Sinn Fein wins 27 seats to become Stormont’s largest party for first time in historic victory

Future of Northern Ireland power sharing agreement thrown in further doubt as Republicans overtake DUP

Sinn Fein has secured a historic victory by becoming the largest single party in the Northern Ireland Assembly in a result that will place the future of the power sharing agreement in further doubt.

With 88 of the 90 Stormont seats declared by 7.10pm last night the republican party had won 27, putting it ahead of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which fell by three seats to 24.

It is the first time a party seeking a united Ireland has topped the poll in the elections for the Northern Ireland Assembly and its success is predicted to lead to further stalemate in the province and uncertainty over border arrangements.

Sinn Fein had received the largest share of first-preference votes in last Thursday’s elections, at 29 per cent, and its symbolic victory was confirmed when the counting of constituency seats under the complex transferable vote system was completed on Saturday evening.

The result is likely to continue the uncertainty over the power sharing arrangements in the province, with the DUP warning that it may not return to government with Sinn Fein in Stormont.

It will also complicate talks on post-Brexit trade checks and the Northern Ireland Protocol, which the DUP regards as “incompatible” with the peace agreement.

Sinn Fein, the former political wing of the IRA, received 250,388 first-preference votes, up from 224,245 in the 2017 election.

The DUP first-preference vote has dropped by approximately 41,000 to 184,002, while the cross-community Alliance Party increased its firstpreference vote by about 44,000 to 116,681.

Sinn Fein’s vice-president Michelle O’Neill, who is likely to be nominated as First Minister, described it as “a historic day” and heralded the vote as “the election of a generation”, declaring “it’s time for real change”.

In her declaration speech in Magherafelt, after topping the poll in Mid Ulster, Ms O’Neill said: “Today represents a very significant moment of change. Today ushers in a new era which I believe presents us all with an opportunity to reimagine relationships in this society on the basis of fairness, on the basis of equality and the basis of social justice.”

Sinn Fein has not won overall control of the Northern Ireland Assembly and will still be required by the terms of the peace agreement to work with parties from the Unionist tradition.

Its triumphant candidates called for the immediate resumption of the

‘The Northern Ireland agreement and protocol are incompatible and we need to carry on with peace process’

power sharing executive.

Sinn Fein’s Deirdre Hargey, who was elected to Belfast South, said that her party would work across all of Northern Ireland’s communities.

Ms Hargey, who was Minister for Communities in the Northern Ireland Executive, spoke of her “commitment to get back round the executive table to build an inclusive

society and build on the peace agreement”.

Another big winner of the Assembly elections was the Alliance Party, which scored its best results, coming third with 17 seats, up by 9 on 2017.

It gained 13.5 per cent of firstpreference votes after picking up support from many former backers of the SDLP, which slumped to 9.1 per cent of first-preference votes and won just 7 seats.

It also picked up votes from disillusioned unionist voters, with the Ulster Unionist Party winning just 9 seats, down one from 2017.

Naomi Long, the party’s leader, said: “People took massive risks in this election in order to deliver better and deliver more for Northern Ireland and it paid off.

“I’m hugely proud of what Alliance have achieved but I’m also hugely blessed to be leading a party of the calibre of Alliance with people who are so dedicated, so committed and so selfless in their service.”

Kate Nicholl, of the Alliance Party and the serving Lord Mayor of Belfast, who was returned for the Belfast South constituency, said: “Our ticket was that we are going to work together with everyone and I’m so glad that’s been rewarded. I want everyone to know that they are valued and that they matter.”

In one of a number of shock results the DUP’s Mervyn Storey lost his seat in North Antrim to Patricia O’Lynn from the Alliance Party.

For decades North Antrim was the political power base of the hardline Unionist leader, the late Ian Paisley, and Mr Storey is a major figure in the party, having served twice as a minister.

Former DUP leader Edwin Poots, who won one of five seats in Belfast South, said Northern Ireland was in a “difficult place” and that the Brexit agreement and Good Friday Agreement were incompatible.

Mr Poots said “some really big issues” to be resolved around the question of the Northern Ireland Protocol and its relationship to the peace process and the border.

He added: “I believe the Northern Ireland agreement and the protocol are incompatible and we need to carry on with the peace process and make sure that the peace process is protected. It won’t be protected under the current circumstances and the next few months will be a critical time.”