Support for Foster falls in home constituency
Posted By: March 04, 2017
ECLIPSED: DUP leader Arlene Foster was more than 200 votes short of the quota.
PERSONAL VOTE: Michelle O’Neill had the highest personal vote of the election
John Manley. Irish News. Belfast. Saturday, March 4, 2017
SUPPORT for DUP leader Arlene Foster has fallen in her home constituency despite a significant increase in turnout.
The former first minister, who has faced fierce criticism over her oversight of the controversial Renewable Heat Incentive, topped the poll in Fermanagh-South Tyrone with 8,479 first-preference votes – or 16.7 percent.
However, support for Mrs. Foster was down more than two percentage points compared to last May when she polled 8,801 first preference votes – an 18.66 per cent share.
The DUP leader, who was elected on the first count last year, was 232 votes short of the quota and had to wait until the second count to be returned.
Turnout in the DUP leader’s home constituency was up more than eight percentage points to 72.6 percent, with 53,075 casting their vote this time around.
And while her personal vote was the largest across the north last May, she was eclipsed in the latest poll by nine other MLAs in constituencies elsewhere.
The largest personal vote on Thursday went to Mrs. Foster’s Sinn Féin counterpart Michelle O’Neill, who polled 10,258 first preference votes and was elected on the first count in Mid Ulster, alongside the DUP’s Keith Buchanan, who gained 9,568 first preference votes.
Others who secured a large personal vote included assembly election débutante Elisha McCallion (9,205), who replaced Martin McGuinness on the ballot in Foyle, the DUP’s Carla Lockhart (9,140) in Upper Bann, her party colleague William Irwin (9,760), the SDLP’s Justin McNulty (8,983), along with Sinn Féin’s Cathal Boylan and Megan Fearon, all of who were elected in Newry and Armagh.
SUPPORT for DUP leader Arlene Foster has fallen in her home constituency despite a significant increase in turnout.
The former first minister, who has faced fierce criticism over her oversight of the controversial Renewable Heat Incentive, topped the poll in Fermanagh-South Tyrone with 8,479 first-preference votes – or 16.7 percent.
However, support for Mrs. Foster was down more than two percentage points compared to last May when she polled 8,801 first preference votes – an 18.66 per cent share.
The DUP leader, who was elected on the first count last year, was 232 votes short of the quota and had to wait until the second count to be returned.
Turnout in the DUP leader’s home constituency was up more than eight percentage points to 72.6 percent, with 53,075 casting their vote this time around.
And while her personal vote was the largest across the north last May, she was eclipsed in the latest poll by nine other MLAs in constituencies elsewhere.
The largest personal vote on Thursday went to Mrs. Foster’s Sinn Féin counterpart Michelle O’Neill, who polled 10,258 first preference votes and was elected on the first count in Mid Ulster, alongside the DUP’s Keith Buchanan, who gained 9,568 first preference votes.
Others who secured a large personal vote included assembly election débutante Elisha McCallion (9,205), who replaced Martin McGuinness on the ballot in Foyle, the DUP’s Carla Lockhart (9,140) in Upper Bann, her party colleague William Irwin (9,760), the SDLP’s Justin McNulty (8,983), along with Sinn Féin’s Cathal Boylan and Megan Fearon, all of who were elected in Newry and Armagh.
