SDLP leader Colum Eastwood re-elected in Foyle

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has been re-elected as MP for Foyle, in the Meadowbank Sports’ Arena count centre, in Magherafelt.

Mr Eastwood who has represented the constituency since 2019, received 15,647 votes, a reduction of 11,234 on his 2019 total of 26,881.

The number of eligible voters in Foyle was 73,496 and the total votes polled was 38, 765 – a percentage turnout of 52.74%.

Although the polls closed at 10.00pm on Thursday, the ballot boxes from the constituency did not arrive in Meadowbank until 12.30am, when the count eventually got underway.

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At his party’s manifesto launch, Eastwood described Foyle as a “two-horse race” – between himself and Sinn Féin’s Sandra Duffy. Ms Duffy who finished second in the poll received 11,481 votes – an increase of 1,710 on 2019.

DUP candidate Gary Middleton received 3,915 votes, a decrease of 858. UUP candidate Janice Montgomery increased her party’s vote by 332, to 1,422.

Interestingly, Rachel Ferguson of the Alliance Party polled 1 more vote on Thursday than she did in 2019 – 1,268. Shaun Harkin of People Before Profit saw his vote increase by 1,112 to 2,444. Anne McCloskey saw her vote decrease from 2,032 in 2019 to 1,519 on Thursday.