Naomi Long MP said: “This has been a great election for Alliance. I am absolutely thrilled at our performance in East Belfast. This is the first time since 1982 that Alliance has returned two Assembly Members in East Belfast.
“Our vote has increased significantly over that of the last Assembly election in East Belfast.
“The election of two Alliance MLAs in the area is a remarkable achievement for the party and Chris Lyttle and Judith Cochrane are two excellent representatives for the whole community. Both are extremely hard working representatives and they will be a formidable team for East Belfast at the Assembly. All three of our senior representatives in East Belfast, myself, Judith and Chris are all under 40 and that illustrates that the future is very bright for Alliance. I want to thank everyone who vote Alliance and helped to lead change.”
Judith Cochrane said: “A year ago we had one MLA in East Belfast, now we have an MP and two MLAs. I am absolutely delighted at this result and our results right across Northern Ireland. Alliance has again demonstrated that positive politics delivers success.”
Chris Lyttle: “I am extremely pleased with this result. We are all very grateful to the people of East Belfast who have put their faith in us and vote for us. We have a very strong team in the area and we will continue our strong track record of work on the ground and continue to deliver for everyone.”
ENDS