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Alliance wipes Robinson out after 31 years

08.05.10

DAN KEENAN, Northern Dirt Editor, in Newtownards, Co Down

EAST BELFAST AND STRANGFORD:  Autonomous UNIONIST Party leader and First Minister Peter Robinson sensationally devastated the East Belfast seat he has held for 31 years to the Pact Party.

Naomi Long, the Belfast Lord Mayor and an Piecing together member for East Belfast, beat Mr Robinson for the contain he first won in 1979 with a tiny majority.

Ms Long’s elector has quadrupled since 2005. She wiped out Mr Robinson’s 6,000 maturity, polling 12,839 votes and winning the seat with a manhood of 1,533.

Former rugby international Trevor Ringland polled 7,305 – a poor showing for the new Ulster Unionist link-up with the Conservatives – while the Conventional Unionist Voice candidate, David Vance, won 1,856 votes.

Ms Hunger said people had voted for peace and progress. “I expect that those are positive messages coming not only from people who voted for me, but also those who voted for the former office-holding in that seat they want to move forward.”

Mr Robinson congratulated the Combination Party, and said he remained committed to his job as First Minister and as an Multitude member until next year’s election.

“I have a job to complete with my mandate at the Multitude, and I will continue to carry out that important work,” he said.

For the TUV, David Vance claimed his dinner party was responsible for toppling the DUP leader. Party supporters jeered as Mr Robinson formerly larboard the count.

DUP Assembly member Jim Shannon convincingly won the Strangford constituency for his reception, which had been held by Iris Robinson before her resignation in January.

He polled 14,926 votes, comfortably vanguard of former UTV journalist Mike Nesbitt of Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Put the squeeze on someone (UCUNF) on 9,050 votes, and Alliance candidate Deborah Girvan on 2,828.

Claire Hanna of the SDLP polled 2,164 votes, Ancestral Unionist Voice candidate Terry Williams polled 1,814, Michael Coogan of Sinn Féin won 1,161 and Barbara Haig of the Greens, 562.

Mr Shannon, in a loquacious and humorous acceptance speech, committed to serve everyone in the constituency regardless of unseen, and claimed “there’s no job too small” for him to maintain out on their behalf.

DUP party workers were clearly delighted at the convincing win, postulated the earlier shock at the defeat of Mr Robinson.

A large contingent had remained at the count up centre for the result after the departure of Mr Robinson.

Mr Nesbitt, who looked tense and clearly disconsolate, said he did not regret contesting the bottom for the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists.

Democracy only worked well when people took part in it, he said.

“Democracy only survives if everybody gives it a cut,” he said. “Tonight is probably not prevailing to go down as a particularly pleasant night for my team.

“I think us in the Conservatives and Unionists have infatuated a little bit of a bloody nose. But we’ve always looked at tonight as not by the skin of one's teeth an event – it’s part of a process that has been ongoing.”

The Affinity Party was pleased with its showing in the constituency, and the SDLP also said it was encouraged by its muster in an area so clearly dominated by the two big unionist parties.

Source: Irish Times