BREXIT by the end of January and a so-called border in the Irish Sea now looks a certainty with Boris Johnson last night on course to secure a substantial Tory majority at Westminster.
Early result declartions coupled with exit poll predictions indicated that the Conservatives would emerge victorious from the second general election in as many years, with a majority of more than 80 MPs.
The result signals the end of DUP influence at Westminster and the increased likelihood of regulatory checks on goods moving across the Irish Sea, as spelled out in the deal agreed with the EU in October.
Mr Johnson greeted the exit poll and early results by tweeting: "Thank you to everyone across our great country who voted, who volunteered, who stood as candidates. We live in the greatest democracy in the world."
The DUP were last night insisting its MPs would remain relevant but at the same time stressed the need to restore the Stormont institutions.
The revised deal, which removed the controversial backstop, keeps Northern Ireland aligned to aspects of the single market but outside the customs union. Most significantly, it keeps the border free-flowing and avoids the need for checks on goods moving between the north and the Republic.
Despite initially conceding a regulatory border between the north and Britain, the DUP opposed Mr Johnson's deal, claiming it would create UK "internal borders". Nationalists and business leaders were less dismissive, acknowledging that while what's on offer is far from flawless, it is preferable to no deal.
Sammy Wilson, who was last night on course to retain his East Antrim seat, said the Tories' majority "presented certain challenges for us".
He said the withdrawal agreement was "disadvantageous to Northern Ireland in terms of the impact on the economy and its constitutional impact".
Mr Wilson said his party could still have "leverage".
Sinn Féin's Conor Murphy repeated his party's desire for a border poll but said the "immediate priority was to get the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement working again".
He said unionism's interests would not be best served by Boris Johnson.
Former Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt warned that unionists needed to be wary of English nationalism.
"I think the great irony of all of this is that for decades unionists have looked over their shoulders and decided that Irish nationalists were the great threat," he told the BBC.
"...and then more recently it was Scottish nationalists, but actually it’s English nationalism which is posing the existential threat to the future of the union."
He added unionists would have to "start making a much better case for remaining part of the United Kingdom".
It proved a disastrous night for Labour, a strong Tory majority and second successive general election defeat for Jeremy Corbyn expected to prompt a leadership challenge.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell was visibly shocked by the figures and sought to blame a public discourse in which "Brexit has dominated".
"If it (the result) is anywhere near this (the exit poll) it will be extremely disappointing for the party overall and for our movement," he said.
"I think Brexit has dominated, it has dominated everything by the looks of it."
While the opposition to Brexit was effectively nullified in England, in Scotland the SNP was on course to take all but four of 59 seats – strengthening the case for a second independence referendum.
Scotland's justice secretary urged SNP supporters to "keep the heid" after the exit poll was announced.
Humza Yousaf said: "I would be saying to people to keep the heid, a good Scottish phrase.
"It points to a very good night for the SNP and it points to the SNP winning another election, which just strengthens our mandate for another referendum."
