THE absence of Sammy Wilson did not prevent another strong DUP performance in East Antrim.
Despite the party vote being down stalwart David Hilditch topped the poll, securing his fifth election in the process and on Saturday was joined by party colleagues Gordon Lyons and Alastair Ross.
In his election speech Mr Hilditch reflected on another impressive performance by the DUP in East Antrim.
“The result itself if you wanted to plan it from a Democratic Unionist point of view has gone according to plan. We’ve had great success across the province and of course locally here in East Antrim.”
The Carrickfergus man comfortably beat his best ever election result, polling 2,618 more first preference votes than in 2011 and was the main beneficiary from Mr Wilson’s absence.
After Mr Hilditch’s election early on Friday afternoon there was a long wait until some seven hours later he was joined by colleague Gordon Lyons and Ulster Unionist Party representative Roy Beggs Jr who both reached the quota of 4,631.
Despite his pleasure at being elected for a fifth time in the constituency Mr Beggs said it had been a “tough election” with his party failing to take a seat from the DUP despite standing additional candidates John Stewart and Maureen Morrow.
In his election speech he criticised the DUP election tactics.
“For us it’s been disappointing the fear factor that’s come into this campaign and as the results show has been overplayed throughout Northern Ireland with no chance of Sinn Fein actually overtaking a Unionist first minister. We hope that in the future the electorate will feel less intimidated and abused by such a process.”
On Saturday the final three seats were filled, first by the Alliance’s Stewart Dickson, who said his party had consolidated their vote in South Antrim.
At the end of stage 11 of the count it was a straight fight between Oliver McMullan of Sinn Féin, the DUP’s Alastair Ross and the surprise package UKIP’s Noel Jordan for the remaining two seats.
An interesting number of sub-plots were at play with the DUP looking to return their three candidates, Oliver McMullan hoping to retain the Sinn Féin representation gained in 2011 and the possibility of a first ever seat in East Antrim for UKIP.
In the end it was Alastair Ross and Oliver McMullan elected, just squeezing out Noel Jordan, with UKIP NI leader David McNarry’s trip to the count centre proving a futile one.
In his address Mr McMullan said his election for a second successive term was a “ringing endorsement of the Sinn Féin policy” in East Antrim.
“We had to fight for the seat in 2011, in 2016 we’re still fighting for it and got it again.”
For the DUP it was a less of a fight and at the close of play on Saturday afternoon it was very much a case of as you were in East Antrim
Elected: David Hilditch (DUP), Gordon Lyons (DUP), Roy Beggs (UUP), Stewart Dickson (Alliance), Alastair Ross (DUP), Oliver McMullan (SF)
