DUP warns against unionist 'vote-shredding' in upcoming election as Sinn Fein vies to emerge biggest party on Province's councils

In remarks similar to those heard last year, DUP MLA Gordon Lyons said that if unionist voters give first-preference on their ballot papers to other rival unionists, “then they will help Sinn Fein win the election”.

It comes after Mary Lou McDonald yesterday that she believes Sinn Fein can repeat its success of last May, when it emerged as the largest party at Stormont with 27 MLA seats to the DUP’s 25.

In the last local government election in 2019, the DUP took 122 council seats, and Sinn Fein 105.

There are a total of 462 council seats up for grabs across Northern Ireland’s 11 council areas, and Mrs McDonald said on Monday that her party would be running 162 candidates – making a point of stressing that more than 40% of them will be women.

She said: “That includes areas in which Sinn Fein has never had an elected representative or indeed a candidate…

"This election provides an opportunity for Sinn Fein to become the largest party in local government for the first time here in the north.

“I think there is also a sense that the DUP have enjoyed the patience of others for some time now.

"I think people are fair and people are reasonable, but there is undoubtedly now a frustration at the fact that we still have no government here in the north.

“We have raised before our concern that there would be further drift, so I think one of the big messages in this election campaign coming from people of all political persuasions will be get back to work, the time is now.

“We hope the DUP hears that message.”

Mr Lyons, the DUP’s director of elections, responded: “The best way to assist Sinn Fein in becoming the largest party in Local Government is to split the unionist vote between too many parties.

"We are asking people to vote DUP and then for other pro-union candidates but if they give their first preference vote to parties that have no chance of outpolling Sinn Fein, then they will help Sinn Fein win the election.

"Splitting the unionist vote in North Antrim at the last Assembly election cost unionism a seat and helped make Sinn Feint the largest party in the NI Assembly.

"There were enough votes in the ballot box to elect four unionist MLAs but they were shredded between too many candidates.”

Last May, DUP veteran Mervyn Storey narrowly lost out on a seat to Alliance’s Patricia O’Lynn.

In all, there had been six unionist candidates – two each from the DUP, UUP, and TUV – vying for five available seats.

Mr Lyons added: "Only 12 months ago Sinn Fein used their Assembly election win to call for a border poll before they had even exited the count centre and that will be their form once again.

"Sinn Fein want to take Northern Ireland in the wrong direction and cause further division with a border poll.”

In 2019, here were the results:

• DUP: 122 seats / 24% of first preference votes

• Sinn Fein: 105 / 23%

• UUP: 75 / 14%

• SDLP: 59 / 12%

• Alliance: 53, 12%

• Green: 8 / 2%

• TUV: 6 / 2%

• People Before Profit: 5 / 1%