DUP leader Gavin Robinson has pledged to “never shy away” from challenges after he fought off a battle with Alliance Party leader Naomi Long to be re-elected in East Belfast.
Mr Robinson was returned to Westminster with a resounding vote share of almost 20,000.
Ms Long gathered 17,000 votes in what had been tipped as a tight race between the party leaders.
Mr Robinson said “the consequences of divided unionism” was evident in several constituencies across Northern Ireland as he pledged for more co-operation within unionism.
He said British prime minister-in-waiting Keir Starmer “is somebody we have done business with” and “is somebody we have a good relationship with”, calling the Labour Party’s victory an “extraordinary” outcome.
Speaking on stage after being declared elected, Mr Robinson thanked the other candidates for the way they conducted the campaign and told Alliance Party leader Ms Long “we have to stop meeting like this”.
“There will be much to say about this election in the hours and the days to come. None of us, neither me nor my colleagues, chose the circumstances in which we stood in this election,” he said.
“But none of us have lost hope on what it is we stand for, and that is to confidently and to proudly stand up for Northern Ireland within our United Kingdom … even though there are those who would rather see unionism on its knees.”
He said if North Down was just one example of the victories co-operation among unionists could offer, it should be examined.
He pledged that his party would “never shy away” from challenges and work “night and day” for solutions for people in the North.
Ms Long emphasised the importance of candidates putting themselves forward for election and said she had enjoyed the campaign more than any other she had fought in, calling it “a positive campaign focused on the issues”.
She said she saw hope in Lagan Valley with the election of Sorcha Eastwood as an MP, and an opportunity for the party to grow.
“It may not have been my night, it may not have been [deputy leader Stephen Farry]’s night, but it was certainly Alliance’s night,” she said.
As he arrived at the Titanic Exhibition Centre on Friday, Mr Robinson was embraced by party supporters and said his performance in East Belfast was “a good result” for the party.
He said his performance was one that reflects “not only the political campaign our team has run in East Belfast but also in recognition of the people who in this election have come out to vote or come out to vote for the first time in a long time”.
He said he was “incredibly proud” of the DUP’s candidate in Lagan Valley, Jonathan Buckley, and that his failure to retain the seat was a consequence of “divided unionism”.
“In constituencies right across Northern Ireland, you can see the consequences of divided unionism,” he said.
