Sorcha Eastwood takes Lagan Valley for Alliance - almost 3,000 votes ahead of DUP
Alliance candidate Sorcha Eastwood has taken the Lagan Valley for Alliance - almost 3,000 votes ahead of DUP in what was once the unionist party’s stronghold.
In the seat formerly held by ex-DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, second placed candidate Jonathan Buckley pointed to the divisions within unionism as the reason for the loss of the Westminster seat.
Ms Eastwood topped the poll with 18,618 votes, ahead of Mr Buckley on 15,659, but Robbie Butler of the Ulster Unionists also secured more than 11,000 votes and TUV candidate Lorna Smyth another 2,186.
Following 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.”
Ms Eastwood said it was a “huge” moment for the party, for her and her community.
Moments after it became clear that Ms Eastwood would win the seat, there was a touching moment. As she received congratulations, she received a phone call from her husband Dale, who is battling a rare form of blood cancer.
In the middle of a media scrum, the new Lagan Valley MP was heard to say: “Yes, it’s true babe.”
Ms Eastwood admitted to being emotional in the wake of her victory.
She said: “This means so much to me.
“Not just me personally, the people of Lagan Valley from all different walks of life – people who are unionist, people who are nationalist, people who are like me and are neither of those things.
“People who hold dear who it is that we are in Lagan Valley, and that is a positive, progressive, vibrant constituency.
“I have spent my whole life growing up in Lagan Valley and if you had ever said that I would be standing here as your MP I wouldn’t have believed you.
“But we have shown that change is possible and change can happen.”
Mr Buckley blamed his defeat on divisions within unionism and predicted the DUP would retake the seat.
He said: “For Lagan Valley, there is brighter days ahead, I can assure you for unionism.
“But it must deal with its internal divisions.
“We must spend less time throwing rocks at each other and looking to the broad picture of unionism to make Northern Ireland work.”
The Ulster Unionist Party’s Robbie Butler had promised to make the contest a three-horse race but trailed in well behind on 11,157 votes and left the Craigavon counting centre before the final result was announced.