The Good Friday Agreement is under renewed pressure tonight, after the DUP's strong performance in the Westminster elections. With counting concluded in the North, they have five MPs. This is the largest in the party's history. It has not been a good election for the North's First Minister, David Trimble. His Ulster Unionists have conceded three seats to the Democratic Unionists and one in Fermanagh South Tyrone, although they won two back in North Down and South Antrim.
David Trimble retained his seat in Upper Bann following a recount. The UUP leader won 17,095 votes, compared with DUP candidate, David Simpson's 15,037. On the Nationalist side, Sinn Féin's Darragh O'Hagan poll around 3,000 votes higher than the SDLP's Dolores Kelly. The official poll in Upper Bann was 70.79%.
The story has been very different for Sinn Féin. They have four seats in the new Westminster Parliament. Sinn Féin's Pat Doherty has taken the West Tyrone seat from anti-Agreement Unionist, Willie Thompson. The turnout in West Tyrone was almost 81% while the absence of tactical voting on the part of Unionists in favour of Bríd Rodgers allowed Mr Doherty claim the third seat for Sinn Féin.
The Sinn Féin President, Gerry Adams, won what has been described as a "stunning victory" in his West Belfast constituency. Mr Adams won 66% of the overall vote, with a majority of 20,000 votes. The SDLP's Chairman, Alex Atwood, saw his Party's vote collapse by more than 10,000 votes from the previous election. Stormont Education Minister, Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin, held his seat in Mid Ulster with a 9,953 majority over DUP rival Ian McCrea.
Sinn Féin won their fourth seat in Fermanagh South Tyrone, following a recount. Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Féin won by 53 votes. But the seat's Ulster Unionist candidate, James Cooper, has said that he does not accept the result there. Mr Cooper said that there was clear and irrefutable electoral malpractice and he was now considering taking a court challenge.
In the constituency of Newry and Armagh, the SDLP's Seamus Mallon has been elected on 20,784 votes. Behind him was Conor Murphy (SF) on 17,209, Paul Berry (DUP) 10,795, and Sylvia McRoberts (UUP) 6,833.
Earlier, the DUP leader Ian Paisley retained his seat in North Antrim. He topped the poll by more than 14,000 votes, holding nearly 50% of the vote for the constituency. He said that it was a great day and that the Unionist people had arisen and said to those who want to kill them "you will never conquer us". He said that it spoke volumes that the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble, was facing a recount. John Kelly of Sinn Féin significantly increased his vote.
Meanwhile, the Ulster Unionist candidate, Lady Sylvia Hermon, has been declared the winner in the North Down constituency. Lady Sylvia, wife of the former RUC Chief Constable, Sir Jack, finished seven thousand votes ahead of the sitting MP, Bob McCartney. The contest between the DUP and the Ulster Unionists continues to be tight across the North.
The DUP's candidate, Gregory Campbell, beat the UUP's Willie Ross in the seat of East Londonderry. Elsewhere, one of David Trimble's fiercest Good Friday Agreement opponents was today among the first MPs to be elected in Northern Ireland. Nigel Dodds, of the Democratic Unionist Party, swept to victory in North Belfast after the Ulster Unionist vote for outgoing MP Cecil Walker collapsed. Mr Dodds' closest competitor, Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly, earlier conceded the seat.
The first confirmed result of the North's Westminster elections showed a victory for the UUP. In the seat of South Belfast, the Reverend Martin Smyth polled 17,008 votes, ahead of the SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell with 11,609. There are predictions of tight contests and some upsets in the Westminster poll. Counting was delayed by the process of verifying council votes and only got underway this afternoon.
In East Antrim, Roy Beggs of the Ulster Unionist Party retained his seat by a small margin. He acknowledged that there had been a protest vote and there was a significant move to the DUP in parts of the constituency. Belfast Lord Mayor, Sammy Wilson, who was running for the DUP, said that he had received a good positive response in areas such as Larne and beyond and said that it would be a very close contest. He said that the Ulster Unionists were worried and things were closer than they had expected. Mr Beggs said that the Ulster Unionist Party would still be the largest party from the North at Westminster.
Some Unionist sources have alleged that there have been irregularities ranging from polling stations being kept open after 10pm yesterday in Nationalist areas to dubious registration of voters to benefit Sinn Féin.
In a separate development, the RUC has arrested two men after a gun attack outside a polling station in County Derry. Two police officers and a woman civilian were wounded. The shooting happened at Draperstown, near Magherafelt, shortly before polling closed at 10pm yesterday. It is understood a gunman stepped from a car and opened fire as people went in to cast their votes.
The three injured people are said to be in a stable condition in hospital. Initial reports suggest the attack was carried out by dissident Republicans. The Northern Secretary, John Reid, condemned the shooting. He said that the incident showed a total contempt for democracy.
