Northern Ireland voters go to the polls in general election with several constituencies hotly contested

Voting is under way in Northern Ireland in a general election involving several constituency battles that remain too close to call.

A total of 136 candidates are standing in the North’s 18 constituencies.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson and his wife Lindsay voted in east Belfast shortly after 9am, while UUP leader Doug Beattie cast his ballot in Portadown minutes earlier.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood cast his vote in his Foyle constituency shortly before 11am.

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All eyes will be on the race for the greatest number of seats, with the potential of Sinn Féin cementing its position as the largest party in Northern Ireland, having secured the most seats in recent Assembly and local council polls.

Sinn Féin, which ran a relatively low-key campaign, could secure top spot by retaining the seven seats it already holds, if the DUP drops down from the eight seats it won in 2019.

While most of Sinn Féin’s seats are safe bets, it will face the usual arm wrestle to hold off the challenge of unionists in the ever-close Fermanagh and South Tyrone race.

In that constituency, former Royal College of Nursing general secretary Pat Cullen, who led nurses across the UK in strike action last year, is up against Ulster Unionist councillor Diana Armstrong.

The DUP is under pressure in a number of constituencies, most significantly in East Belfast where leader Mr Robinson is involved in a high-stakes contest with the Alliance Party leader Naomi Long.

Mr Robinson’s elevation to the leadership of his party came after former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson quit after he was charged with a range of historical sexual offences in March – charges Mr Donaldson denies.

Apart from the sudden departure of Mr Donaldson from the political stage, the DUP has also been under pressure from unionist rivals amid claims it oversold a government package of measures on post-Brexit trading arrangements that the party used to justify the end of its two-year boycott on devolution at Stormont in January.

Defeat for Mr Robinson would surely raise questions about his fledgling leadership of the DUP; while a loss for Ms Long would prompt some to ask whether the Alliance Party’s surge of recent years has begun to subside.

The cross-community Alliance Party is walking a tight rope between having a really good night or a very disappointing one.

It is involved in three razor edge fights, including East Belfast, where it is in serious contention for seats.

The party goes into the election with one seat, deputy leader Stephen Farry’s in North Down and is also hoping that Ms Long prevails in East Belfast and Sorcha Eastwood defeats the DUP in Lagan Valley, in the seat vacated by long-standing MP Donaldson.

While three victories could be secured; three losses would sting heavily for a party that has been on the electoral march in recent years.

The Ulster Unionists were without an MP in the last parliament and the party is convinced that South Antrim represents its best opportunity of a return to the green benches at Westminster.

Former UUP leader Robin Swann, whose profile soared when he led Northern Ireland’s fight against the Covid pandemic as Stormont health minister, is trying to win that seat from the DUP’s Paul Girvan.

Success for the SDLP would be the retention of the two seats held in the last parliament by its leader Colum Eastwood and deputy leader Claire Hanna.

Both are tipped for victory – in Foyle and South Belfast and Mid Down respectively – albeit with the prospect of returning with reduced majorities.

The TUV, which is an arch critic of the DUP’s decision to drop its protest boycott on devolution, did not stand in the last election.

While its entry into the fray this time round is highly unlikely to deliver it any seats, the votes it could potentially take from DUP candidates could have major implications in some of the closest battleground seats.

However, the TUV campaign suffered a major blow last month when Reform UK leader Nigel Farage personally endorsed two DUP election candidates, despite his party having an official electoral alliance with the TUV in Northern Ireland.

That has led to a highly unusual situation in Mr Allister’s own North Antrim constituency, where he is running on a joint TUV-Reform UK platform, even though Mr Farage has personally backed the DUP candidate in that area, Ian Paisley.

In her eve of poll message, Sinn Féin’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, said a vote for her party would bring “positive change”.

“Change will only be delivered in the North by working together in the Executive and Assembly, but this election is our chance to send a clear message about the future we want,” she said.

“I am asking voters to join us in our journey towards a better future, to endorse our vision by returning the strongest Sinn Féin team.

Mr Robinson urged people to use their vote wisely, as he emphasised that the election would help shape the future direction of Northern Ireland.

“Only the DUP can ensure there is a strong team of pro-Union MPs in Westminster to stand up and speak out for you on the issues that matter,” he said.

Ms Long said her party was leading change. “Alliance has fought this campaign on our platform of leading change, showcasing responsible leadership and trustworthiness in our dealings,” she said.

Mr Beattie, the Ulster Unionist leader, posted a direct message to voters on social media.

“You have one vote, on that one day, with one chance to create change, change by voting for an MP who will be effective in Westminster, who will be visible in Westminster,” he said.

Mr Eastwood, the SDLP leader, emphasised the importance of voting for MPs who take their seat at Westminster, contrasting his party with Sinn Féin’s long-standing abstentionist stance.

“Everyone wants and deserves change,” he said. “That’s what you get from SDLP MPs. – PA