London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

NI council elections 2023: A Sinn Féin coronation after a 'tsunami' election

NI council elections 2023: A Sinn Féin coronation after a 'tsunami' election

In the end it was more a coronation for Sinn Féin than a contest.

Crowned local government kingpins without even breaking a sweat.

From the moment the first ballot box was opened the party was on course to make history.

But not even Sinn Féin predicted the scale of its success.

Sweeping to victory with a staggering 144 seats, leaving the once dominant DUP trailing 22 seats behind.

Almost one in every three votes cast went to Sinn Féin and it picked up new seats in 10 of the 11 super councils.

Even in the council where it suffered its greatest loss last time - Derry and Strabane - the party secured seats for all of its 18 candidates.

Along the way Sinn Féin also picked up some trophy seats in the unionist heartlands of Ballymena, Lurgan and Coleraine.


A 'green wave'


It was, to quote Naomi Long, a "tsunami" which caught the other parties by surprise.

Such was the size of the green wave, it left some unionists bewildered.

One former Ulster Unionist minister suggested Sinn Féin might scale back its ambition in the interest of preserving cross-community relations.

He raised it during a count centre chat with Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald.


'Wake up and smell the coffee'


A more radical plan was floated by one-time UUP leader Mike Nesbitt who wants to realign unionism into two parties, one traditional, one more liberal.

He was even prepared to sacrifice his own party to make it happen.

While another former minister, the DUP's Edwin Poots, said the result should act as "a wake up and smell the coffee moment" for unionists.

But others have credited his party for laying the foundations for Sinn Féin's success.

Jonathan Buckley MLA, Councillor Andrew McCormick, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Councillor Dean McCullough at Belfast City Hall


The DUPs Stormont boycott, which is effectively blocking Michelle O'Neill from becoming first minister, helped mobilise the nationalist vote.

That, according to the SDLP, played into the hands of Sinn Féin.

Hence the party framed its campaign around a would-be first minister willing to work for all if only she was allowed.

Michelle O'Neill's attendance at the King's Coronation helped to reinforce that "positive" message.

But while the nationalist electorate was energised to vote, many unionists stayed at home.

The SDLP's Gary McKeown had support in the form of his sons Thomas and James


Gary McKeown (centre) from the SDLP at Belfast City Hall during in the Northern Ireland council elections.

That was reflected in the turnout figures.

Despite that, the DUP still managed to cement its vote.

Running fewer candidates allowed the party to better manage its support base

It suffered some losses but made significant gains at the expense of the UUP.

That leaves Sir Jeffrey Donaldson with a renewed mandate to seek the changes he needs to the Windsor Framework before returning to Stormont.

But there is nothing to suggest that process could lead to a quick return of the power-sharing institutions

Much will depend on whatever legislation the government brings forward to ease unionist concerns.


Alliance Party leapfrog


On another day the Alliance Party would have grabbed the headlines.

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long with Nuala McAllister and Sam Nelson wait it out at Belfast City Hall on Friday


Alliance Party leader Naomi Long (left) with Nuala McAllister and Sam Nelson at Belfast City Hall as the results come in for the Northern Ireland local elections. Picture date: Friday May 19, 2023. PA

Leapfrogging the Ulster Unionists to become the third-largest local-government party is another momentum builder.

Picking up an extra 14 seats has made the party a formidable force on mostly unionist controlled councils.

But the loss of its only two councillors in Derry and Strabane is a significant blow for a party keen to build beyond its power base in the east.

Ulster Unionist Party candidate Sonia Copeland celebrates winning a seat with party leader Doug Beattie


As expected, the Ulster Unionists and SDLP suffered some heavy losses.

Losing 21 seats has severely weakened the UUP's power base in many councils where the party once dominated.

While the SDLP will point to gains and seats retained in Belfast in the face of the Sinn Féin surge, the party has lost ground in Derry and Strabane where it is eight seats behind Sinn Féin.

Questions will once again be asked about Doug Beattie's and Colum Eastwood's leadership but even before the final tallies both dismissed any talk of change.

The TUV has recovered the seven seats it lost in 2019 and managed to add two more but it didn't scale the heights of its assembly success last year.

While the Green Party held on to three seats but could soon be on the hunt for a new leader after Mal O'Hara lost his seat in Belfast council.

Sinn Féin's John Finucane and UUP leader Doug Beattie stop for a chat


Like the Greens, People Before Profit also felt the squeeze of the Sinn Féin surge and has been reduced to two council seats.

While the pro life Republican Party Aontú has been wiped from the political landscape after losing its only two councillors.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×