ALLIANCE VICTORY:ALLIANCE DEPUTY leader Naomi Long was last night elected the Lord Mayor of Belfast. She is only the second woman to be elected first citizen of the city.
Ms Long (37), who takes over from Sinn Féin’s Ton Hartley, is also Assembly member for East Belfast.
She received the backing of her own party as well as the SDLP and Sinn Féin.
Her 26 votes were enough to defeat DUP candidate William Humphrey.
Ms Long said that her election had come as quite a shock.
“It is good for the city and it shows it has moved on. I have made my priority throughout elected office to try to heal the divisions in society.
“I want to work with the council so that people have the best possible opportunities.”
She said that she wanted to address the barriers which exist physically and in people’s minds and added that she was pleased to be the first female candidate to take on the role for almost 30 years.
“I hope to represent all the people, showing that we can function at the highest level,” Ms Long added.
Alliance party leader David Ford said: “This is great news for Belfast and is a momentous occasion as Naomi is the first female mayor of the city in a generation and only the second ever.
“Naomi is the perfect person to represent everyone in the city and work towards the shared future we so badly need.
“This exciting development will mean that work on improving community relations and ending segregation will be the main priority for the city.
“Naomi’s election sends out a message of hope and shows that Belfast this year is looking to the future.”