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| DUP and Sinn Féin on course to dominate Northern Ireland assembly | DUP and Sinn Féin on course to dominate Northern Ireland assembly |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin are on course to emerge as the two main parties in the Northern Ireland assembly election. | The Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin are on course to emerge as the two main parties in the Northern Ireland assembly election. |
| With one of the highest voter turnouts since the Good Friday agreement of 1998, by mid-afternoon on Friday Sinn Féin and the DUP were both polling well. | With one of the highest voter turnouts since the Good Friday agreement of 1998, by mid-afternoon on Friday Sinn Féin and the DUP were both polling well. |
| The DUP said it believed it would be the largest party in the assembly, with one of its ministers in the last regional government, Paul Givan, topping in the Lagan Valley constituency on Friday afternoon. | |
| At this early stage, however, Sinn Féin and the DUP appeared to be neck and neck in terms of the share of first preference votes. | |
| Sinn Féin’s new leader, Michelle O’Neill, topped the poll in her Mid Ulster constituency, with 10,258 first preference votes. | |
| After her election, O’Neill, who replaced a seriously ill Martin McGuinness, said there was still a desire to rebuild a power-sharing coalition with unionists. | |
| O’Neill said: “If people are serious about making the institutions work; if people are genuine about power sharing, about equality and respect, then whilst we have a difficult period ahead in the next few weeks, there is nothing that is unachievable if you have the right attitude.” | O’Neill said: “If people are serious about making the institutions work; if people are genuine about power sharing, about equality and respect, then whilst we have a difficult period ahead in the next few weeks, there is nothing that is unachievable if you have the right attitude.” |
| One of the losers in this election will be the smaller nationalist Social Democratic and Labour party which, for the first time since it was founded in the early 1970s, will not have a representative from west Belfast in a regional assembly. | |
| Just after 3pm on Friday the SDLP’s outgoing assemblyman and former environment minister, Alex Atwood, was eliminated from the count in the west of the city. It was likely that all four Sinn Féin candidates, including the party’s first lord mayor of Belfast, Alex Maskey, would be elected in the same constituency. | |
| Sinn Féin pointed out that the turnout in the republican constituency was 10% higher than last May’s assembly election. The party also performed well in the South Down constituency with a combined vote of 19,000 between its two candidates, Sinéad Ennis and Chris Hazard, who were both elected on the first count. | Sinn Féin pointed out that the turnout in the republican constituency was 10% higher than last May’s assembly election. The party also performed well in the South Down constituency with a combined vote of 19,000 between its two candidates, Sinéad Ennis and Chris Hazard, who were both elected on the first count. |
| The SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, who was on course to be elected in the Foyle constituency, acknowledged that “Sinn Féin has been the main beneficiary” of nationalist anger over the collapse of the last power-sharing executive at the start of this year. | The SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, who was on course to be elected in the Foyle constituency, acknowledged that “Sinn Féin has been the main beneficiary” of nationalist anger over the collapse of the last power-sharing executive at the start of this year. |
| The Ulster Unionists are also faring badly so far with one of its former devolved ministers, Danny Kennedy, struggling to hold on to his seat in Newry and Armagh. | The Ulster Unionists are also faring badly so far with one of its former devolved ministers, Danny Kennedy, struggling to hold on to his seat in Newry and Armagh. |
| Despite a high turnout the DUP will be pleased that their vote has held up as North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds predicted earlier on Friday morning. | Despite a high turnout the DUP will be pleased that their vote has held up as North Belfast MP Nigel Dodds predicted earlier on Friday morning. |
| A higher turnout – almost 65% – was seen by some as dangerous for the DUP because of the controversy over the way the party mismanaged and then stubbornly defended the controversial renewable heat incentive scheme. | A higher turnout – almost 65% – was seen by some as dangerous for the DUP because of the controversy over the way the party mismanaged and then stubbornly defended the controversial renewable heat incentive scheme. |
| The controversy over the scheme became known as the “cash for the ash” scandal. Due to poor accounting the RHI resulted in farmers and small businesses making £1.60 for every £1 they invested in boilers fired up with wood pellets and other recyclable materials. The final bill for the scheme is estimated to cost the taxpayer up to £500m. | The controversy over the scheme became known as the “cash for the ash” scandal. Due to poor accounting the RHI resulted in farmers and small businesses making £1.60 for every £1 they invested in boilers fired up with wood pellets and other recyclable materials. The final bill for the scheme is estimated to cost the taxpayer up to £500m. |
| In the face of this controversy the DUP’s surprising performance was encapsulated by poll toppers such as the party’s candidate in Upper Bann, Carla Lockhart, who was the first assembly member re-elected from the constituency. | In the face of this controversy the DUP’s surprising performance was encapsulated by poll toppers such as the party’s candidate in Upper Bann, Carla Lockhart, who was the first assembly member re-elected from the constituency. |
| If as expected the DUP and Sinn Féin are returned as the two main parties the negotiations to restore power sharing will be long and torturous. On Monday the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, will give the parties three weeks to form a new regional government. | If as expected the DUP and Sinn Féin are returned as the two main parties the negotiations to restore power sharing will be long and torturous. On Monday the secretary of state for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, will give the parties three weeks to form a new regional government. |
| After that period Brokenshire has two choices: he can advise the parties to call another election, or temporarily impose direct rule from London while the local politicians try to piece together a new administration. | After that period Brokenshire has two choices: he can advise the parties to call another election, or temporarily impose direct rule from London while the local politicians try to piece together a new administration. |