Election 2022 Live Blog: Henry McDonald talks to newly elected MLA Diane Forsythe - Who has won a seat so far - Winning Alliance candidate declares ‘God save the queen!’
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Northern Ireland Assembly Elections 2022
Key Events
- Stormont stalemate as Sinn Fein biggest party but DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson sticks to guns on protocol
- Doug Beattie in scrap with Alliance to retain his Upper Bann seat
- Poots takes South Belfast seat but memories of Stalford hurt
- The unionist overall vote stays ahead of the nationalist total, albeit narrowly
Our Political Editor Henry Mc Donald spoke to two successful candidates in South Belfast at the Titanic Count, Paula Bradshaw of Alliance and the SDLP’s Matthew O’Toole.
Speaking after she and her running mate Kate Nicholl were both elected on Saturday lunchtime, Ms Bradshaw said Alliance had fought a “very positive and progressive campaign with a fantastic running mate.”
She said: “I think that the constituency is the most diverse in Northern Ireland and so it’s appropriate that we have two representatives for the whole of its population.
“Because it is a changing area and Kate has a wonderful track record in terms of helping the BAME community, and she herself is from Zimbabwe.
“So we complimented each other in reaching out to the many communities that there are in South Belfast.
Matthew O’Toole of the SDLP will be the party’s lone representative not only for South Belfast but maybe even for the whole of the city in the next Assembly.
He told our Political Editor that while it had been a good election for him he acknowledged it had been a bad one for his party.“It’s definitely a difficult election for the party in the context of a very big Sinn Fein and Alliance Party vote surge which has depressed our first preference vote in all parts of Northern Ireland.
In relative terms in South Belfast our vote upheld well but given the scale of the surge we had these losses, “ he said.
Mr O’Toole denied that the SDLP’s Westminster seat was now under threat in the next general election.“I think Claire Hanna’s position is safe because she works brilliantly for her constituency. She will continue to do that as she is one of the most accomplished MPs around.”
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson interview – leader speaks of DUP success saying ‘this is not a drastic result for us by any measure’
ELECTION 2022: WATCH Sir Jeffrey Donaldson interview – leader speaks of DUP success saying ‘this is not a drastic result for us by any measure’
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has told the News Letter that the election results are not “drastic” for the party, “by any measure”.
Former Education Minister Peter Weir thanks all who voted for him and his 'team of whom i am immensely proud' after being eliminated in Strangford
Election 2022: Former Education Minister Peter Weir thanks all who voted for him and his 'team of whom i am immensely proud' after being eliminated in Strangford
Former Education Minister Peter Weir has issued heartfelt thanks to all who voted for him in a message on social media after being eliminated in Strangford.
Alliance are closing in on a second seat in South Belfast this morning.
With Paula Bradshaw just elected Alliance’s second candidate Kate Nicholl has opened up a 700 vote gap against her nearest rival the Green Party leader Claire Bailey. Ms Bradshaw has a surplus of 500 votes to distribute to her running mate and it looks likely now that Alliance will have two seats from the constituency marking another historic first for Naomi Long’s party.
SF and Alliance the big winners on a bruising day for unionism
SF and Alliance the big winners on a bruising day for unionism
Sinn Fein is on course for a historic victory in the Assembly election, after receiving the most first-preference votes.
Sinn Fein’s day in the sun but no new dawn for Irish unity
Sinn Fein’s day in the sun but no new dawn for Irish unity
Like the sheep in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ who repeatedly bleat “Four Legs Good, Two legs Bad” London-based newsrooms this weekend will be ba ba baaing out their own mantra about the outcome of the Northern Ireland Assembly election.
Counting resumes in Northern Ireland Assembly with Sinn Fein poised for historic victory - Sir Jeffrey Donaldson delivers a personal challenge to Boris Johnson to address outstanding issues around NI Protocol
Stormont stalemate as Sinn Fein biggest party but DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson sticks to guns on protocol
Election 2022: Sinn Fein biggest party but Donaldson sticks to guns on protocol
With Sinn Fein poised to emerge this weekend as the single biggest force in the next Assembly, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson called last night for a meeting of all unionist leaders to discuss the electoral fallout.
