The Social Democratic and Labour Party scored a significant victory in the South Belfast constituency where the party's sitting MP Dr Alasdair McDonnell retained his Westminster seat with a substantially-increased majority.
Dr McDonnell secured 14,026 votes, with Jimmy Spratt of the DUP in second place with 8,100. Paula Bradshaw of the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists - New Force, polled 5,910 votes; Anna Lo, Alliance Party, secured 5,114 and Adam McGibbon of the Greens received 1,036 votes.
Sinn Féin had withdrawn its candidate Alex Maskey, but the SDLP were pointing out after the count that Dr McConnell's majority was more than double the 2,662 votes Mr Maskey obtained in the 2005 general election.
The SDLP candidate's majority was 1,235 over Mr Spratt but on this occasion he was 5,026 votes ahead of the DUP standard-bearer.
In his victory speech at the count-centre in the King's Hall, Dr McDonnell said: "It's a great privilege to be elected again and it's a great privilege to represent South Belfast.
He added: "This result far exceeds my expectations." The result was a victory for "the politics of hope against the politics of the past". People wanted their politicians to forge "real partnerships".