A new female non-unionist MP is elected for Lagan Valley
It was an historic election for Lagan Valley as for the first time the constituency has elected a non-unionist as its MP.
Alliance candidate Sorcha Eastwood took the Westminster seat from the DUP with a convincing victory over Jonathan Buckley, who stepped in as the DUP candidate following the resignation of long-serving MP Jeffrey Donaldson.
Ms Eastwood won the seat with 18,618, 37.9% of the votes, with the DUP's Jonathan Buckley on 15,659, 31.9%.
Ulster Unionist deputy leader Robbie Butler came home third with 11,157 votes, with the TUV's Lorna Smyth ending the night on 2,186, the SDLP's Simon Lee on 1,028, Patricia Denvir from the Green Party on 433.
There was a 60% turn out to vote in Lagan Valley, with a swing of over 10% to the Alliance Party this time around.
Ms Eastwood, who said she was delighted to win the election, commented that she is "born and bred in Lagan Valley" and will work night and day for everyone in the constituency.
Following her election, Ms Eastwood said: “It’s a fantastic night for us but it’s also a fantastic night for the people of Lagan Valley.
“I’m a Lagan Valley girl born and bred, and this has been in our heart for a long time and I’m just delighted.
“This means so much to me.
“Not just me personally, the people of Lagan Valley from all different walks of life – people who are unionist, people who are nationalist, people who are like me and are neither of those things.
“People who hold dear who it is that we are in Lagan Valley, and that is a positive, progressive, vibrant constituency.
“I have spent my whole life growing up in Lagan Valley and if you had ever said that I would be standing here as your MP I wouldn’t have believed you.
“But we have shown that change is possible and change can happen.”
Mr Buckley blamed his defeat on divisions within unionism and predicted the DUP would retake the seat.
He said: “For Lagan Valley, there is brighter days ahead, I can assure you for unionism.
“But it must deal with its internal divisions.
“We must spend less time throwing rocks at each other and looking to the broad picture of unionism to make Northern Ireland work.”
Elsewhere in Northern Ireland, there was also a shock for the DUP in North Antrim as Ian Paisley Jr lost his seat to TUV leader Jim Allister.
The Paisley family has held the North Antrim seat for more than 50 years, but that legacy has come to an end with the victory of TUV leader Jim Allister in the unionist heartland.
In South Antrim former health minister the UUP's Robin Swann took the Westminster seat from the DUP's Paul Girvan.
DUP Party leader Gavin Robinson held onto his seat in East Belfast and Carla Lockhart also retained her seat in Upper Bann.
Mrs Lockhart said she was “truly blown away and humbled” by the response of the electorate.
"To increase my vote with a reduced electorate is something I never ever imagined,” Ms Lockhart added.