Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Shauna Corr

South Antrim NI election results as Sinn Fein tops the poll and two DUP MLAs elected

Sinn Fein topped the poll in South Antrim with 20% of the first preference votes.

Returning MLA Declan Kearney, was later joined by the same constituency colleagues as he had last mandate.

Alliance MLA John Blair was next to be elected, followed by the UUP’s Steve Aiken, then Pam Cameron from the DUP.

Read more: NI Election 2022: Results on Friday night and what happens next

While he didn’t meet the quota for a seat, the DUP’s Trevor Clarke took the last seat around 11.30pm.

Despite the fact the constituency returned the same MLAs, Declan Kearney said “today the political landscape of the North has changed”.

“It has changed utterly and for the better - an historic rubicon has been crossed.

“We said it was an election that would be the most important of a generation - an opportunity to elect a First Minister for all.

“That message has been resoundingly endorsed not just here in South Antrim but right across the North of Ireland.”

Alliance Party’s John Blair said: “The mandate we have is inclusive politics - that represents our society.”

The UUP’s Steve Aiken said his party too bring a “progressive message” for the future.

“We all need to go back to work and we need to make Northern Ireland a much better place.”

The DUP’s Pam Cameron used her speech to outline the success she had with her Autism Bill in the last mandate and thanked all those, including her daughter, who helped her get elected again.

DUP man Trevor Clarke congratulated everyone who has been successful so far in the election and thanked those whose “perseverance” saw him re-elected.

“I don’t smile much, but I might smile in the morning,” he added.

Read more: Live NI election 2022 results tracker and map

Read more: NI election results 2022: How the single transferable vote works

To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up to our free newsletter.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.