Sinn Fein’s first minister designate has urged Rishi Sunak to come up with a plan to get the DUP back to Stormont, as her party looked set to secure another historic victory in Northern Ireland.
Michelle O’Neill also piled pressure on Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s party to restore power-sharing, as she accused them of “punishing the public” as they engage in a “battle with the British Government”.
As the votes were counted, Sinn Fein was on track to overtake the DUP as the largest party in local government, in a region where traditionally nationalist Catholics now outnumber traditionally unionist Protestants.
However, early results suggested that the DUP had been largely successful in holding the unionist vote.
Sir Jeffrey had urged voters to back him in order to strengthen his hand in demanding changes to Mr Sunak’s Brexit deal.
‘The DUP are punishing the public’
On Friday, Ms O’Neill said the pair now had to work together to get power-sharing back up and running.
She said in Belfast City Hall that there was “no rhyme nor reason” to the DUP’s decision to stay out of the executive.
“The DUP are punishing the public. The DUP are in a battle with the British Government and it’s the people here and our public services that are being treated as collateral damage in the middle of that battle,” she said.
“What we now need to see is both governments engaged as both guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement to make politics work again.
“They both need to be engaged and they need a plan - to this point there has not been a plan. And what we’re saying today is that now needs to happen.”
If his vote share holds, Sir Jeffrey will likely claim it proves he has a mandate for the DUP's Stormont boycott, which he will draw on to double down on demands for the Prime Minister to offer concessions on the Windsor Framework.
However, the UK Government has said it has no intentions of making any fundamental changes to February’s agreement with the EU.
‘Time to get the Assembly up and running’
Ms O’Neill said earlier on Friday that it was becoming clear that people across Northern Ireland had “seized the opportunity to send a clear signal that it is time to get the Assembly up and running”.
The nationalist party’s strong performance builds on its historic victory at the Stormont elections last year, where it toppled the DUP for the first time.
Sinn Fein is also on the march south of the border, where it achieved unprecedented success in the Republic’s general elections in 2020, winning the popular vote.
Further gains in Northern Ireland will add to the party’s momentum at a time when reunification has more impetus than ever before.
Bronach Anglin, who gained a seat for Sinn Fein on Belfast City Council, said beating the DUP to become the largest party in local government would send a message to unionists who refuse to return to power-sharing.
She told The Telegraph: “People need support, they need the representation. They’ve elected people, and they want us to help and support them in the cost of living, when it comes to the health service - all the areas that we know. And I’m not just talking about the council services, but right across the board. They need it, we owe it to the people.
“In my own personal opinion, I would suggest that there is some sort of message in the fact that our vote has increased significantly and from the feedback on the doors.”
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May 20, 2023 at 04:00AM
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Sinn Fein on course for victory in Northern Ireland local elections - The Telegraph
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