DUP’s Jim Allister expected to top North poll

The Democratic Unionist Party’s Jim Allister is expected to top the poll in the North’s European election.

Unofficial party tallies have given Mr Allister a slight lead over Sinn Féin’s Bairbre de Brun on 150,000 to 160,000 first preference votes.

The SDLP’s Martin Morgan and the Ulster Unionist Party’s Jim Nicholson are further back on around 100,000 votes each.

Independent candidate John Gilliland is expected to trail behind, but his transfers and the DUP’s surplus should push Mr Nicholson over the finishing line.

This would see the SDLP losing John Hume’s former European Parliament seat.