PoliticsNorth Antrim Report

‘Political earthquake’ as TUV’s Jim Allister overthrows Paisley dynasty in North Antrim

Loss of what was seen as the safest DUP seat is the biggest general election shock in Northern Ireland

UK election: Ian Paisley jnr, who lost his North Antrim seat, at the count in Magherafelt. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
UK election: Ian Paisley jnr, who lost his North Antrim seat, at the count in Magherafelt. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire
Jack White
Fri Jul 05 2024 - 09:43

“There is no escaping the fact that there has been a political earthquake in North Antrim of seismic proportions,” said newly elected TUV MP Jim Allister.

The 71-year-old had just done the impossible in dethroning the Paisley dynasty – without a doubt the biggest shock of the UK general election in Northern Ireland.

What was seen as the safest DUP seat in Northern Ireland, until Friday morning at least, is no longer the case.

The Paisley family had comfortably retained North Antrim seat at every UK general election since 1970 with Ian Paisley jnr taking over from his father and former Northern Ireland first minister in 2010.

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A partial recount had been called early on Friday morning with subsequent whispers emerging that TUV leader and founder Mr Allister had beaten Mr Paisley.

Before this, the results were as sure as the sky is blue, that it was beyond a safe bet Mr Paisley would retain what he had held for the last 14 years.

Shortly before the results were declared, a sea of media and general commotion could be seen following Mr Paisley as he briskly left the count centre in Magherafelt, with some questioning if he would return at all, though he did shortly after for the official declaration.

The results were a stark contrast to their previous face-off in 2010 when Mr Paisley returned with 19,672 votes, dwarfing Mr Allister’s 7,114.

To add insult to injury, Mr Allister’s success comes even without the backing of Nigel Farage.

Mr Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, endorsed Mr Paisley, despite a Reform-TUV alliance in place, due to similar values and stances, particularly on Brexit.

Speaking after the results were declared, Mr Paisley said the tides of life “ebb and flow”.

“This is certainly not a script that I would have written for tonight, as I think most of you would accept, but life is made up of many chapters,” he said.

Mr Allister, on the other hand, said the result marks the occasion of North Antrim taking an alternative course, pledging to never lose focus of the issues that caused him to be elected, namely “the partitioning of our nation by a foreign EU border”.

Jack White

Jack White

Jack White is a reporter for The Irish Times