SINN FEIN became the largest Northern Ireland party in the Westminster Parliament today, having already gained dominance at Stormont and at council level.

The landmark results of Thursday’s British general election gave the Irish republican party seven seats, the same number as it won in 2019.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) secured five seats, down from eight, while the Social Democratic and Labour Party and the Alliance Party each remained with two seats.

The Ulster Unionists, Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) and an independent all picked up a seat at Westminster.

TUV leader Jim Allister succeeded in unseating veteran DUP MP Ian Paisley in North Antrim.

Sinn Fein deputy leader and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill said her party had achieved a “tremendous result right across the board.

“This speaks volumes that the change is happening, this place is changing,” she added.

After being re-elected in his East Antrim constituency, DUP MP Sammy Wilson attacked other unionist parties for splitting the vote. 

“My message to you is you ought to be ashamed,” he said.

“You knew what you were doing. In some cases, you made it quite clear that your chief objective was to destroy another unionist party, rather than to ensure that the Union was secured.”