean much in the short-term but that hasn’t stopped Johnson being asked about both that and Protocol.
Asked about the elections in Northern Ireland, Johnson said: “the most important thing is that we continue to support the balance of the Good Friday Agreement across all communities in Northern Ireland”.
The SDLP’s Claire Hanna MP is not sounding positive about her party’s chances amid talk that deputy leader Nichola Mallon might be at risk of losing her seat in North Belfast.
She tells the BBC’s live broadcast there’s “no doubt that it’s not going to be a great day” for her party and suggests that it was “tantalising” for nationalist voters to try to give the DUP a bloody nose by giving Sinn Féin a chance at the first ministry.
There are high tides and on low tides. The prospect of putting the DUP out of the first ministry was very, very tantalising. We hearing across the board from people, particularly when they wouldn’t confirm that they would accept the electorates say so. So I think it’s understandable that the electorate wanted to test the theory. But as I say, we’ll we’ll all be watching and waiting for many, many hours to come.
Speaking on the same programme, Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew is understandably saying that it was not so much the bloody nose factor but her party’s message that has been the main factor.
The electorate were certainly very receptive to our positive campaign. Michelle O’Neill and an all our candidates were excellent in this campaign. It was it was very heartening to be on the doors and I think that message of change resonated with people and not just with Sinn Fein voters. I certainly heard from people right across the political spectrum, including from traditional unionist parties, that they’re ready for change.
Gildernew also suggests that that transfers should be “more interesting” than usual. We’ll see how that plays out.
Obviously, we have no results yet but there are early suggestions that UUP’s leader Doug Beattie is not confident of retaining his seat. This would of course represent a massive disappointment for the party.
The UUP’s former leader Mike Nesbitt has said that both he and Beattie could be in trouble.
.@MikeNesnitt will be speaking to @bbcradioulster around 1:15pm. He says he and Doug are worried. Totally surprised as he says there was very anti-DUP sentiment at the doors but it doesn’t seem to be transferring to votes. #AE22 @BBCNewsNI
— Laura Trueman (@LauraTrueman8) May 6, 2022
Following on from what his MP Claire Hanna said earlier, SDLP leader Calum Eastwood is saying he feels nationalist voters may have ‘lent’ votes to Sinn Féin to “kick the DUP”.
.@columeastwood : “It’s clear the FM message from SF has landed with nationalist voters because they wanted to kick the DUP.”
— Darran Marshall (@DarranMarshall) May 6, 2022
“We are finding a lot of people have lent votes to Sinn Féin.” @BBCNewsNI #AE22 @MarkCarruthers7 @keirontourish
Orla Dwyer here again taking over from Rónán for the next while.
We’re getting closer to the first counts being announced at the NI count centres. Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill has also arrived at the Magherafelt count centre in Derry.
Michelle O’Neill has arrived in Magherafelt #AE22 pic.twitter.com/6PmPS8SHNS
— Dominic McGrath (@McGrathDominic) May 6, 2022
An Ulster Unionist spokesperson has said the party is confident that leader Doug Beattie will win a seat in Upper Bann. #AE22 #UPPERBANN
— Belfast News Letter (@News_Letter) May 6, 2022
An Ulster Unionist spokesperson said the party is confident Doug Beattie will win a seat in the Upper Bann constituency, according to the Belfast News Letter.
Beattie has been leader of the UUP since last year.
The count in East Antrim was showing promise to come in with results of the first count early this afternoon, but Jayne McCormack from BBC NI is reporting that ballots in this constituency are now getting a recount.
We’re still waiting for the first results of any constituency count.
DUP MP Ian Paisley said he has seen some early indications of the first count results in North Antrim.
He said the results seem to be similar to the last election which saw Jim Allister, Paul Frew, Philip McGuigan, Mervyn Storey and Robin Swann taking the five available Assembly seats.
Health Minister Robin Swann might top the poll, Paisley said, with Jim Allister currently following closely behind. But we’re still waiting for official results from all constituencies.
Paisley told BBC News NI: “Until the government fixes the Protocol there’s going to be protests from unionists.”
Alliance leader Naomi Long said it “looks like it has been a good day” for her party.
“It certainly looks like it has been a positive election for us but there is a long way to go before we have any results and as always, until it is actually there on the board and counted, I never take anything for granted,” she said arriving at the election count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast.
She said the party focused the campaign on the action they would take if they got a government up and running.
“There is precious little hope available for people at the minute, it has been a pretty grim couple of years and the politics has been pretty grim to match it.
We just offered people hope that things could be better and that’s what we want to deliver on.
The first count result has been announced in the Assembly elections in Strangford- Alliance’s Kellie Armstrong topped the poll with 7,015 votes, exceeding the quota to be elected.
This is the first count result from any constituency across NI today.
The quota for election was 6,811 votes.
The other candidate votes are as follows:
41,345 votes were collected in this constituency. 480 rejected papers. 40,865 votes counted.
Tadgh McNally here taking over the Liveblog for this afternoon!
There seems to be some movement across the Titanic count centre in Belfast, with Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly and Carál Ní Chuilín both reaching the quota in the Belfast North constituency.
It comes as Sinn Féin’s Danny Baker has also topped the poll in the Belfast West constituency.
We’ll have some initial count figures here shortly.
Just a quick update on the three Sinn Féin candidates who have just been deemed elected.
In Belfast North, Gerry Kelly received 8,395 first preference votes while Carál Ní Chuilín received 7,943 first preferences.
The quota in Belfast North was 7,672.
In Belfast West, Danny Baker received 9,011 first preference votes.
The quota in Belfast West was 7,278.
The Sinn Féin vice-President and former Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill has been deemed elected in Mid Ulster.
O’Neill topped the poll in the constituency, winning over 10,000 first preference votes.
The quota for election was 8,615.
Other candidates include:
Speaking after being deemed elected to the BBC, O’Neill said that she was grateful for the support shown to Sinn Féin candiates across Northern Ireland
She encouraged parties to turn up to form an Executive on “day one”
The overall turnout for the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election was 63.61%, with 873,787 votes being cast by the electorate.
873,787 total votes polled. Overall turnout 63.61%. #AE22
— Electoral Office NI (@eoni_official) May 6, 2022
The leader of the Alliance Party, Naomi Long, has been deemed elected on the first count in Belfast East, winning 8,195 first preference votes.
She was elected alongside the DUP’s Joanne Bunting, who received 7,253 first preference votes.
“It’s been a good day so far for Alliance and obviously it’s been a good day for me personally in East Belfast and also for Peter McReynolds and we expect that we will hold the two seats there,” Long told media after being elected.
She dedicated the win to her father in law, who died in recent weeks and was buried yesterday.
“I just want to dedicate this win to him because without family I could not do what I do, and without their support I would not be where I am.”
JEFFREY DONALDSON (DUP) AND DEIRDRE HARGEY (SF) ELECTED
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson elected in Lagan Valley.#AE2022 pic.twitter.com/fogPcpEdYB
— Stephen Walker (@StepWalkTV) May 6, 2022
Counts and therefore seats now coming thick and fast. The DUP leader was not an outgoing MLA in this election as he was elected to Westminster.
When he took over as DUP leader last year he had to pledge stand for Stormont and he was now been duly elected in Lagan Valley.
Meanwhile, in the South Belfast constituency that had five outgoing MLAs from five different parties, Sinn Féin’s Deirdre Hargey has been elected on the first count.
That South Belfast constituency could end up being one of the most exciting races, with suggestions that the Alliance Party may take a second seat at the expense of green Party leader Claire Bailey.
The two Alliance party MLAs elected so far, Kellie Armstrong (left) party leader Naomi Long (right).
We mentioned earlier that Jeffrey Donaldson was already an MP and had pledged to be elected to Stormont after he became leader, well it seems he has not ruled out the possibility of not taking up his seat.
The DUP has said they would not participate in government unless there are moves on the Protocol but this would be a further escalation.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson not making a clear commitment to resign his Westminster seat & sit in Stormont. He tells @StepWalkTV that DUP party officers will meet to discuss the best way forward. #AE22 pic.twitter.com/KK3eCvSpLg
— Suzanne Breen (@SuzyJourno) May 6, 2022
Edwin Poots, who was DUP leader for just 21 days before Donaldson, has said he believes its 50/50 on whether or not Sinn Féin emerges as the biggest party.
Speaking to RTÉ, Poots said that “it’s all to play for” at the moment.
I think it’s too close to call, it’s running around 50/50.
Donaldson’s full quotes on what’s next. First, asked if he’d take the position of Deputy First Minister if the DUP come in second:
We’re way ahead of ourselves. The first thing we need to do is see the outcome of the election. I have made clear that we need the government to take decisive action on the Protocol words are not enough. We need to see what the government are going to do to address the issues.
Secondly, if he’s committing himself to Stormont and ‘saying goodbye to Westminster?’:
I’ve made my position clear on that. I’ve been deemed elected, let’s wait for the final declaration and as I’ve said my party officers will meet and we’ll discuss the next steps in this process as to how we can most effectively apply pressure to bring about the objectives that we need. Which is a stable Northern Ireland, a stable economy and our political institutions up and running provided the Protocol is dealt with.
The UUP’s Robin Swann, who has been Health Minister throughout the pandemic, has topped the poll in North Antrim having come in fifth place in 2017.
Swann has grown his vote significantly with UUP Danny Kennedy describing it as an “exceptional result” and a “recognition of the role he has played” during Covid.
Robin Swann is of course delighted, saying it’s “a long time since the Ulster Unionists have topped the poll in North Antrim”.
It has been a challenge, it has been a challenging two years with regards to the portfolio I’ve held. I’ve done the best with what we’ve had and what we’ve been able to do and I think this result pays testimony to the work of the people in the health service across Northern Ireland.
More good news for the UUP on a day when they need it.
Deputy leader of the the party Robbie Butler has said he’s confident that party leader Doug Beattie will retain his seat despite some concerns around his safety.
Butler told RTÉ that Beattie would be elected and he “will be in Stormont on Monday”.
When asked whether or not he has confidence in Beattie’s leadership following the election, Butler backed his leader.
There will be no question mark under Doug’s leadership, when he retains his seat. The reality is that we recognised before this campaign that we had a job of work on our hands and that hasn’t changed. The reality is that the things people were talking to us on the doorstep still exist on Monday.
Butler called for an executive to be formed as soon as possible, saying there was “no need for six months of talks”.
“We’re currently in a health crisis, we have a cost of living crisis, we need a stable government here in Northern Ireland… There needs to be a functioning government in Stormont as soon as we can agree a programme for government.”
Alliance leader Naomi Long topped the poll in East Belfast. She dedicated her re election to Stormont to her late father in law who recently died. pic.twitter.com/g3JodHkFeV
— Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) May 6, 2022
Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has dedicated her victory to her father-in-law, Adrian Long, who died recently and was a Professor in Queen’s University Belfast.
Naomi Long’s husband Michael Long is an Alliance Party councillor in Belfast.
“It’s been a good day so far for Alliance and obviously it’s been a good day for me personally in East Belfast, and also for Peter McReynolds, and we expect that we will hold the two seats there,” Naomi Long said today
It’s been quite an emotional election campaign for me. I lost my father-in-law in the last few weeks, and we buried him yesterday. I just want to dedicate this win to him, because without family I could not do what I do, and without their support I would not be where I am.
We mentioned earlier how Belfast South is a race to watch.
Green Party leader Clare Bailey said that she expects a fight to retain her seat in the constituency, saying that the Alliance surge has squeezed “middle of the road parties”.
“I was fully expecting a tight fight because it’s all about the transfers, and it’s the only constituency across Northern Ireland that has five MLAs from five different parties,” Bailey said, speaking to RTÉ.
What we’re seeing is that the Alliance surge has really squeezed the middle of the road parties, so the UUP, the SDLP and ourselves are all getting squeezed.
The Journal went out on the trail in Belfast South during the campaign.
A reminder that the largest nationalist party and the largest unionist party get to nominate first and deputy first ministers.
MLAs entering Stormont must designate themselves as either ‘nationalist’, ‘unionist’ or ‘other’.
Alliance MLAs choosing the latter option but if they had a chance of being first or deputy first minister would they change their minds? Definitely not is the answer.
NEW: This is coming up a lot. People are asking if Alliance would designate as 'unionist' if, for example, it had the opportunity to take the dFM role. Alliance Party spokesperson categoric in response to me. No chance. None. #AE22
— Amanda Ferguson (@AmandaFBelfast) May 6, 2022
UUP leader @BeattieDoug says he won't be considering his position as party leader after the Assembly Election. | Follow our live blog here: https://t.co/KbcC6x5OM6 pic.twitter.com/bLBANyB4KO
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) May 6, 2022
UUP leader Doug Beattie has said that people need to “work together” if they want Northern Ireland to work.
He called for politicians to focus on the cost of living crisis, healthcare and infrastructure and to not worry about the Northern Ireland protocol.
If Northern Ireland is to work, then its people needs to work together. We need to focus on the economy, we need to focus on health, we need to focus on infrastructure. We will deal with the protocol as we need to.
He added that he did not think a border poll was likely and said that unionists who were promoting the fear of a border poll were “doing so to cheat the electorate”.
“There’s not going to be a border poll and those who are promoting fear over hope are doing so to cheat the electorate and those who have voted out of fear yesterday will regret it tomorrow.”
A media scrum as the Sinn Féin leader arrives at the Titanic centre in Belfast.
Here’s what Mary Lou McDonald had to say:
Whatever way we voted, we want to thank people for coming out and vote and being part of a democratic process in what is what we believe the election of a generation. We are here to serve, to work hard for everybody and we look forward to rolling our sleeves up and getting getting stuck in because there’s a lot of work to do.
Asked if it means she’ll be seeking a border poll, McDonald bats it away saying she wants to “get through this media scrum”.
It seems that UUP leader Doug Beattie may not be safe after all, he’s in sixth place after the first count.
He’ll need help as the transfers are made, particularly from his running mate. It’ll be a long night.
BREAKING: @uuponline leader @BeattieDoug in big big trouble in Upper Bann as the two UUP candidates fail to make a quota between them #AE22 pic.twitter.com/OQtLNR5AaF
— Gary McDonald (@geemac1962) May 6, 2022
Alliance Party leader Naomi Long on RTÉ’s Six One News saying that if they Executive cannot be constituted there is cause to change the system of government:
I don’t know if an executive can be formed but we will do everything in our power to ensure that it will. Ultimately, if the DUP want to go on and sulk and choose opposition over government, then that’s fine let them do that
We have to have a system of government that allows the rest of us, who are absolutely committed to doing the job that we’ve got elected to do, and are absolutely committed to serving the public who elected us, to get on with it because the last thing people want is the obscenity, frankly, of MLAs continuing to draw full salaries, when they are struggling at home to survive on their wages, while MLAs appear not to be doing the job they were elected to do. That’s not acceptable way forward at anytime. Certainly in a cost of living crisis.
Mary Lou McDonald has also been on Six One, she says there’s “no alternative” other than forming an Executive:
I think it’s imperative that we have an executive, I don’t think there is another alternative bar working in partnership together.
She called on the DUP to reflect on their stance to refuse to enter an Executive until the Northern Ireland Protocol is dealt with.
“I think that the DUP need to take time, to pause, to reflect now. The votes have been cast, the votes are now being counted and it’s very clear all across the political spectrum, whatever things people differ on what people agree on is the need now for good government, for leadership, and for people who are being paid from the public purse to get back to work and to deliver, so there’s no alternative other than forming an Executive.”
All smiles from Sinn Féin
With all of the first preference votes now in, we can now see that Sinn Féin has not only won the most votes (which was expected) it has actually increased it’s votes on last time out (which wasn’t).
FINAL total first preference votes (100% in):
— Ireland Elects (@ToghannEire) May 6, 2022
Vótaí céadrogha iomlán DEIREADH (100% istigh):
SF: 29.0% (+1.1)
DUP: 21.3% (-6.7)
AP: 13.5 (+4.5)
UUP: 11.2% (-1.7)
SDLP: 9.1% (-2.9)
TUV: 7.6% (+5.1)
GP: 1.9% (-0.4)
…
Live results on https://t.co/LvxJJpNuxf#AE22 #AE2022 pic.twitter.com/dDLXmBsnkr
A big casualty for the DUP here
Former DUP Education minister Peter Weir has lost his seat in Strangford.
— William Crawley (@williamcrawley) May 6, 2022
While the DUP have lost a significant MLA in Peter Weir, party leader Jeffrey Donaldson is still refusing to confirm whether or not he will be stepping down as an MP to take his seat at Stormont.
In an interview on RTÉ’s Six One, Donaldson did not confirm that he would be resigning as MP but said that his party officers would meet next week after final results are known to discuss the next steps.
“My party officers will be meeting early next week and when we’ve assessed all of the results, we will be deciding on our next steps.”
He added that he would not be nominating Ministers to a Stormont Executive until the UK Government take action on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
We need the UK government now, and the EU to act decisively to deal with the issues related to the Protocol and if they can’t get agreement, then the UK government must take action because the protocol is undermining political stability in Northern Ireland and until we get that progress I’ve made clear I will not be nominating ministers to the executive.
Here is the current state of play:
26 MLAs have been elected to the Stormont Assembly so far, out of a total of 90.
One high-profile re-election this evening is that of the DUP’s Paul Givan, the former First Minister of Northern Ireland.
Paul Givan (DUP) elected in Lagan Valley #ae22 pic.twitter.com/IpGhVNPVk0
— BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) May 6, 2022
Givan’s resignation in February lead to the collapse of the Executive and led to the automatic resignation of Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill as Deputy First Minister.
The original appointment of Givan as First Minister in June 2021 was a controversial move, with it ultimately leading to the resignation of then-DUP party leader Edwin Poots, who was removed after only three weeks in the job.
There have not been many significant movements in the last hour or so, but Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has arrived in the Jordanstown count centre for a fairly big reception.
The Alliance Leader @naomi_long gets a great reception from activists and party workers at Jordanstown count. #AE22 pic.twitter.com/JRuRRZuHHt
— Stephen Walker (@StepWalkTV) May 6, 2022
The party looks poised to become the third-largest party in Northern Ireland after an exceptionally good day at the polls.
There has been some criticism of Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald by the leader of the DUP, Jeffrey Donaldson, over comments made around Irish unity in a television interview earlier this evening.
Donaldson has criticised McDonald over her comments on a border poll, where she told TalkTV that she would like to see a poll within the next five years.
I believe the referendum would be possible within a five year timeframe, much more importantly I believe the preparation needs to start now.
The first speech is not about the cost of living or fixing our NHS, delivering more GPs or 30 hours free child care but it is about a divisive border poll within five years. . . There we have it. No one can say they weren’t warned! https://t.co/KP9dfiaeVV
— Jeffrey Donaldson MP (@J_Donaldson_MP) May 6, 2022
Sinn Féin’s Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty has said that the leadership of both Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill has led to the massive increase in Sinn Féin support in Northern Ireland.
Doherty called the election “historic” and says that the party is ready to work with others to “deliver real change”
What a result. Fantastic campaign fought by all our candidates and activists.
— Pearse Doherty (@PearseDoherty) May 6, 2022
The positive leadership of Mary Lou and Michelle has resulted in a massive SF vote.
Today is truly historic.
We are ready to work with others and deliver real change. #AE22 pic.twitter.com/xCDq79fKMU
After a poor showing for the SDLP yesterday, the party’s first elected MLA Mark Durkan has said that the party may have to ask some questions in the aftermath of the election.
Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle, Durkan said that “we will have to ask ourselves these questions” but added that it was more important to ask questions to voters about what the SDLP need to improve on.
Mark H Durkan may have got the first seat for the SDLP, but admits that there are some serious questions that the party needs to ask themselves.
— BBC Radio Foyle (@BBCRadioFoyle) May 6, 2022
Tune in via the @BBCSounds app for our election updates and up to the minute analysis 👉🏻 https://t.co/4yBgcb6ZVQ #AE22 pic.twitter.com/OuAGPfv4NV
Earlier today, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said that the party was facing a “tough election” after nationalist voters appeared to move towards Sinn Féin to send a message to the DUP.
While it appears that UUP leader Doug Beattie has been given some breathing room in his race to be reelected, the elimination of Rosemary Barton in Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a big loss for the party.
This now means that the UUP will have no female representation at Stormont when they return to the Assembly next week.
UUP’s only female MLA has lost her seat.
— Darran Marshall (@DarranMarshall) May 6, 2022
Fermanagh / South Tyrone’s Rosemary Barton has been excluded.@BBCNewsNI @MarkCarruthers7 @taramillstv #AE22
With counts now starting to wrap up, we’re going to finish our liveblog here for the night.
Keep an eye on The Journal for more news on the Assembly election counts when they start up again tomorrow.
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