Sinn Fein welcomes ‘memorable’ victory in Northern Ireland local elections

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O’Neill has hailed a “memorable” election result, with the party poised to become the largest in Northern Ireland’s councils.

As the tally of Northern Ireland’s local government elections neared its end on Saturday night, the Republican party had 138 elected councilors by 7pm, winning across the region.

It means Sinn Fein will have replicated last year’s Northern Ireland Assembly election result when it became the largest party in Stormont.

Ms O’Neill used the latest election victory to reiterate her call for the DUP to return to power-sharing institutions in Stormont.

The DUP currently holds 117 council seats, the Alliance Party 63, the Ulster Unionists 52 and the SDLP 37, with 32 others.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson insisted his party had polled strongly but said unions should learn lessons from the election.

Sinn Fein obtained 30.9% of the first preference vote, ahead of the DUP with 23.3%, Alliance 13.3%, the Ulster Unionists 10.9% and the SDLP 8.7%.

The voter turnout was 54%.

Eight of the 11 municipal areas have now completed their census.

Sinn Fein has become the largest party in Mid Ulster, Derry and Strabane and Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon.

It will also have overall control of Fermanagh and Omagh after winning 21 of the 40 seats.

The DUP becomes the largest group in Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim and Ards and North Down.

The Unionist Party will also have the largest number of councilors in Antrim and Newtownabbey.

Sinn Fein is leading the race to become Belfast’s biggest party.

The community-wide Alliance Party has made gains and looks set to become the third-largest party in local government.

But it was a disappointing election for the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP.

Veteran PUP councilor Billy Hutchinson became the second party leader to lose his seat in Belfast, after Green Party NI leader Mal O’Hara failed to get elected.

Votes are counted through the single transferable voting system, with 462 seats to be filled in 11 council areas.

The overall pattern around voter turnout seemed to be slightly higher in areas that would be considered predominantly nationalist/republican and slightly lower in areas that would be considered union-majority.

It is the first electoral test for the parties since last year’s parliamentary elections and comes amid the Stormont stalemate, with power-sharing institutions failing to operate as part of a DUP protest against post-Brexit trade arrangements.

Sinn Fein’s Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill described the results as “memorable”.

“It has been a very positive campaign, a very engaging campaign. People are very involved,” she told the BBC.

Ms O’Neill added: “It was about positive leadership, it was about restoring the executive, it was about making politics work, that resonated with the electorate and they’ve come out in such strong numbers that we are now on course to have a very momentous election result.

“Now, of course, it’s about what we’re going to do next. In my opinion, we need to double down on restoring an executive branch and getting our councils up and running again.

“But those councils will always do better if they work together with the locally elected ministers who support the councils.”

Visiting the local government election count at Belfast City Hall, Sir Jeffrey said: ‘If you really look at the real results rather than the spin some commentators try to put on it, the DUP has won its share of the vote increased compared to last year. and we are on track to win many seats on all councils.

‘We have made a profit in a number of municipalities.

“The DUP has polled strongly in this election despite everything that has happened to us, despite the challenges we have faced, the DUP vote has held up well.”

He attributed the rise of the Sinn Fein vote to the “collapse of the SDLP.”

Sir Jeffrey added: ‘I think if truth be told there are lessons to be learned for union work in the broadest sense of the word.

‘We have to do better.

“The DUP had a good election, but the unions have to do better, we have to win more seats.

“I’m happy to sit down with my fellow trade unionists and explore these issues and how greater collaboration can lead to greater success for the trade union community at large.”

UUP leader Doug Beattie said he was disappointed with the result but stressed that he had no intention of resigning.

“I have made it very clear that the party has elected me and that I am the party leader, and I am definitely not going anywhere. It will be the party that decides my fate, one or the other,” he said.

“But I will say this, and it’s important to say this: You can’t change direction and get it all done in the two years I’ve been party leader. It takes at least two election cycles.

“We are in the middle of an election cycle, we have Westminster next year, and that will also be important.

“But it’s going to take longer to turn this around, and I’m in this for the long haul, I’m definitely not going anywhere.

“So those people who are a little shaky because we had a bad election can stay shaky because I’m on absolutely solid foundations and I’m not going anywhere.”

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Sinn Fein had “cannibalized” the nationalist vote.

“It was very clear when we talked to people that people are really annoyed with the DUP, that they want to get the management back on track and that they want to send a message.

Sinn Fein asked them to send that message, and they sent it.

“They (Sinn Fein) have totally cannibalized much of the Nationalist electorate.

“They got a good hand and, to be honest, they played it very well, they ran a very good campaign and they deserve the win they have today.

“Of course the DUP’s number one priority in their electoral literature was to get back to Stormont – let’s see how they put their money in the right place.”

Northern Ireland councils are responsible for setting rates, planning and waste collection, as well as leisure services and parks.