DUP to block formation of Executive after losing election

As a Sinn Féin First Minister was historically elected to head the new power-sharing Stormont Executive tonight, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has confirmed he will veto its formation.

With 27 seats to 25 for the DUP, Sinn Féin officially became the largest party at the Belfast Assembly as counting wound down with two seats left to be filled.

That means Michelle O’Neill is now the First Minister-elect, the first nationalist leader to head a Six County administration since Ireland was carved up for the purpose of preventing exactly such an outcome.

As the largest unionist party, the DUP’s support is required for the formation of an Executive, and it now intends to use that veto, according to Donaldson.

It had long been expected that the DUP would refuse to operate the power-sharing institutions in the event that Sinn Féin took the top post. Donaldson had indicated over recent months that he would refuse to take part in an Executive if it was headed by Ms O’Neill, or if there were insufficient changes to the Irish Protocol of Brexit.

Speaking as counting took place this afternoon, the Lagan Valley Assembly member made it clear he would block an Executive and that he would only support a new Six County government based on what he described as “stable foundations”.

“The long shadow of the Protocol is harming our economy, is harming political stability,” he said. He claimed unionists were opposed to the protocol “and we need to get back to consensus politics”.

The first step in the formation of new administration should be the nomination of an Assembly Speaker by the end of the week. If formed, the Executive would consist of a Sinn Féin First Minister, a DUP Deputy First Minister, 3 Sinn Féin Ministers, 2 Ministers from the DUP, 1 each from Alliance, the UUP and the SDLP.

Despite the DUP’s stance, the result has brought international interest and congratulations for Michelle O’Neill, a mother of two and a lifelong republican from Clonoe, Tyrone.

Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon was among the first to congratulate the First Minister-elect “on a truly historic result” for Sinn Féin.

“I wish Michelle and her colleagues - and all Northern Ireland’s elected representatives - the very best for what comes next and hope to see the NI government functioning again soon.”

Speaking to the BBC, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald again hailed the significance of her party’s victory, saying it was “not simply symbolic that we are, it now seems, on the cusp of a nationalist or a republican leading the Executive, being the first minister in the North.

“It’s significant because it’s a moment of equality. It says there’s no job that’s beyond anybody’s reach.”

She also said that as First Minister Michelle O’Neill would “lead for everybody” and would engage with unionists and “work together” to prepare for a reunified Ireland.

FINAL RESULTS

Sinn Féin 29.0% (+1.1%) - 27 seats (-)
Democratic Unionist Party 21.3% (-6.7%) - 25 seats (-3)
Alliance Party 13.5% (+4.5%) - 17 seats (+9)
Ulster Unionist Party 11.2% (-1.7%) - 9 seats (-1)
SDLP 9.1% (-2.9%) - 8 seats (-4)
TUV 7.6% (+5.1%) - 1 seat (-)
Green Party 1.9% (-0.4%) - 0 seats (-2)
Aontú 1.5% (+1.5%)- 0 seats (-)
People Before Profit 1.1% (-0.6%) - 1 seat (-)
Others 3.7% (-) - 2 seats (+1)

` East Belfast - Complete

Andy Allen (UUP) 5281 - Elected Count 11
Karl Bennett (PUP) 970 - Eliminated
David Brooks (DUP) 6633 - Elected Count 11
Joanne Bunting (DUP) 7253 - Elected Count 1
Charlotte Carson (SDLP) 484 - Eliminated
Hannah Kenny (PBP) 500 - Eliminated
Lauren Kerr (UUP) 1282 - Eliminated
Naomi Long (Alliance) 8195 - Elected Count 1
Eoin Macneill (Workers Party) 72 - Eliminated
Peter McReynolds (Alliance) 5820 - Elected Count 9
Mairead O’Donnell (SF) 1369 - Eliminated
John Ross (TUV) 3087 - Eliminated
Brian Smyth (Green) 2302 - Eliminated

North Belfast - Complete

Phillip Brett (DUP) 6329 - Elected Count 10
Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston (UUP) 2643 - Eliminated
Fiona Ferguson (PBP) 1059 - Eliminated
Billy Hutchinson (PUP) 762 - Eliminated
Gerry Kelly (SF) 8395 - Elected Count 1
Lily Kerr (Workers Party) 168 - Eliminated
Brian Kingston (DUP) 4844 - Elected Count 11
Seán Mac Niocaill (Aontú) 640 - Eliminated
Nichola Mallon (SDLP) 3604 - Eliminated
Nuala McAllister (Alliance) 4381 - Elected Count 11
Ron McDowell (TUV) 3335 - Eliminated
Carál Ní Chuilín (SF) 7392 - Elected Count 1
Mal O’Hara (Green) 1446 - Eliminated
Stafford Ward (Ind.) 489 - Eliminated

South Belfast - Complete

Clare Bailey (Green) 4058 - Eliminated
Paula Bradshaw (Alliance) 6503 - Elected Count 7
Andrew Girvin (TUV) 1935 - Eliminated
Deirdre Hargey (SF) 9511 - Elected Count 1
Paddy Lynn (Workers Party) 139 - Eliminated
Luke McCann (Aontú) 806 - Eliminated
Stephen McCarthy (UUP) 3061 - Eliminated
Neil Moore (Socialist) 353 - Eliminated
Kate Nicholl (Alliance) 5201 - Elected Count 8
Elly Odhiambo (Ind.) 107 - Eliminated
Matthew O’Toole (SDLP) 5394 - Elected Count 6
Edwin Poots (DUP) 7211 - Elected Count 5
Sipho Sibanda (PBP) 629 - Eliminated
Elsie Trainor (SDLP) 2030 - Eliminated

West Belfast - Complete

Danny Baker (SF) 9011 - Elected Count 1
Gerard Burns (Ind.) 192 - Eliminated
Gerry Carroll (PBP) 3279 - Elected Count 11
Patrick Crossan (Workers Party) 193 - Eliminated
Paul Doherty (SDLP) 2528 - Eliminated
Jordan Doran (TUV) 802 - Eliminated
Órlaithí Flynn (SF) 6743 - Elected Count 10
Linsey Gibson (UUP) 474 - Eliminated
Gerard Herdman (Aontú) 1753 - Eliminated
Donnamarie Higgins (Alliance) 907 - Eliminated
Declan Hill (Ind.) 26 - Eliminated
Stevie Maginn (Green) 307 - Eliminated
Tony Mallon (Ind.) 129 - Eliminated
Frank McCoubrey (DUP) 4166 - Eliminated
Dan Murphy (IRSP) 1103 - Eliminated
Aisling Reilly (SF) 5681 - Elected Count 11
Pat Sheehan (SF) 6373 - Elected Count 11

East Antrim - Complete

Mark Bailey (Green) 754 - Eliminated
Roy Beggs (UUP) 3549 - Eliminated
Norman Boyd (TUV) 3661 - Eliminated
Stewart Dickson (Alliance) 5059 - Elected Count 5
Danny Donnelly (Alliance) 4224 - Elected Count 5
David Hilditch (DUP) 5662 - Elected Count 5
Gordon Lyons (DUP) 6256 - Elected Count 4
Siobhán McAlister (SDLP) 1200 - Eliminated
Oliver McMullan (SF) 3675 - Eliminated
John Stewart (UUP) 6195 - Elected Count 3

East Derry - Complete

Caoimhe Archibald (SF) 6868 - Elected Count 10
Jordan Armstrong (TUV) 2959 - Eliminated
Maurice Bradley (DUP) 6786 - Elected Count 6
Gemma Brolly (Aontú) 1095 - Eliminated
Mark Coulson (Green) 347 - Eliminated
Cara Hunter (SDLP) 3664 - Elected Count 11
Chris McCaw (Alliance) 3338 - Eliminated
Kathleen McGurk (SF) 4500 - Eliminated
Amy Merron (PBP) 347 - Eliminated
Niall Murphy (Ind.) 181 - Eliminated
Stephanie Quigley (Ind.) 1503 - Eliminated
Alan Robinson (DUP) 5151 - Elected Count 8
Billy Stewart (Ind.) 82 - Eliminated
Claire Sugden (Ind.) 3981 - Elected Count 10
Russell Watton (PUP) 933 - Eliminated
Darryl Wilson (UUP) 2625 - Eliminated

Fermanagh and South Tyrone - Complete

Derek Backhouse (Ind.) 128 - Eliminated
Rosemary Barton (UUP) 2912 - Eliminated
Matthew Beaumont (Alliance) 2583 - Eliminated
Paul Bell (DUP) 4255 - Eliminated
Emma DeSouza (Ind.) 249 - Eliminated
Jemma Dolan (SF) 9067 - Elected Count 1
Alex Elliott (TUV) 3091 - Eliminated
Tom Elliott (UUP) 5442 - Eliminated
Deborah Erskine (DUP) 5272 - Eliminated
Adam Gannon (SDLP) 3836 - Eliminated
Colm Gildernew (SF) 7562 - Elected Count 8
Emmett Kilpatrick (PBP) 103 - Eliminated
Denise Mullen (Aontú) 927 - Eliminated
Áine Murphy (SF) 7379 - Elected Count 8
Kellie Turtle (Green) 335 - Eliminated
Dónal Ó Cofaigh (CCLA) 602 - Eliminated

Foyle - Complete

Pádraig Delargy (SF) 9471 - Elected Count 1
Emmet Doyle (Aontú) 2000 - Eliminated
Mark H Durkan (SDLP) 7999 - Elected Count 1
Ciara Ferguson (SF) 5913 - Elected Count 9
Rachael Ferguson (Alliance) 2220 - Eliminated
Gillian Hamilton (Green) 215 - Eliminated
Shaun Harkin (PBP) 2621 - Eliminated
Anne McCloskey (Ind.) 854 - Eliminated
Ryan McCready (UUP) 3744 - Eliminated
Colly McLaughlin (IRSP) 766 - Eliminated
Sinéad McLaughlin (SDLP) 3189 - Elected Count 12
Gary Middleton (DUP) 4101 - Elected Count 13
Elizabeth Neely (TUV) 499 - Eliminated
Brian Tierney (SDLP) 3272 - Eliminated

Lagan Valley - Complete

Robbie Butler (UUP) 8242 - Elected Count 2
Pat Catney (SDLP) 3235 - Eliminated
Amanda Doherty (PBP) 271 - Eliminated
Jeffrey Donaldson (DUP) 12626 - Elected Count 1
Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance) 8211 - Elected Count 4
Paul Givan (DUP) 5062 - Elected Count 4
David Honeyford (Alliance) 4183 - Elected Count 7
Gary Hynds (Ind.) 735 - Eliminated
Simon Lee (Green) 648 - Eliminated
Gary McCleave (SF) 2725 - Eliminated
Lorna Smyth (TUV) 3488 - Eliminated
Laura Turner (UUP) 1607 - Eliminated

Mid Ulster - Complete

Keith Buchanan (DUP) 8521 - Elected Count 6
Linda Dillon (SF) 8199 - Elected Count 2
Meta Graham (UUP) 2191 - Eliminated
Claire Hackett (Alliance) 2138 - Eliminated
Alixandra Halliday (Aontú) 1305 - Eliminated
Patrick Haughey (Ind.) 877 - Eliminated
Sophia McFeely (PBP) 179 - Eliminated
Patsy McGlone (SDLP) 5144 - Elected Count 9
Glenn Moore (TUV) 3818 - Eliminated
Michelle O’Neill (SF) 10845 - Elected Count 1
Conor Rafferty (Resume NI) 13 - Eliminated
Hugh Scullion (Workers Party) 107 - Eliminated
Emma Sheerin (SF) 8215 - Elected Count 2
Stefan Taylor (Green) 137 - Eliminated

Newry and Armagh - Complete

Cathal Boylan (SF) 9843 - Elected Count 1
Jackie Coade (Alliance) 3345 - Eliminated
Daniel Connolly (Aontú) 1189 - Eliminated
Nicola Grant (Workers Party) 160 - Eliminated
Ciara Henry (Green) 314 - Eliminated
William Irwin (DUP) 7577 - Elected Count 5
Liz Kimmins (SF) 7964 - Elected Count 5
Gavin Malone (Ind.) 3157 - Eliminated
Justin McNulty (SDLP) 6217 - Elected Count 5
Conor Murphy (SF) 9847 - Elected Count 1
Keith Ratcliffe (TUV) 5407 - Eliminated
David Taylor (UUP) 3864 - Eliminated

North Antrim - Complete

Jim Allister (TUV) 8282 - Elected Count 5
Matthew Armstrong (TUV) 2481 - Eliminated
Bethany Ferris (UUP) 856 - Eliminated
Paul Frew (DUP) 6242 - Elected Count 6
Philip McGuigan (SF) 9384 - Elected Count 1
Patricia O’Lynn (Alliance) 4810 - Elected Count 6
Eugene Reid (SDLP) 1919 - Eliminated
Laird Shingleton (Ind.) 66 - Eliminated
Mervyn Storey (DUP) 6747 - Eliminated
Robin Swann (UUP) 9530 - Elected Count 1
Paul Veronica (Green) 343 - Eliminated

North Down - Complete

Chris Carter (Ind.) 72
Alan Chambers (UUP) 3825 - Elected Count 9
Stephen Dunne (DUP) 6266 - Elected Count 7
Alex Easton (Ind.) 9568 - Elected Count 1
Connie Egan (Alliance) 5224 - Elected Count 9
Jennifer Gilmour (DUP) 2068 - Eliminated
John Gordon (TUV) 1574 - Eliminated
Naomi McBurney (UUP) 1342 - Eliminated
Therese McCartney (SF) 687 - Eliminated
Ray McKimm (Ind.) 604 - Eliminated
Andrew Muir (Alliance) 6838 - Elected Count 3
Matthew Robinson (Conservative) 254 - Eliminated
Déirdre Vaughan (SDLP) 727 - Eliminated
Rachel Woods (Green) 2734 - Eliminated

South Antrim - Complete

Steve Aiken (UUP) 5354 - Elected Count 4
Róisín Bennett (Aontú) 657 - Eliminated
John Blair (Alliance) 7315 - Elected Count 2
Pam Cameron (DUP) 6899 - Elected Count 6
Trevor Clarke (DUP) 4943 - Elected Count 7
Declan Kearney (SF) 9185 - Elected Count 1
Mel Lucas (TUV) 4371 - Eliminated
Roisin Lynch (SDLP) 3139 - Eliminated
Jerry Maguire (PBP) 251 - Eliminated
Paul Michael (UUP) 2821 - Eliminated
Andrew Moran (Ind.) 262 - Eliminated
Lesley Veronica (Green) 539 - Eliminated

South Down - Complete

Patrick Brown (Alliance) 6942 - Elected Count 5
Patrick Clarke (Ind.) 134 - Eliminated
Sinéad Ennis (SF) 14381 - Elected Count 1
Diane Forsythe (DUP) 6497 - Elected Count 6
Noleen Lynch (Green) 412 - Eliminated
Jill Macauley (UUP) 2880 - Eliminated
Cathy Mason (SF) 9963 - Elected Count 1
Paul McCrory (PBP) 205 - Eliminated
Rosemary McGlone (Aontú) 1177 - Eliminated
Colin McGrath (SDLP) 6082 - Elected Count 6
Harold McKee (TUV) 3273 - Eliminated
Karen McKevitt (SDLP) 3006 - Eliminated

Strangford - Complete

Kellie Armstrong (Alliance) 7015 - Elected Count 1
Stephen Cooper (TUV) 5186 - Eliminated
Harry Harvey (DUP) 4704 - Elected Count 6
Conor Houston (SDLP) 2440 - Eliminated
Ben King (Ind.) 118 - Eliminated
Róise McGivern (SF) 831 - Eliminated
Nick Mathison (Alliance) 2822 - Elected Count 9
Maurice McCartney (Green) 1607 - Eliminated
Michelle McIlveen (DUP) 6601 - Elected Count 5
Mike Nesbitt (UUP) 3693 - Elected Count 9
Philip Smith (UUP) 2535 - Eliminated
Peter Weir (DUP) 3313 - Eliminated

Upper Bann - Complete

Glenn Barr (UUP) 3367 - Eliminated
Doug Beattie (UUP) 5199 - Elected Count 7
Glenn Beattie (Heritage) 128 - Eliminated
Jonathan Buckley (DUP) 8869 - Elected Count 5
Diane Dodds (DUP) 6548 - Elected Count 6
Darrin Foster (TUV) 4373 - Eliminated
Aidan Gribbin (Aontú) 571 - Eliminated
Dolores Kelly (SDLP) 3645 - Eliminated
Lauren Kendall (Green) 459 - Eliminated
Liam Mackle (SF) 7260 - Eliminated
John O’Dowd (SF) 9242 - Elected Count 4
Eóin Tennyson (Alliance) 6440 - Elected Count 8

West Tyrone - Complete

Nicola Brogan (SF) 8626 - Elected Count 1
Barry Brown (Ind.) 119 - Eliminated
Thomas Buchanan (DUP) 6640 - Elected Count 6
Trevor Clarke (TUV) 4166 - Eliminated
Stephen Donnelly (Alliance) 2967 - Eliminated
Amy Ferguson (Socialist) 171 - Eliminated
Carol Gallagher (Ind.) 354 - Eliminated
Paul Gallagher (PBP) 1682 - Eliminated
Susan Glass (Green) 252 - Eliminated
James Hope (Aontú) 657 - Eliminated
Ian Marshall (UUP) 1876 - Eliminated
Declan McAleer (SF) 6343 - Elected Count 7
Daniel McCrossan (SDLP) 5483 - Elected Count 6
Maolíosa McHugh(SF) 6658 - Elected Count 7

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