Northern Irish Unionists under pressure to retain seats ahead of UK general election

18 Westminster seats are up for grabs for Northern Ireland in the upcoming UK elections next week. The pro-British DUP currently have 8 seats while the pro-Irish unity party Sinn Féin, have 7.

In most recent polls, the DUP sits at 21 %- a massive ten points below their 2019 election result.

Gavin Robinson - leader of the Democratic Unionist Party- faces the prospect of not only losing his Westminster seat in East Belfast to the non-sectarian MLA Alliance Party candidate Naomi Long, but also the leadership of the DUP.

The Alliance's Kate Nicholl told Euronews that voters on the ground have reiterated their support for Naomi Long, saying "It’s very close to call but the feedback from our canvassers who are out on the ground is, it’s looking good."

The DUP say that despite their poor performance in polls, they are confident they will be able to return 8 MPs to London, including their party leader.

The loss of just one seat for the main unionist party would be highly symbolic as pro-Irish unity party Sinn Féin continues to expand its support.

Sinn Féin is the largest part in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the joint largest party in the Republic of Ireland's Dáil. Historically, they have campaigned for a united Ireland.

A dominant Sinn Féin political presence could help realize their nationalist hopes by leading to a referendum on reunification on both sides of the border.

During the Troubles, a decades long conflict in Northern Ireland where British unionists and Irish republicans battled over the country's independence from the United Kingdom, Sinn Féin were associated with the paramilitary Irish Republican Army.

Sam McBride, the Belfast Telegraph's Editor says that symbolism is crucial in Northern Irish politics, explaining "The very significant narrative that there has been over the last number of years is that Sinn Fein are on the rise and the unionist parties are in decline and so if that continues in this election, it will reinforce the sense that Irish unity is potentially getting closer."

Not only for the United Kingdom as a whole, for Northern Ireland in particular, things could be about to significantly change in the 2024 General Election.