London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 14, 2025

NI council elections 2023: Sinn Féin largest party in NI local government

NI council elections 2023: Sinn Féin largest party in NI local government

Sinn Féin is now the largest party in both local government and Stormont for the first time after making huge gains in council elections.

With all seats counted, the party has won 144, up from the 105 councillors returned in 2019.

Its vice-president Michelle O'Neill called for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to end its boycott of power sharing at Stormont.

The DUP has 122 seats, with the centre-ground Alliance Party in third place.

Stormont's assembly and governing executive is not functioning because of the DUP's protest against post-Brexit trading rules.

In last year's assembly election, Sinn Féin became the largest party at Stormont.

Ms O'Neill described the council election result as "historic".

She said Sinn Féin's campaign, which has seen it make breakthroughs in areas such as Coleraine, Ballymena and Lisburn, was about "positive leadership, it was about a restoration of the executive, it was about making politics work".


'Consolidate vote'


DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party wanted to consolidate its vote to have a mandate to seek changes to the post-Brexit rules so it could return to Stormont.

"That's about ensuring that Northern Ireland's ability to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom is not only respected but protected in law, and that our place in the union is restored," he said.

The Alliance Party, which also came third in the 2022 assembly election, has increased its number of councillors from 52 to 67.

This includes its first ever council seats in Ballyclare, Fermanagh and Limavady.


In terms of first preference votes, Sinn Féin, Alliance and Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) increased their share from the 2019 council election.

Sinn Féin returned a 30.9% share, an increase of 7.7%.

The DUP dropped by 0.8% to 23.3%, with falls in first preference vote share also for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party's vote had held up well


'Reassertion of Assembly election'


It has been a disappointing election so far for the UUP and the SDLP, which have losses in their overall seat tallies.

UUP leader Doug Beattie said his party's message is clear but not resonating.

"It's clear also that many unionists and people who are pro-union are simply not getting out to vote so we have a real issue getting people out of their doors," he added.

The SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, said the election had been a "reassertion of the assembly election last year", adding he did not believe he should stand down.

"I have no interest in titles or positions, but if I thought the right course of action was to step down, I would do it in a heartbeat," he said.

In all, 807 candidates competed for seats in Northern Ireland's 11 local councils.

There were 1,380,372 people registered to vote and turnout was 54%.

Speaking to BBC News NI, Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry said the results so far could "marginally increase" the chances of the executive returning.

"The TUV have not landed blows on the DUP; I think the DUP have perhaps more room for manoeuvre," he said.

"From our perspective there should not be a boycott of the assembly - we should be back in."

Fiona McAteer, elected for the Alliance Party in Belfast, celebrated with her husband Richard and daughter Emmie


It has been a mixed picture for other smaller parties in the 2023 council election.

PUP leader Billy Hutchinson, first elected as a Belfast councillor in 1997, lost his seat, with Russell Watton in Causeway Coast and Glens left as the party's only elected representative.

He said there will be a meeting of the party in the coming weeks to determine its future.

Paul McCusker, who left the SDLP in March, was elected as an independent in Belfast


Independent Paul McCusker, who left the SDLP in March, was elected in the Oldpark ward in Belfast.

In the same council, Mal O'Hara, leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland, missed out.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
×