The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin have underscored their leading positions following the first day of counting in the North's local elections. Dan Keenan, Northern News Editor reports
Ian Paisley's party will be confirmed later today as the largest single party in local government with Sinn Féin consolidating its position ahead of the SDLP.
As results were collated, a planned meeting in Moscow between Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair did not take place as the British government sent deputy prime minister John Prescott to attend the Victory in Europe celebrations instead.
Downing Street last night announced the new line-up of junior ministers at the Northern Ireland Office. Joining new Northern Secretary Peter Hain will be Angela Smith, a member of the outgoing NIO team, as well as Shaun Woodward, David Hanson and Lord Rooker.
In the council elections the DUP easily overtook the Ulster Unionists who entered the local government election with 154 councillors.
Republicans did well generally across Northern Ireland and in West Belfast in particular. In Upper and Lower Falls alone it claimed nine of the 10 seats.
However, the party lost a seat to Alliance in east Belfast, the area where murder victim Robert McCartney lived. The party also won its first seat in Ballymena Borough Council. More than 900 candidates fought for the 582 seats on 26 local councils, with polling taking place at the same time as the Westminster election.
With 404 results declared on a turnout of 63.35 per cent, the DUP had won 143 seats, with Sinn Féin on 89, the Ulster Unionists winning 82, the SDLP on 64, Alliance on 22, the Progressive Unionists and the United Unionists on one and the Green Party with two councillors.
District councils are elected using PR and voting reflected closely the patterns established in the Westminster first-past-the-post election. The DUP polled 30.4 per cent, a rise of 7.9 percentage points, while Sinn Féin rose 3.1 points to 23.5 per cent. The SDLP and Ulster Unionists slipped to 15.3 per cent and 18.5 per cent respectively.
Ulster Unionists continued to lose seats to the DUP, which has also swept up seats once held by the smaller, anti-agreement unionist parties. On balance the DUP had a 6 per cent swing against the Ulster Unionists, while Sinn Féin enjoyed a 3 per cent gain at the expense of the SDLP. The UUP suffered a high-profile defeat when Lord Maginnis lost in Dungannon, where he has been a councillor for more than 20 years.The UUP is expected to pick up more seats when the final results are declared later today.
Yesterday's results underpinned some political dynasties. Gareth Robinson, son of MPs Peter and Iris Robinson, was elected to Castlereagh council. In Derry, a nephew of the SDLP leader, also named Mark Durkan, topped the poll in one ward for the party. Also in Derry, Seana Hume, niece of the former SDLP leader, was elected.