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Low turnout in nationalist strongholds gives Leave a lift

The Leave campaign benefited from a low turnout in nationalist constituencies. Alan Lewis- PhotopressBelfast.co.uk 24-6-2016.The EU Referendum count tonight at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast..
The Leave campaign benefited from a low turnout in nationalist constituencies. Alan Lewis- PhotopressBelfast.co.uk 24-6-2016.The EU Referendum count tonight at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast.. The Leave campaign benefited from a low turnout in nationalist constituencies. Alan Lewis- PhotopressBelfast.co.uk 24-6-2016.The EU Referendum count tonight at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast..

Low turnout in the north's nationalist dominated constituencies gave the Leave camp a better regional result than predicted.

Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU by a majority of 56 per cent to 44 per cent, compared to the overall UK result which gave the Leave campaign victory by a narrow margin.

Turnout in the north was 62.9 per cent, whereas 72.2 per cent of the electorate voted across the UK as a whole.

The republican stronghold of West Belfast, which gave decisive support for remaining in the EU, recorded the referendum's lowest proportion of voters, with just 48.85 per cent of the registered electorate going to the polls.

At 57 per cent, turnout in Foyle was also relatively low, though again the Remain camp secured a significant majority.

In North Down where historically turnout is low, 68 per cent of the electorate voted, however, unlike most unionist-dominated constituencies the Remain camp won a majority of almost 2,000.

In the rest of the north's parliamentary constituencies, turnout varied between 60-68 per cent.

Remain was also victorious in South Down, Newry & Armagh, Mid Ulster, Fermanagh-South Tyrone, North Belfast, South Belfast, East Derry and West Tyrone

The Leave campaign secured its strongest support in DUP-dominated North Antrim, where a majority of near 12,000 was secured. Other constituencies where the pro-Brexit camp prospered included East Antrim, East Belfast, Lagan Valley, Upper Bann and Strangford.

An opinion poll published by Millward Brown in the days leading up to the referendum suggested the Remain camp would win in the north by a margin of 16 per cent.

EU referendum: Northern Ireland result (per cent)

East Belfast

Leave: 51.4

Remain: 48.6

(Turnout: 66.5)

North Belfast

Leave: 49.6

Remain: 50.4

(Turnout: 57.5)

South Belfast

Leave: 30.5

Remain: 69.5

(Turnout: 67.6)

West Belfast

Leave: 25.9

Remain: 74.1

(Turnout: 48.9)

East Antrim

Leave: 55.2

Remain: 44.8

(Turnout: 65.2)

East Derry

Leave: 48

Remain 52

(Turnout: 59.9)

Fermanagh & South Tyrone

Leave: 41.4

Remain: 58.6

(Turnout: 67.9)

Foyle

Leave: 21.7

Remain: 78.3

(Turnout: 57.4)

Lagan Valley

Leave: 53.1

Remain: 46.9

(Turnout: 66.6)

Mid Ulster

Leave: 39.6

Remain: 60.4

(Turnout: 61.7)

Newry & Armagh

Leave: 37.1

Remain: 62.9

(Turnout: 63.7)

North Antrim

Leave: 62.2

Remain: 37.8

(Turnout: 64.9)

North Down

Leave: 47.6

Remain: 52.4

(Turnout: 67.7)

South Antrim

Leave: 50.6

Remain: 49.4

(Turnout: 63.4)

South Down

Leave: 32.8

Remain: 67.2

(Turnout: 62.4)

Strangford

Leave: 55.5

Remain: 44.5

(Turnout: 64.5)

Upper Bann

Leave: 52.6

Remain: 47.4

(Turnout: 63.8)

West Tyrone

Leave: 33.2

Remain: 66.8

(Turnout: 61.8)

NORTHERN IRELAND

Leave: 44.2

Remain: 55.8

(Turnout: 62.9)

EU referendum: Result in Britain

ENGLAND

Leave 53.4

Remain 46.6

(Turnout: 73)

SCOTLAND

Leave: 38.0

Remain: 62.0

(Turnout: 67.2)

WALES

Leave: 52.5

Remain: 47.5

(Turnout: 71.7)

UK OVERALL

Leave: 51.9

Remain: 48.1

(Turnout: 72.2)