An emotional David Trimble has this evening spoken of his pride at representing Upper Bann as an MP in the House of Commons and expressed his conviction that the situation in the North was "a much better one" today than it was when he first entered national politics 15 years ago.
Mr Trimble acknowledged that it had been a successful election for the DUP. And said the DUP would know that with success would come responsibility. "I believe they have inherited from Ulster Unionism a very strong position for unionism and I hope they manage to safeguard that position over the course of the months to come."
The DUP's deputy leader Peter Robinson said Mr Trimble had paid the price at the ballot box for his poor stewardship of unionism. "The lesson is you cannot play fast and loose with the electorate and get away with it," the East Belfast MP said. "Slowly but surely he has been held to account by the Unionist electorate."
Mr Gerry Adams and the Rev Ian Paisley were both upbeat after their enhanced electoral success this afternoon with the Sinn Fein leader describing the result as offering hope and the DUP leader saying his triumph was a victory for democracy.
After the West Belfast result was announced, Mr Adams said Sinn Fein had "stood on this election on three main planks".
"It was about dialogue," he said. "When others were negative, we gave hope.
"It was about getting the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process back on track and it's about a united Ireland."
He said that his party would use their "mandate wisely".
Alasdair McDonnell SDLP MP for South Belfast
Meanwhile Mr Paisley said his re-election was "democracy in action" and called for people "to heed the voice of the people."
"I will be telling Dublin and London tonight that they better listen to what the people of Northern Ireland are saying.
The day has come when we cannot tolerate Sinn Fein/IRA anymore. The Democratic Unionist Party will be a force for all that's good and decent in Northern Ireland," he said.
In the first surprise of the afternoon the SDLP's Mr Alasdair McDonnell has taken South Belfast from the UUP. He said that his victory had sent a "loud and clear" message that "tribal politics" was not the only way forward.
"I want to thank the people of South Belfast who have sent a loud and clear message that tribal politics is not the only way forward in Northern Ireland.
"I believe we have a major task to do to restore this once great city to the sense of pride and dignity that is possessed."
"We are still alive and we will still be here because we have a job to do," Mr McDonnell said. "We are still standing strong and we are ready to fight back for the values of the people out there on the streets, on the doorsteps."
The DUP candidate in South Belfast said Mr McDonnell's win was the UUP's fault and because it had refused to agree an electoral pact with his party.
In East Antrim former Belfast Lord Mayor Sammy Wilson of the DUP took the seat away from Roy Beggs by a substantial margin.
The DUP's Gregory Campbell secured his party's seat in East Derry. He increased his majority by almost 11 per cent as the Ulster Unionists and SDLP both suffered losses.
He called on Sinn Fein to disband the IRA in order to create any prospect of face-to-face power-sharing talks. "I don't have a private army. Sinn Fein do. As long as Sinn Fein hold that advantage, they will never get us to the table," he said.
