Turnout up in fractious Northern Ireland election

While the final results were still coming in, elections expert Nicholas Whyte was predicting that unionism would come back with 41 seats – five short of a majority in the smaller 90-seat Assembly.

The composition of the Stormont Assembly has been changed significantly by this snap election.

That forced the dissolution of the institutions, which need nationalists and unionists in government to operate, and Mr Brokenshire called an election.

His successor as Sinn Fein’s leader in Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill, has signalled a possible way out.

The fall in the Democratic Unionist Party’s share of the vote increases the pressure on its leader, Arlene Foster, to step down.

What is the “petition of concern”?

For the first time ever, North Belfast has returned a majority of nationalist elected representatives, with the bete noir of many nationalists, Nelson McCausland, losing out for the DUP. Sinn Fein’s Irish leader, Gerry Adams, in January described Brexit as a “hostile action” by the British government, which would have a “negative impact” on the province’s peace agreement.

The largest party, the DUP, is running 38 – six fewer than previous year. It now has to combine with other parties in order to use the veto power, which it may not be able to do.

What’s happened to other parties?

Now attention turns to DUP leader Arlene Foster.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) secured 12 seats, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) won 10 seats, the Alliance Party – 8, the Greens got two seats and the People Before Profit and Traditional Unionist Voice each got one seat.

It means the balance of unionist to nationalist is much more balanced than it was before – 40 unionists to 39 nationalist/republicans, with the remainder of the 90 MLAs affiliated to neither tradition.

Britain has signalled its intention to leave the EU’s customs union after Brexit, raising fears of a new hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which will remain in the EU. Sinn Fein trailed with 27.9 percent, up 4 points, the narrowest sectarian gap in Northern Ireland electoral history.

Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said he will seek an agreement in Brexit talks for Northern Ireland rejoining the European Union, if the voters seek that option in future.

The parties will have a maximum of two weeks to try and hammer out a deal.

All of this takes place against the backdrop of Brexit, which is likely to affect Northern Ireland more severely than any other part of the United Kingdom, both economically and socially.