The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein has won the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time.
With almost all votes counted on Saturday, Sinn Fein had secured 27 of the assembly’s 90 seats. The pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) had 24, and the cross-community Alliance Party scored its strongest ever result with 17 seats – firmly establishing itself as a third pillar in the political system in Northern Ireland.
Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull reports from Belfast.
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#NorthernIreland #NorthernIrelandAssemblyElection #Stormont
Just typical ignorance from an ignorant generation, that knows no shame! 🤦🏼♂️
Has the Irish Spring started?
Out with the old in with the new
This is a turning point for Britain it won’t be called the United Kingdom anymore as Scotland will soon be Independent, N Ireland will soon join Ireland so Wales and England will have to be called rUK (rest of the UK) or little Britain.
Or even the Former UK
Little Britain lol
Yeah irish unification is likey but don’t be dumb the this isn’t the fall of the uk
Maybe England can build a union with Bretagne, France they have the same name after all
United Ireland
The Federal Republic of Ireland ?????
Hopefully, 4 states and a smaller national government.
Unionists claim the protocol denies their status within the UK. In 1921 the addition of n Ireland to the UK was prefaced by the fact that if a majority if people within NI vote to leave the union then the province can leave. So right from the get go NI place within the union was only with a caveat. Hence the passport states the United Kingdom of Great Britain AND Northern Ireland. The unionists only ever had a tentative place within n Ireland
More than Unionists would vote to remain as part of the UK.
@BRYAN BELSHAW And more than nationalists would vote for reunification.
@BRYAN BELSHAW More people from the unionist side would vote for a united Ireland than nationalist would vote to stay in the UK.
It used to be the other way around but Brexit changed the minds of the soft nationalists, I seen a poll showing now only 2% from the nationalist community would vote to stay in the UK and 6% from the Unionist side would vote for a united Ireland.
Things have definitely changed, it’s due to 2 things. Demographics and Brexit. It’s now just a matter of time. There will be a referendum this decade and it will be the middle ground 20% that mostly vote Alliance that will make the decision.
@Razor Mouth Yeah you’re probably right. I just hope that when the referendum inevitably comes that it’s peaceful
Honble UPA Chairperson Smt Soniagandhi madum please fight for to implement Ballot Paper voting system in next MP elections in 2024and to save democracy in india and public opinion in favour of Ballot Paper voting system and right to vote is fundamental right.public opinion is foundation of democracy.
Iam appeal to the Honble UN secretary general iam facing life threat from the communal powers. Please provide security to me through NATO military forces. Please protect me sir
The young ppl of both communities are now in the driver’s seat for a better , united Ireland. Trust them, and support independent individuals and vote out divisive types on both sides. Unite the Irish finally.
@shady mango Firstly, the DUP and Sinn Fein have both been in power together. That’s how Northern Ireland works, maybe you need to read more.
Secondly, I haven’t voted for the DUP. And the DUP is not linked to the paramilitaries in the same way. Sinn Fein had the leader of the IRA as its leader! The IRA who killed more Irish Catholics then the British Army. Do some research.
@Kincaid Wolf oh so you admit that paramilitaries have connections to the DUP right OK glad we cleared that up, thought every one forgot about that MP that was running one of them 😂. Anyway if you had actually took the time to read my comments I never said anything about the IRA. Also the army council is gone doesn’t rule the party anymore let the past rest along with the people weve lost on this island and move forward.
I’m well aware of how it works I don’t understand what you mean in the first reply….. my point is unionists are refusing to enter government because sinnfein will hold the first minister position it’s hypocritical and a spit in the face to the people of NI
When the island of Cyprus wanted union with Greece, the “powers ” stepped in with a coup /invasion to keep them separate . Divide and rule has been working just fine for centuries. Time to change it , what ?
Democracy not terrorism!
Yeah well most of the brits have left the north of Ireland so the terrorism should stop.
It is time for northern and ireland unification.
Do you have a clue what you’re saying? I think not.
26 + 6 = 1
Time to reunite the island. And all her children.
PepeLaugh Chat war
Protestant and Catholics are the same religion lol
no they are not, protestant religion doesn’t believe in the immaculate conception for one.
@Patrick Hayes That sounds like picking hairs to me.
It was never about religion. The Brits just labelled it that way to the rest of the world because it was easier than saying we’re stealing their land.
Oh 🌏Al Jazeera English!.
Don’t forget me.. 🤔 forever!!.
🤔 Oh please!!.
🙏🙏🙏
I did my masters IN international human rights law in Queens Univeristyu Belfast I believe that Northern Ireland can stay with Britian and Ireland at hte same time People should hav ea choice of which citizenship they prefer
It could, if the Protocol remains intact and there is no reunification vote, but the latter certainly is unlikely
The only reason they are is because the Unionist vote was split. Nothing has changed because Unionists still hold an outright majority. There’s also no consensus for a border pole and even if there were a reunification referendum it would still lose hands down. Even Sinn Fein know this.
Do you not think Nationilsts also lost votes to Alliance? A lot of protestants now see the DUP in a different light. They had the opportunity to fight for everyday issues that effect them. An increasing of poor loyalist areas are now suffering from unemployment and lack of investment. This has largely come about because of traditional workplaces closing up and moving, whereas Nationilst area are welcoming new investments.
Didn’t Carson say that half of Unionism fought for the crown(Queen) and the other half fought for the crown (money).
This is only step one. A Sinn Féin First Minister in a Protestant state for a Protestant people; how can that be? Come on let’s start clutching at straws.
Well fortunately you’re wrong.
SF share of the vote has increased on average 1.5% each election since 2011.
Alliance party took votes from SF and SDLP….. Not just from unionists.
Roughly both communities got about 40% of first preference votes and unionists only won 1 more seat than nationalists.
But hey!!!! It’s only because of the split unionist vote ehhh 😂 keep telling yourself that. Absolutely nothing to do with the fact nationalists on average have more than twice the number of children as unionists 😂
so… 2 things
first demographics.. NI demographics shows a 41.5 protestant vs a 41 catholic divide, the rest being non religious or following other faiths…
the other point is share of votes, all the unionist parties combined received 40,1% of the votes, with SF and SDLP (the two openly republican parties) receiving 38.1%.. summing up with PBP and Aontú (that are also republicans) you got 40,7%..
so.. if a reunification referendum was to be held… there is a pretty much chance of the result going for reunifications… as the change in demographics and the size of the votes of republicans show… this will be decided by the non aligned…. and is probably that the non aligned are more pro-europe than pro-london
Incorrect. Nationalist majority. 40.7% of the vote. Unionist 40.5%. So yes things have changed
I so happy, Al Jazeera English 🤔🙏.
If you knew me well 🙏.
We just like 👍, Comment, comment, Comment, and Comment✍️.
About this topic 🤔.
OH I DON’T KNOW 🙏.
Yes, thank you
and thank you so much for your tolerance with me 😀.
We love you 🙏.
😀🙏😀
.
Who wnats to be part of a decaying broken laughing stock like the UK.
Here in my country we don’t like them becuse huge number of them are infamous for sexually abuse kids.
Irish is not Britons
Erin go bragh!!! U are enslaved and an occupied country .Ur ancestors died in vain .The DUP are oppressive and have been for years
The unionists still collectively got more votes
As a non british citizen, i always thought Scotland is a country on iits own.
it is, so is england, wales, and northern Ireland, but together we’re in this so called union called the uk unfortunately, and the sooner Scotland gets out of it the better
🏴🏴🏴👍
@Jimmy82 Scotland, England and Wales are countries but Northern Ireland is an occupied British territory or statelet. Not a country.
Scotland, NI and Wales should take up arms if their attempts to secure independence from the Brits are resisted
Being held ransom under threat to remain in the union
Now merge all of Ireland. The only way to go.
26+6=1
The Irish government allowed an Orange march to take place in Dublin but won’t allow Russian people living here to celebrate their victory over N azi Germany in public .
So heartening to see young people leaving the old identities behind and coming together. I am inclined to think that with time they would see more benefit in reuniting with the Republic because of more opportunities being availabe to them in the EU, especially in places like Dublin.
@E Z Read non-sectarian history and find out how many were murdered by both sides, and how good life was for everyone in NI before the Good Friday agreement.
@Helen Hunter During the troubles 60% of murderers were carried out by Republicans, 30% by Loyalists and 10% by security forces. Loyalist combined murders ( UVF, UDA etc) total around 900. The army 299, RUC, 56. From memory the INLA was 110. There are other figures for other Republicans. But, by far the most killings were by PIRA. Maybe Helen, you’re like Sinn Fein, you like to forget about what happened in the past.
@Kincaid Wolf Ireland ’tis for the Irish! Erin go Bragh! Brits out! Slainte’ !
@31ohara DUP are jerks. Nobody like them, not even DUP.
Absolutely nothing has changed, despite the media hysteria. Sinn Fein have the same number of seats as before. They have maxed out their potential support at around 30%.
Sinn Fein has no long term future in either northern or southern Ireland. The large majority of politicians and also the public in the Republic of Ireland are as vehemently opposed to unrepentant terrorists or their vocal supporters being in power as those who suffered most in Northern Ireland.
SF will never actually rule anything. This is a purely symbolic win, with no substance. Irish republicans (Sinn Fein/IRA, etc) have a lot of innocent blood on their hands – both Catholic and Protestant – and it will be at least another generation before that memory begins to fade.
SF share of the vote has increased on average 1.5% each election since 2011.
Alliance party took votes from SF and SDLP….. Not just from unionists.
Roughly both communities got about 40% of first preference votes and unionists only won 1 more seat than nationalists.
The 20% in the middle will decide any future referendum and it just so happens most of those voters are young pro-EU Alliance voters.
Time will tell but a referendum is definitely on the horizon.
But yeah nothing has changed 😂😂😂
SF/IRA have blood on their hands? What and DUP/UDA/UVF don’t?
Pal get with it, NI is coming to an end.
@Razor Mouth Sinn Fein only got 29% of the vote. They did not increase their number of seats. They have become the largest party by default. The FM and DFM have equal roles and authority. So, nothing has changed. Another thing that has not changed: nationalists are willing to vote for those who have engaged in or condone terrorism for political ends, while unionists do not.
@Paul Briggs You’re wishful thinking is amusing but is going to lead you to a life of disappointment. It’s time for you to move on and stop worrying about the affairs of Ireland and Scotland. Concentrate on Wales, they still like you kind of 👍
Some say this video was made after Thanos clicked his finger
Interesting
Religion has caused more trouble than it ever helped.
Christ Jesus came, but did the church listen to his words…..
Nah. Go for a Tiocfaidh
I’d support an independent Northern Ireland if it meant the Brits were out of Ireland.
The peace walls are irrelevant too the election and if you wanted too include it in the report then you could have done better with its inclusion. Both communities need too come together before they come down, no political party can just decide too take them down, there needs too be foundation work with communities first. It’s not about Catholic or Protestant either, they are both Christian religions. It’s more about being nationalist, unionist or in between. Basically as the end of the video states, Irish, British or Northern Irish.
its the Irish sea
Unionists still the biggest political block 🇬🇧
35 seats Unionist, 35 seats Nationalist, 14 Other. Wrong af
The biggest concern is that the nationalist community are comfortable with a political party bedded in ira thuggery and terror. Says it all really.
You mean DUP, UVF, UDA.
@Daniel Skomp name one DUP mla that’s bombed murdered maimed for served time ….. as regards to SF IRA ….
Ireland: Keep Calm & Obey Her Majesty
Troll off
At last Northern Ireland can escape from being eternally trapped in 1690. Welcome to the 21st Century.
Alliance is DUP make no mistake they don’t want a reunification with the south then they are Unionists!!!
Vote Sein Fein
United Ireland forever 🇮🇪
0:32 never heard her state her views, but you can tell from her tone and face that she has the kind of cognitive dissonance only a Loyalist could possess. (Sigh) I bet the 11th Night celebrations are going to be extra obnoxious this July.
🎉Ireland 🇮🇪 ❤
Brits out
Free Northern Ireland. Free Scotland
0:10 he has no drum LOL
Yeah that was a bug in the matrix
Alhamdulillah, all praise be to Allah
Watching the Orange men march through town reminds me of U.S. southerners celebrating our civil war. Both look idiotic.
Non muslim agenda
Finally. Maybe the protestants will move to London
Alliance is looking forward and will join along with SF onward to a United One Island, One People, One Ireland future.
Heck yeah! Someone’s got to help the ROI pay off it’s public debt approaching 3 Trillion euros.
@Wataboutya uk:£4.8 trillion debt…
@Wataboutya roi: €240bn🤣… Why you lie sir?
@Wataboutya Our debt is 223 billion. Yours is approaching 2.7 trillion…by the way this might be a bad time to bring it up but when we reunify we’re not paying a penny of any of the money you sank into it. Okay bye now 👍
He should have said “A RE-United Ireland !”
It was NEVER two countries – Nor was it two Populations !!
Just two mindless Ideologies ! Both based on different versions of the same Sumerian clay tablets🤣🤣
Well done sinn fein you murdered your way to the top.
The British Empire murdered 100millions SF have Long way to go to Equal that Record
What a werid place no wonder everyone is nuts up there you cant be british and irish 😂😂
DUP will just collapse the government as per usual. Bad losers and sore winners, an awful bunch all in all
🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪☘️🇮🇪🧡💚
The British empire is dying.
Perhaps full absorption of NI into Ireland may be a step too far. Could a federal solution work, where NI becomes a self governing province of Ireland rather than of the UK?
Rais
I wish you’d stop calling it a province.
@Gola Glanman I’ve heard it called a province on the BBC. I personally believe that NI should never have been created, it’s just an artificially separated “majority” pro English area. But a province it apparently is according to the UK which governs it, until by majority vote it reunites with the rest of Ireland. I was suggesting that to mollify the Unionists NI should continue to have limited self government when it reunites with the rest of Ireland. Being Australian I tend to favour a federal model but the choice is for NI and the rest of the Irish to decide.
Don’t believe it matters who is in power, they are all middle class who will increase the need for food banks.
lol times they are a changing…… lets see if their lets them grow…. this is another interesting time here in N.I….
If the people of Northern Ireland said yes to a United Ireland and Brandon Lewis says No Lewis Wins thats British Democracy in Ireland
This changes NOTHING, repeat NOTHING. Unionist seats 35, Nationalist seats 35, Alliance (AKA rich, posh Unionists) 17. The NI First Minister cannot order a box of paper clips without the permission of the Deputy First Minister. The Assembly will be dissolved, direct rule beckons. I correct my first sentence, one thing will change, the EU protocol will be scrapped.
sinn fein are unionists… just seeking to union whole ireland island under one flag also congrats to all irish people
Here they go again. Just wait and see…
Wonderful to see these changes, led by young people, and moving away from sectarian division. Remember, the majority of N. Ireland voters wanted to remain part of the EU – maybe that wish will come true …
This is a very anglo-centric reading of the situation, especially the notion that Alliance gains were somehow an endorsement of a third way politics that don’t exist here. Sinn Fein increased their vote drastically while the unionist vote collapsed, so it’s pretty clear the Alliance gains came primarily from one side.
SDLP did take a hit and if you add in the smaller parties and independents (independent unionists mostly) the split is 40/40 with 20% being in the other classification.
But I think it’s fair to say alliance is a non sectarian unionist party, hard to see them as anything else when you see the likes of Kellie Armstrong shouting “God save the Queen” at the end of her speech
That old statue of Carson can come down now.
Catholic lives mater.
Sinn Fein is hardly a republican party any more. They simply want power for power’s sake …. just like any major party
Lets move on with a United Ireland.
No they aren’t just like most western democracies the World Economic Forum are the biggest party in Stormount
Bollocks journalism. Sinn fein took the lead and the Union is over.
did this journalist smoke crack in the first few seconds? They jsut won, you think things change over night? It will take years to reverse the damage the Crown has dome, Tommy boy.
Hope they will remain Neutral and Unbiased..
If you were to ask moderate Catholics in the North whether they want to be in a United Ireland, I still believe most would say no, or that they’re not convinced it’s the right way forward. The key to all of this is the two sides continuing to live together. The challenge now is to get the local assembly up and running again and provide all the people of NI with a stable political scenario in which to work and live together. It won’t be easy, there are still a lot of variables at play in what is a complex economic and social equation, but it’s a turning point, one that has been on the cards for some time, but this is not the time for gloating. For me personally, joining a United Ireland is water off a duck’s back. I’m from a moderate Catholic family, I attended a Protestant grammar school – the best decision my father ever made – and during the four years I was at QUB, more than 90% of my friends were Protestants, including my girlfriend. And even after all these years living abroad, when people ask me if I’m from Ireland, I say, Northern Ireland and leave them to figure it out.
Sinn Fein’s victory doesn’t make things worse! It reflects 2022 feeling among more of the population, though diehard unionists’ vote wasn’t tiny. Sinn Fein leaders know ALL the facts about the politics of NI.
It’s not Sinn Fein who refuses to work with unionists. Just the opposite
Reporter, do your homework please.
United ireland 2025🇮🇪😉
More and more people are mixing cross community. As somebody from the border counties on the southern side who has lived in Belfast, been friends with kids from the Shankill, Tigers Bay etc. through the sport of boxing, there is no difference between either of them. Same taste in sport, music, sense of humour etc. These are manufactured divisions to make themuns always the cause of each others problem. I’d love to see the unity of our island but I’d be just as happy to see all the segregation and bitterness ended once and for all be it in an Irish Republic, a United Kingdom of whatever else. Most well adjusted young people don’t care as demonstrated on this video. The real issues lie in the working class areas where deprivation is far too common. I truly think the community based approach used in the north could enhance our country greatly. Better services, workers rights etc.
Well done Sinn Fein!
Viva Los San Patricios!
New era
Brexit was simply the feather in their cap…
It’s Not about religion and never was 🤨✅ it’s about freedom for people to be actual citizens of their own country in their own land 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪 Just like Palestine ☯️🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸
*UNIFY IRELAND!!*
Congratulations! Lets have a United Ireland next! Let the Ulster Unionist fascists cry
FREE North Ireland … international worker support FREE NI
Yes teenage girls know what they are talking about always. Those same girls probably hold up REFUGEES WELCOME HERE signs too.
Cajiib
Will it never end? How about trying to get along, it’s been decades of unrest.
English shouldn’t have been in Ireland in the first place corrupting innocent Irish culture
If the DUP minister refuses its position, should not the next most popular (Alliance) party prove that The Assembly WORK FOR THE PEOPLE?
If the DUP minister refuses his seat, should not the next most popular (Alliance) be promoted so the Assembly can WORK FOR THE PEOPLE!
Ireland unite and get the Brits out of your country