Green Party Northern Ireland leader Mal O’Hara loses seat on Belfast City Council; DUP and Sinn Fein appear on course to hold their respective positions

He remained in contention until the final stage of the count in the Castle District Electoral Area (DEA), but lost in the end to Carl Whyte of the SDLP.

By 7.30pm on Friday, just 18 of the 60 seats on the capital’s council had been filled. Sinn Fein and the DUP appeared to be on course to hold their respective strengths on the council.

Alliance leader Naomi Long said she believes her party had performed well in Belfast. Ms Long said she expected any gains for her party to come in the later stages of the count as the transfers in the single transferrable vote system are distributed.

On Friday evening, Sinn Fein were leading the way with eight councillors, the DUP had six while Alliance had two seats and the SDLP had two.

In 2019, Sinn Fein was the largest party in Belfast with 18 councillors, however, this total was a drop from the 19 seats it won at the 2014 and 2011 local government elections. Four years ago, the DUP had 15 councillors, a gain from the 13 seats it won in 2014, but still down on the 17 seats it won in 2011.

Meanwhile, the Alliance Party had 10 councillors in 2019, ahead of the SDLP who had six, the Green Party had four, People Before Profit had three, the UUP had two and the PUP had two.

Sitting Lord Mayor Tina Black was among the earliest elections on the first day of the count on Friday. Her Sinn Fein colleague Geraldine McAteer was the first elected to the capital’s council in the Balmoral DEA. A short time later, Ms Black, along with DUP candidates Frank McCoubrey and Nicola Verner, were elected in the Court DEA.

Five DEAs were counted on Friday: Black Mountain, Castle, Court, Balmoral and Lisnasharragh. Counting in the remaining DEAs of Botanic, Oldpark, Ormiston, Collin and Titanic, are due to start on Saturday. If the counting has not completed on Saturday, it will resume on Monday.