Just eight votes separate two Sinn Fein colleagues

Foyle: Sinn Féin's outgoing Assembly member Ms Mary Nelis fought off a challenge from party colleague Mr Raymond McCartney to…

Foyle: Sinn Féin's outgoing Assembly member Ms Mary Nelis fought off a challenge from party colleague Mr Raymond McCartney to retain her seat by just eight votes.

Two of Derry's former SDLP mayors, Ms Mary Bradley and Mr Pat Ramsey, join party leader Mr Mark Durkan in the new Assembly. A seat also went to the DUPs outgoing Assembly member Mr William Hay.

Mr Durkan topped the poll in his first election as SDLP leader, and was elected on the first count with 6,806 first preference votes. Second was Mr Hay with 6,101 first preferences, just head of Sinn Féin's Mr Mitchel McLaughlin on 6,038.

However, it was the swing towards Sinn Féin which stood out. In the previous Assembly election, the SDLP had a lead of 21.8 per cent over Sinn Féin. That has now dropped to 5.3 per cent.

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The biggest surprise was the first preference vote of journalist Eamonn McCann. His Socialist Environmental Alliance ticket attracted 2,257 votes.

Former SDLP Assembly member and former Derry mayor, Ms Annie Courtney, who was dropped from the party ticket, polled 802 first preference votes.