EAST BELFAST AND STRANGFORD:DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST Party leader and First Minister Peter Robinson sensationally lost the East Belfast seat he has held for 31 years to the Alliance Party.
Naomi Long, the Belfast Lord Mayor and an Assembly member for East Belfast, beat Mr Robinson for the seat he first won in 1979 with a tiny majority.
Ms Long’s vote has quadrupled since 2005. She wiped out Mr Robinson’s 6,000 majority, polling 12,839 votes and winning the seat with a majority of 1,533.
Former rugby international Trevor Ringland polled 7,305 – a disappointing showing for the new Ulster Unionist link-up with the Conservatives – while the Traditional Unionist Voice candidate, David Vance, won 1,856 votes.
Ms Long said people had voted for peace and progress. “I think that those are positive messages coming not only from people who voted for me, but also those who voted for the former incumbent in that seat they want to move forward.”
Mr Robinson congratulated the Alliance Party, and said he remained committed to his job as First Minister and as an Assembly member until next year’s election.
“I have a job to complete with my mandate at the Assembly, and I will continue to carry out that important work,” he said.
For the TUV, David Vance claimed his party was responsible for toppling the DUP leader. Party supporters jeered as Mr Robinson left the count.
DUP Assembly member Jim Shannon convincingly won the Strangford constituency for his party, which had been held by Iris Robinson before her resignation in January.
He polled 14,926 votes, comfortably ahead of former UTV journalist Mike Nesbitt of Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force (UCUNF) on 9,050 votes, and Alliance candidate Deborah Girvan on 2,828.
Claire Hanna of the SDLP polled 2,164 votes, Traditional Unionist Voice candidate Terry Williams polled 1,814, Michael Coogan of Sinn Féin won 1,161 and Barbara Haig of the Greens, 562.
Mr Shannon, in a lengthy and humorous acceptance speech, committed to serve everyone in the constituency regardless of background, and claimed “there’s no job too small” for him to carry out on their behalf.
DUP party workers were clearly delighted at the convincing win, given the earlier shock at the defeat of Mr Robinson.
A large contingent had remained at the count centre for the result after the departure of Mr Robinson.
Mr Nesbitt, who looked drawn and clearly disconsolate, said he did not regret contesting the seat for the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists.
Democracy only worked well when people took part in it, he said.
“Democracy only survives if everybody gives it a lash,” he said. “Tonight is probably not going to go down as a particularly pleasant night for my team.
“I think us in the Conservatives and Unionists have taken a little bit of a bloody nose. But we’ve always looked at tonight as not just an event – it’s part of a process that has been ongoing.”
The Alliance Party was pleased with its showing in the constituency, and the SDLP also said it was encouraged by its turnout in an area so clearly dominated by the two big unionist parties.