Despite keeping themselves out of stormont that the majority of the last parliamentary term and there are serious concerns here. movement numbers and movement on seats is very very small. sinn fein like likely to maybe gain one and deeply likely to maybe gain one and deeply likely to maybe gain one and deeply likely to lose two or three. a small movement has led to sinn fein being eligible for the first minister position. in the view of the dup and unionists they will try to use that to disproportionately spin that this is a movement and momentum towards irish unity. it is not, the figures are still very stable but of course the big thing for northern ireland at the moment is the protocol issue. mixed messages coming from london and the secretary of state with quite an unfortunate intervention just the night before the election saying that perhaps this legislation wouldn t be brought forward but the reality is one thing power sharing is not going to return here. itir. is not going to r
First minister so this is our paper the irish times today. other newspapers here in belfast, the belfast telegraph again, that same similar image of michelle o neill who is poised to be first minister of northern ireland. she is the party s leader in northern ireland. sinn fein tops first preference votes on a historic day for the party. do you people is to make big gains and that is another one of the key stories here in doug beattie lead with the ulster unionist party fighting for his seat and still locked in a huge battle in his upper bann constituency for his seat. the irish news, a nationalist newspaper here in northern ireland again sinn fein on course to be stormont s largest party, dp s worst result for the 20 plus years and a picture of the 20 plus years and a picture of the alliance leader naomi long. d u p. alliance edge of the bigger stories at the election. unionist
Number of votes sinn fein got in the selection. they went to the electorate with the policy they would not be the turning stormont unless the protocol was resolved and there was movement by the vertical. so this is very significant. let there was movement by the vertical. so this is very significant. so this is very significant. let me ick u- so this is very significant. let me pick up on so this is very significant. let me pick up on that so this is very significant. let me pick up on that point. so this is very significant. let me pick up on that point. if- so this is very significant. let me pick up on that point. if there - so this is very significant. let me pick up on that point. if there is i pick up on that point. if there is no immediate return to stormont which looks unlikely because that is a so called safety net. stormont could talk for another six months about this with potential be on that for another election. about this with potential be on that foranother electi
This is bbc news 7 these are the latest headlines in the uk and around the world. an historic moment for nationalists in northern ireland, as sinn fein is on course to become the largest party at stormont. i m in belfast where counting has resumed this morning and we ll be bringing you all the latest news and reaction. across the rest of the uk the conservatives have lost almost 500 seats in the local elections, with labour and the liberal democrats taking control of a number of councils. the snp remain the largest party in scottish councils with labour overtaking the conservatives to finish second. labour was the biggest winner in wales, where the conservatives lost more than 80 seats.