Naomi Long

Alliance leader Naomi Long and the DUP's Joanne Bunting have been elected as MLAs for the East Belfast constituency.

The TUV’s John Ross secured 3,087 first preferences, increasing to 3,095 by the end of the fifth count. These totals increased to 5,346 and 1,324 by the end of the fifth count. In fourth was Alliance’s Peter McReynolds, who received 5,820 first preferences – a total which increased to 6,811 by the end of the fifth count - and is looking set to join his party leader at Stormont by the end of the process. "On the doors we heard about people’s financial pressures, we need more support for families. We’re now the largest party in the constituency, I think that is significant,” she said. We’ve got to get beyond that to a point where Alliance is treated as an equal.

Get all of the latest Politics news from Belfast News Letter. Providing fresh perspective online for news across the UK.

I just want to dedicate this win to him because without family I could not do what I do, and without their support I would not be where I am. I lost my father in law in the last few weeks, and we buried him yesterday. Ms Long told media: “It’s been a good day so far for Alliance and obviously it’s been a good day for me personally in East Belfast and also for Peter McReynolds and we expect that we will hold the two seats there.

ANOTHER Assembly election, another topping of the poll for Naomi Long, as the Alliance leader secured her MLA seat easily after the first round's ballot ...

That test looked to have failed as the PUP candidate Karl Bennett failed to maintain the share of his predecessor Mr Kyle from 2017, as it fell dramatically from 6.6 percent to a miserable 2.2 percent - no surprise given the TUV's growing influence. Meanwhile, the loss of popular councillor John Kyle from the PUP to the UUP earlier this year was always going to be a test of the loyalist party's support. After the initial batch of ballots was counted, it became clear that the gains were indeed significant, with candidate John Ross growing his party's vote share to 7.1 percent.

Alliance party leader Naomi Long has said she is pleased with her party's showing in the Assembly election. | UTV News.

Alliance leader Naomi Long has said voters have responded to her party "delivering for people" as she called on a Stormont Executive to be formed following ...

We’ve got to get the assembly up and running and an executive formed.” “We’ve been through the ringer," she said. We’ve focused on delivering for people and we’ve focused on trying to make this place better and make it work.