Summary

  • Ian Paisley has lost North Antrim to the TUV's Jim Allister

  • The DUP has also lost Lagan Valley to Alliance but held Upper Bann, Strangford, East Antrim, Belfast East and East Londonderry

  • Alliance loses North Down to independent unionist candidate Alex Easton

  • The UUP's Robin Swann wins South Antrim from the DUP

  • Sinn Féin has held all seven of its seats and becomes Northern Ireland's biggest party at Westminster

  • The SDLP has retained its two seats in Foyle and Belfast South and Mid Down

  • Labour has won a landslide

  • You can follow results from across the UK here

  • You can see full results from your constituency here

  1. Goodbyepublished at 15:59 British Summer Time 5 July

    That's a wrap for our rolling coverage of the 2024 General Election.

    You can keep up to date with any further political developments and reaction on our website.

    And there'll be further coverage on BBC Radio Ulster and on BBC Newsline later.

    But, for now, from all the live page team, goodbye.

    Additional reporting by Amy Stewart, Jake Wood, Hannah Gay, Hayley Halpin, Rebekah Wilson, Jess Lawrence, Ashleigh Swan, Mike McBride and Faye Kidd.

  2. And finally....published at 15:47 British Summer Time 5 July

    It was a long and tiring night for the counters, politicians and media as the election drama unfolded in Northern Ireland.

    Here's a look at an eventful 20 hours as the results emerged in the 2024 General Election.

    Vote counting beginsImage source, Pacemaker
    Image caption,

    Voting went on through the night in Magherafelt

    Gavin Robinson interviewImage source, Pacemaker
    Image caption,

    DUP leader Gavin Robinson faced the media as he was re-elected in Belfast East

    Alex EastonImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Alex Easton was embraced by family after he was elected as an independent in North Down

    Claire HannaImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Claire Hanna is the MP for Belfast South and Mid Down - and was in celebratory mood

    Sorcha EastwoodImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Sorcha Eastwood of Alliance was delighted with her victory in the previously unionist-dominated Lagan Valley constituency

    Ian Paisley blows kissImage source, Pacemaker
    Image caption,

    Ian Paisley blows a kiss to the media as he leaves the count centre after his defeat in North Antrim

    Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonaldImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Sinn Féin's leadership, Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald, celebrate becoming the largest of the Northern Ireland parties at Westminster after returning seven MPs

  3. Dramatic storylines and remarkable resultpublished at 15:37 British Summer Time 5 July

    Jayne McCormack
    BBC News NI political correspondent

    Ian Paisley at the count centre in MagherafeltImage source, PA Media

    As elections go this one has brought about one of the most dramatic storylines in decades.

    When Ian Paisley entered the count centre in Magherafelt his silence spoke volume as word spread that North Antrim, a seat belonging to the Paisley family since 1970, had fallen to the DUP's arch unionist opponent Jim Allister of the TUV.

    Mr Allister said it was a reality check for the DUP and it certainly was a plot twist nobody saw coming.

    Joining him on the green benches is the first Ulster Unionist MP in seven years as Robin Swann snatched victory from the DUP in South Antrim.

    Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald from Sinn Féin speak to the media at a count centre

    And the loss of another DUP stronghold to Alliance will also bring hurt - Sorcha Eastwood is now the MP for Lagan Valley.

    But it was a case of win one, lose one, for Alliance as independent unionist Alex Easton outpolled the party's deputy leader Stephen Farry.

    Sinn Féin struck lucky too, it's now overtaken the DUP as the largest party at Westminster.

    The SDLP kept both its seats from the last mandate.

    It was just before 08:00 when the last seat was declared in East Londonderry where, despite a full recount, Gregory Campbell hung on for the DUP by just 179 votes - another shock.

    With the counts packed up for another few years, that leaves plenty of time to unpick some truly remarkable results.

  4. The glory... and the painpublished at 15:16 British Summer Time 5 July

    Man in dark suit with white shirt and green tieImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Stephen Farry failed to retain his North Down seat, after becoming the first non-unionist to take the seat in 2019

    Man with grey hair in a light blue suit with white shirt and dark blue tieImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Alex Easton took the North Down seat with a larger-than-expected majority of 7,305

    Woman with ginger hair in turquoise top with a silver necklceImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Alliance leader Naomi Long failed to take the Belfast East seat - she won it in 2010 when she defeated Peter Robinson but lost it in 2015

    Man with white hair and glasses wearing a navy suit, white shirt and light blue tie.Image source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Many predicted the race would be tight for the Belfast East seat but Gavin Robinson retained his position as MP

  5. A time to celebratepublished at 15:03 British Summer Time 5 July

    Blonde woman with her arms up in a green jacket and white shirtImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Pat Cullen was the candidate who successfully retained a seat for Sinn Féin in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and won by a majority of 4,571

    Man with beard in navy suit and white shirt
    Image caption,

    Colum Eastwood retained his Foyle seat - but his majority dropped from 17,110 in 2019 to 4,166 this time around

    Man with white hair and white moustache smilingImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Sammy Wilson held onto his seat but won by a lower majority - from 6,706 in 2019 to 1,306 this time round

  6. The highs and lowspublished at 14:52 British Summer Time 5 July

    Men in suits at podiumImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Jim Allister makes history by winning the North Antrim MP seat over Ian Paisley

    Man with white hair in pinstripe suit and blue tieImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Ian Paisley loses the seat held by his family since 1970

    Woman with long brown hair wearing a pink dress with blue flowers and a blue blazerImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Sorcha Eastwood becomes the first non-unionist and first female MP for Lagan Valley

    Man in blue suit with white shirt, light blue tie and red, white and blue DUP badgeImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    A last-minute move by the DUP to retain its Lagan Valley seat with Jonathan Buckley failed

  7. Five major takeaways from a night of dramapublished at 14:25 British Summer Time 5 July

    Ciaran McCauley
    BBC News NI

    Man in blue suit hugs a woman with blonde hairImage source, PA Media

    Eighteen constituencies, hundreds of thousands of votes and 10 hours of counting - welcome to the 2024 general election in Northern Ireland.

    From Sinn Féin celebrations to DUP commiserations, the storylines that have emerged since the polls closed will reverberate through Northern Ireland politics for some time to come.

    Here's a run down of everything you need to know from a night of drama.

  8. It's not been a terrible election for unionism - Cairnspublished at 14:17 British Summer Time 5 July

    Man with a grey beard wearing a beige hoodie holding a pen

    Tim Cairns suggests that after a number of years, people want change.

    “We’re seeing with the Tories across the water, 14 years in power, people want change,” he says. “There's a sense in that in a local level as well.”

    The former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) special adviser says: "It may have been a bad election for the DUP, overall, and I think Gavin [Robinson] holding on in East Belfast … probably just about keeps the DUP buoyed.

    “However, I think for unionism as a whole it’s not been a terrible election.”

  9. Health should be number one priority - BMApublished at 14:13 British Summer Time 5 July

    Dr Alan Stout

    BMA NI's Dr Alan Stout says health should be the "number one priority in Westminster" for Northern Ireland's MPs.

    Dr Stout says the health system in Northern Ireland is under "significant pressure" due to "years of political instability, underfunding, declining workforce numbers and the worst waiting lists in the UK".

    He added that "workforce morale has never been lower" and called on MPs to secure multi-year funding "to reverse the impact of years of underinvestment in the health service".

  10. Election results shows politics is 'increasingly fragmented'published at 14:08 British Summer Time 5 July

    Leo Varadkar, centre of the photo, from the shoulders upImage source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar

    Former taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar says the UK election result was a "phenomenal" one for Sir Keir Starmer.

    However, he says it shows "real evidence" that voters are more volatile and that politics is increasingly fragmented.

    Speaking to RTÉ News, Mr Varadkar says Sir Keir's vote in his own constituency was half what it was five or 10 years ago. He says the drop in the Conservative vote has allowed Labour and the Liberal Democrats to gain a huge numbers of seats.

    "Where does it leave us in 2029? I don't know. The Reform Party... has suddenly won four million votes in an election and that's not to be ignored," he says.

    "Two million people voted Green, and most voted Green in places where they couldn't even possibly win but they still did, so there's real fragmentation there," Mr Varadkar says.

    He says that people "will say this result means that the Labour Party is going to be in government in Britain for 10 or 15 years".

  11. Labour government in historical time of renewal - McDonaldpublished at 13:43 British Summer Time 5 July

    Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said the party is "determined to build a constructive relationship with the new Labour government."

    Ms McDonald says she looks forward to working positively with the new prime minister on "many shared priorities for Ireland and Britain" during what she describes as an "historical time of renewal".

    She adds that the new government has a "huge opportunity" to reset relations with the Irish government and the Northern Ireland Executive.

  12. Teachers' union call for changepublished at 13:24 British Summer Time 5 July

    The NASUWT teachers’ union says the new government must “make a break from the austerity policies of the last 14 years”.

    The trade union's general secretary, Dr Patrick Roach, says public spending across the UK has seen “cuts which have devastated public services in Northern Ireland and depressed wages in real terms” since 2010.

    He added the situation in Northern Ireland is "exacerbated by increased levels in relative need" and called on the new government to "deliver a new deal for education, public services and communities in Northern Ireland, including schools”.

    An empty classroom. Tables and chairs in the forefront and middle of the photo. Windows to the right of the room and the back wall is filled with posters.Image source, PA Media
  13. Sinn Féin now fifth-largest party at Westminsterpublished at 13:18 British Summer Time 5 July

    BBC election bar chart showing Labour in first place, Conservatives in second, Lib Dems in third, SNP in fourth, Sinn Fein in fifth and "others" in sixth

    Sinn Féin is now not just the largest NI party at Westminster; it’s the fifth largest party across the UK.

    It’s not by virtue of winning any more seats – they’ve stayed steady on seven – but because the DUP lost their spot.

    After the last general election in 2019, the DUP had eight seats. But now they have five, and fall under “other” on the BBC’s election banner.

    Reform UK didn’t get the 13 seats predicted by the exit poll; with just four seats, they’re in the “others” bucket too.

    It means viewers in GB will see more of the Sinn Féin name than they might have seen before.

    Google searches for “SF” spiked at 5 this morning, external, driven mostly by English googlers.

    You can read more in our colleague Brendan Hughes’s summary of the night.

  14. Ex-DUP special adviser says Paisley loss is 'beyond shocking'published at 12:53 British Summer Time 5 July

    Former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) special adviser Tim Cairns says there was "palpable shock" in the Titanic count centre last night when Ian Paisley lost his North Antrim seat.

    Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister won the seat, which has been held by the Paisley family for 54 years, by 450 votes.

    Mr Cairns told BBC News NI’s Talkback programme that Mr Allister's victory was "beyond shocking", but added there had been a "rumbling undercurrent" that he could win.

  15. 'An opportunity to step up activity on north-south issues' - Bertie Ahernpublished at 12:37 British Summer Time 5 July

    Former taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Bertie Ahern says he hopes the change in government will lead to an increase in meetings between the prime minister and taoiseach.

    Mr Ahern told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne programme, external he believes the "whole relationship has been lost in the last seven or eight years”.

    Adding that he would “love to see a meeting of the inter-governmental council and then regular meetings between the British prime minister with the Taoiseach”.

    Taken in April 2021, the image shows Tony Blair (left) looking at the camera and smiling, and Bertie Ahern (right) smiling at Blair.Image source, PA Media
    Image caption,

    Tony Blair with Bertie Ahern in July 2001

    The British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC) met in April for the first time since power-sharing at Stormont returned earlier this year.

    "There's also an opportunity now to step up activity on north-south issues because that has been fairly damaged as well for the last few years. There was no meetings when the institutions weren't there,” Mr Ahern added.

  16. 'A reset is required'published at 12:17 British Summer Time 5 July

    The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) says a “reset is required”, adding it is ready to work with the new MPs and the incoming government.

    "Our members report that rising costs, skills shortages and infrastructure gaps are contributing to a challenging trading environment, so a reset is required,” NI Chamber chief executive, Suzanne Wylie, says.

    “It is imperative that the new UK government plays its part in those policy, funding and legislative interventions which will enable growth here.

    She says the government needs to “get to work quickly, working closely with business to understand Northern Ireland's unique challenges and strengths so they can help the region double down on its many areas of success”.

  17. Fall of the house of Paisleypublished at 11:59 British Summer Time 5 July

    Brendan Hughes
    BBC News NI political reporter

    Ian Paisley and Jim Allister

    The single biggest shockwave of this election has been the fall of the 'house of Paisley'.

    For 54 years, North Antrim has been their family dynasty and synonymous with the Democratic Unionist Party.

    Its founder Rev Ian Paisley held the seat from 1970 and was succeeded in 2010 by his son, Ian Paisley.

    But now the seat is in the hands of his arch rival, Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader Jim Allister.

    Read more here

  18. An opportunity for small businesses?published at 11:49 British Summer Time 5 July

    The results of the general election “gives hope that political stability can lead to economic stability and recovery”, Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says.

    "There's a golden chance in the first 100 days of this new administration to plant the seeds of small business growth, and there are a range of policies FSB hopes the new government will bring forward,” Ms McKenzie says.

    She says these include measures to ease the cost of doing business and support investment and expansion.

    "The upcoming King's Speech should include a Small Business Bill to enshrine in legislation much-needed changes to better support small firms and the self-employed,” Ms McKenzie says.

    "Supporting and growing small businesses is good for jobs, good for communities in all parts of the country, and good for the whole economy.”

  19. Who are Northern Ireland's seven new MPs?published at 11:36 British Summer Time 5 July

    Dáire HughesImage source, PA Media

    With all 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland now declared, voters know who their MP will be for at least the next few years.

    In seven seats, constituents have a new MP, in some cases for the first time in many years.

    So who are the new additions to Northern Ireland's parliamentary line-up?

  20. Sinn Féin's historic hat-trickpublished at 11:03 British Summer Time 5 July

    Brendan Hughes
    BBC News NI political reporter

    Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill celebrate Sinn Féin election successesImage source, PA Media

    By a landslide this UK general election has been Labour's moment, but Northern Ireland has had its own political earthquakes.

    Sinn Féin was the runaway success, completing a historic hat-trick for Irish nationalism.

    For the first time it is now Northern Ireland's largest party at Westminster, at Stormont and at local government level.

    The party retained its seven seats and upped its vote share compared to the last general election in 2019.

    But Sinn Féin has always held a policy of abstentionism when it comes to the House of Commons and will not sit in the chamber.

    Read full story here.