UUP keeps just three seats on Belfast council

THE SDLP and Alliance have deplored a decision by the DUP and the Ulster Unionist Party to strike a working pact at Castlereagh Borough Council in Belfast to ensure unionist control of the council.

With all 582 councillors elected to the North’s 26 councils the North’s political parties were yesterday assessing the final results.

One of the most striking features of the elections was the collapse of the UUP on Belfast City Council where for generations it was the dominant party. It now has only three seats on the 51-seat council compared to the seven seats it held in the last council which was elected in 2005.

It was a successful election for the DUP although it marginally dropped its number of seats from 182 to 175. It is both the largest party in terms of the Assembly and now the North’s councils. Its nearest rival is Sinn Féin which has 138 councillors compared to the 126 it won in 2005.

Overall the number of UUP seats dropped from 115 to 99 while the SDLP slipped from 101 seats to 87. Alliance increased its representation from 30 to 44.

Castlereagh Council was the one disappointment for the DUP where it lost overall control.