DUP and Sinn Fein not letting anyone else in on the act in Belfast City Council

As tea time approached there was little for the rest to celebrate until the Balmoral DEA welcomed a councillor from a party other than the big two.

SDLP were the party in fine voice as Donal Lyons made it past the post following transfers.

So far the DUP have returned five candidates to Sinn Fein’s seven with the SDLP holding a single seat.

The next most likely party to get in on the act is Alliance who are waiting in the wings for transferred votes from elected and eliminated candidates.

DUP’s Frank McCoubrey polled the most first preference votes overall in Belfast City Council.

He said: “I’d never any doubt I was going to poll well in the Lower Shankill area. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of people that comes out to give you support, but this time it was special – it was over 2,500 votes and that meant an awful lot to me.

"I think my colleague Ian McLaughlin will be elected on transfers, the last unionist seat will be between the TUV and the Progressive Unionist Party.”

He added: "On the Shankill we had a good response and it’s always a good sign when you get a good response from the people of the Shankill that you must be doing something right.

"Overall we’ll have to wait over the next few days and see the results coming in.”

DUP’s David Douglas polled an impressive 2,083 votes to make him the sole representative in Lisnasharragh to be elected at the first round of counting.

He said: “It feels great. I’m exhausted to be honest, the last couple of months have been tough, we been knocking plenty of doors. I’ve three boys at home including a three month old baby, it’s been tough enough on the family.

"I’m delighted to get over 2,000 first preference votes. It’s been a hard old slog but I’m happy that we’ve got there. I experienced the disappointment of not being elected in 2017, I know what it can feel like so I’m just delighted, I really am.”

Asked had he expected to win a seat with first preference votes, he said: "I hadn’t really thought about coming in on first preference votes. When you’re running multiple candidates it’s not that important, I’m just glad that people have shown they have faith in me.

"We’ve two new candidates in Lisnasharragh this time around, so maybe we don’t have that profile that some of the other councillors would have. We knocked thousands of doors and had lots of good conversations with people, I’m just glad people have shown faith in me and Bradley (Ferguson).”

Although he could be excused for good home and putting his feet up, Davy will return to City Hall tomorrow.

He said: "I’ll be back here tomorrow. We have three in Titanic including my dad. It would be great if my dad got in as well along with the other two candidates.”