Strangford: Jim Shannon keeps Iris seat for the DUP

Jim Shannon DUP

Jim Shannon has been elected MP for Strangford with 14,926 votes.

Mike Nesbitt, Ulster Conservatives and Unionists - New Force, was second with 9,050 votes. In third place was Deborah Girvan of Alliance, with 2,828.

Claire Hanna of the SDLP polled 2,164 votes, Terry Williams, TUV, 1,814, Michael Coogan, Sinn Fein, 1,161 and Barbara Haig of the Greens, 562.

Mr Shannon said he felt humbled by the support he had received and said he would represent all the consituency.

"There's no job too small for Jim Shannon to do, whether it be potholes in Portaferry, whether it be a DLA form, whether it be education, whether it be health, I'm here to do every job there is, for everyone," he said.

"As Strangford's new MP I promise to serve Strangford and to serve everyone and I look forward to doing just that."

Mr Nesbitt said "democracy only survives if everybody gives it a lash".

"Tonight is probably not going to go down as a particularly pleasant night for my team. I think us in the Conservatives and Unionists have taken a little bit of a bloody nose," he said.

"But we've always looked at tonight as not just an event, it's part of a process that has been ongoing."