What was the biggest surprise (in your opinion) during the recent elections?

14 comments

1. Gregory Campbell’s seat going to a recount.

2. Lagan valley no longer being a unionist seat 😍 didn’t think that could happen and genuinely elated. 

3. Ian been done up like a kipper

4. The TUV finally having the spoiler effect (and more) on the DUP that they’ve been threatening to have for over a decade.

5. Well placed exit sign.

6. That Ryan North (independant) got 162 people to vote for him in East Belfast

7. That the raw, sexual energy exuded by Jim Allister has finally been converted into winning a Westminster seat.

8. Look at paisleys face in that footage, looks like he is about to start crying.

9. This sub ever find out who that young lad is with the trump haircut?

10. The Paisley loss was an absolute shocker. I worked in a North Antrim polling station yesterday & he came in & shook hands with everybody. Apparently this was a first. One of the staff said ”he’s rattled” but it was only when the result came out that I realised how rattled.

    Pretty sure wee Jim is having buyer’s remorse now as he’s going to be a tiny fish in a huge pond & will be likely ignored, including by his supposed allies in Reform. It also takes him out of Stormont which the DUP will welcome. Fair chance the party are quietly happy with this result as Ian has been a kind of semi detached & troublesome member for years.

11. Alliance votes actually went down

12. The DUP managed to lose to an extreme on the unionist front, a moderate on the unionist front, and a non-aligned candidate.

    Not ideal for drawing conclusions for the elections and strategy team.

13. There’s no way the biggest shock is anything other than Paisley losing North Antrim. That is seismic.

14. Alliance was always going to lose votes. Naomi’s decision to appeal then, drop her appeal of her controversial Sex Offenders Anonymity law the day before people went to vote, definitely harmed them.
    Bad initial decision, very bad timing.