The British government has initiated the process of formally reneging on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement with the introduction of unilateral legislation to “disapply” parts of the protocol on trade in the north of Ireland.

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 counting continuing, Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party remain the big winners from the Stormont Assembly election, with Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill now certain to become First Minister-elect.

First election results across the north of Ireland show that nationalist candidates have outvoted unionists in the Six Counties for the first time, triggering a key requirement for a referendum on Irish reunification.

Sinn Féin could be on its way to becoming the largest party in the Stormont Assembly. If tallies from count centres are borne out in final results from Thursday’s election, Michelle O’Neill is set to become First Minister-elect and the first nationalist to lead a Six County administration under British rule.