EUROPEAN ELECTIONS: THE NORTHSINN FÉIN headed the poll for the first time in the European elections in Northern Ireland while the DUP, poll-topper at every other European election, had to be content with taking the third seat behind the Ulster Unionists/ Conservatives.
Bairbre de Brún was elected on the first count for Sinn Féin with 126,184 votes or 26 per cent of the vote, more than 5,000 votes over the quota.
The surprise of the election was the sharp decline in the DUP vote with candidate Diane Dodds just winning 88,346 votes compared to the 176,000 votes Jim Allister won in 2004 when he headed the poll for the DUP.
Mr Allister split from the DUP over the powersharing deal with Sinn Féin. Campaigning on his opposition to Sinn Féin or “terrorists in government”, Mr Allister failed to hold his seat, but polled strongly, winning 66,197 votes.
Jim Nicholson, who has held a seat for the Ulster Unionist Party since 1989, was this time standing for the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force (UCUNF).
He won 82,893 votes and was elected on the third count, ahead of Ms Dodds, who was also elected on the third count but under the quota of 121,144. The turnout was a low at just under 43 per cent.
Alban Maginness of the SDLP was hoping that the three-way unionist division of votes would present him with a chance to win a second nationalist seat. However, he could only win 78,489 votes, making it impossible to get sufficiently ahead of the other unionist candidates to cause a shock result.
Ian Parsley for Alliance won 26,699 votes while Steven Agnew for the Greens won 15,764 votes.
DUP leader and First Minister Peter Robinson expressed disappointment at the result. DUP strategists put Ms Dodds’s poor showing down to a number of factors: unionist disenchantment with the DUP over Westminster expenses and Assembly and House of Commons double-jobbing; a poor performance by Ms Dodds in a BBC televised debate with the other candidates; and a bloc of hardline unionists totally opposed to powersharing with Sinn Féin.
Mr Robinson said the DUP would carefully review the result and “reconnect” with its grassroots. “There is nothing more certain to make unionists stay at home than unionist bickering,” he said.
While Mr Allister’s Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) party encroached into the DUP vote, Mr Robinson made clear that he was still committed to devolution and powersharing with Sinn Féin, UCUNF and the SDLP. He said the only alternative to powersharing was a return to British direct rule with an enhanced role for Dublin.
He said he understood many in the unionist community opposed sharing power with Sinn Féin, but “people need to know that there is no more acceptable alternative available”.
Mr Allister was buoyed by the result. “I am the success story of this election,” he said.
He said his party would now go “from strength to strength”.
He added that he was in no doubt that the DUP was badly unnerved by his performance. He indicated his intention to stand in North Antrim in the next Westminster elections, when the Rev Ian Paisley stands down. He said the TUV would contest other Westminster seats and stand in the next Assembly elections.
Mr Allister added: “Unionists who were grossly disillusioned, who felt that the cause was lost, who woke up and saw Martin McGuinness as their joint First Minister, and thought no one could do anything about it, have seen that there is the beginning of a huge foundation to rebuild traditional unionism in this province.”
Both Ms Dodds and Mr Allister refused to shake hands with Ms de Brún at the final declaration.
TUV supporters heckled Ms de Brún during her speech, particularly when she spoke in Irish.
They also barracked Ms Dodds during her acceptance speech.