The second day of counting is under way in Northern Ireland’s local elections, after gains for the Democratic Unionist party and the centralist Alliance party.
After the first day’s count, Sinn Féin had registered mixed results, the Green and People Before Profit had made gains and the Ulster Unionist party had lost seats. At the start of Saturday’s count, the DUP was leading the pack with 81 seats, ahead of Sinn Féin on 74, the UUP on 57, the SDLP on 42 and Alliance on 36.
In what was seen as a watershed moment for the socially conservative DUP, its first openly gay candidate, Alison Bennington, was elected to Antrim and Newtownabbey council near Belfast. Her victory was greeted by cheers and hugs from her supporters.
A moment of political history as the DUP's first openly gay candidate is elected.
— Mark Simpson (@BBCMarkSimpson) May 3, 2019
Alison Bennington elected to Antrim & Newtownabbey Council.
A personal triumph and politically very significant. pic.twitter.com/pXfb7N2I81
The DUP MP Gavin Robinson said it was a “good news story” and the DUP was not a “theocracy” but a political party. However, there was rancour elsewhere within the party.
Jim Wells, an assembly member, said the late Ian Paisley, who campaigned prevent the decriminalisation of homosexuality, would have been aghast.
“This marks a watershed change in DUP party policy and none of the members were consulted about it,” he told the BBC. “Many thousands of people in Northern Ireland are depending on the DUP to hold the line on these moral issues. They feel very let down and very concerned about what has happened.”
The DUP leader, Arlene Foster, said Bennington’s election did not necessarily mean the party would end what its opposition to same-sex marriage, which remains against the law in Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, Tom Smith, who was deselected as a DUP councillor after he voted to light up a council building in rainbow colours, retained his seat as an independent on Ards and North Down council, near Bangor.
In Derry, Anne McCloskey became the first candidate from the newly formed anti-abortion party Aontu to be elected.
About a third of the 462 available seats are being filled across 11 council areas in Northern Ireland. As of Friday night, turnout was recorded as 52%.
A fresh attempt will be made next week to restore Stormont’s devolved institutions. The last administration, a DUP and Sinn Féin-led coalition, imploded in 2017 amid a row about a botched renewable energy scheme.
