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Election result sees DUP and Sinn Féin rule the roost in Northern Ireland

The election result could see the DUP take on the role of kingmakers in propping up a Conservative government.

General Election 2017 declaration DUP leader Arlene Foster. Niall Carson / PA Niall Carson / PA / PA

Updated 10.00

THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY could turn to the Democratic Unionist Party to form a government.

As results come in from the UK general election, forecasts suggest that a Conservative-DUP coalition could be one of the few combinations able to make over a 326-seat majority.

Latest forecasts have Theresa May’s Conservative Party ending with 318 seats, leaving a hung parliament.

The DUP has claimed two extra seats in the North, up to ten, while Sinn Féin climbed from four seats to seven.

The election may have been something of a triumph for the North’s two largest parties – however it has been nothing short of a disaster for their nearest rivals on both sides of the political divide, the UUP and the SDLP.

Both have seen their seat count wiped clean at Westminster, seeing them join Ukip in gaining the ignominious accolade of returning no seats whatsoever – the UUP losing  its two seats and the SDLP its three.

For the moderate nationalist SDLP, the loss of former party leader Mark Durkan’s seat was an especial blow.

All of which leaves both the DUP and Sinn Féin sitting pretty in utterly dominant positions in the North. For the DUP, the role of kingmaker may be one the party tries on for size – its 10 seats are likely to be the most obvious avenue for the Conservatives to stay in power.

Speaking to the BBC this morning, Simon Hamilton MLA said that the party would wait to see what the final maths was, but accepted his party could hold a lot of power.

“Clearly our votes are going to be incredibly important in the new parliament.

“First and foremost we will look to achieve our goals in respect to getting the best deal for Northern Ireland. We’re also very mindful of our responsibilities in the national political scene and this is a very difficult time for the United Kingdom.”

He added that the party wanted a good deal for Northern Ireland in Brexit negotiations, adding that the border issue was one the party wanted to see reflected in talks. He said that the party wanted a “frictionless” border.

Hamilton, however, would not be drawn on the question of whether the DUP would consider a formal coalition or would support a working Conservative minority.

Additional reporting Cianan Brennan

Read: Liveblog: Theresa May’s gamble fails as Tories lose seats but will remain as biggest party

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    Mute Matt Donovan
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:06 PM

    Hey Journal, for those of us who won’t be in a position to see it straight away, please; no spoilers. Like many I’ve waited 32 years to catch up with Luke, Han, Leia & Chewie. We won’t mention the prequels…

    108
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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:16 PM

    I wonder one day will Disney and JJ Abrams be able to de-Jar Jar the prequels and release a special edition where Anakin isn’t so whingey…

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    Mute Chris Judge
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:21 PM

    “please; no spoilers”

    You’re probably safer just avoiding the internet until you see it.

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    Mute Chris Judge
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:31 PM

    But, avoiding the internet is impossible. If you use Google chrome, there’s a few extensions you can use that will block any possible spoilers.

    This will block all star wars related stuff.
    http://wap.engadget.com/2015/12/15/star-wars-spoiler-blocker-chrome/

    Or there’s another where you can change what to block, so useful for everything and not just Star Wars:
    https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/unspoiler/oookgbbhgojdebhnmkmhgfagoiknifgi

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    Mute Ignoreland
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    Dec 15th 2015, 1:48 PM

    Jar Jar Binks could actually have been an interesting character… rather than just a very racist stereotype:
    http://www.cracked.com/video_19728_how-internet-fixed-star-wars-prequels.html

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:31 PM

    Luke wakes up in the shower and realised the last 40 years was a dream?

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    Mute Thomas Delaney
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:55 PM

    FROM MY POINT OF VIEW THE JEDIS ARE EVIL!!! Worst line ever. Great light sabre fight though.

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    Mute Mark Godfrey
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:13 PM

    Hopefully no spoilers will get out,I still haven’t gotten over people spoiling Titanic by saying the ship sank in the end

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    Mute Ben Dawkins
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:59 PM

    The butler did it.

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:32 PM

    It didn’t sink, J.P. Morgan sold it as scrap and he insured it well for himself too…

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 15th 2015, 8:47 PM

    That is a joke by the way…

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    Mute windbag
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:08 PM

    Any Spoilers……I will find you and I will kill you….

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    Mute Tim Outrage
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:20 PM

    The bad guy is Luke’s son

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    Mute SCO Electrical
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:21 PM

    Wrong movie, and they take his wife

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:26 PM

    He dies in the end

    3
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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:29 PM

    Kermit the frog and says to Luke, you are my father?

    1
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    Mute bacoxy
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    Dec 15th 2015, 11:56 AM

    It is unbelievable how good it is…

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    Mute SCO Electrical
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:21 PM

    Live long and prosper

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    Mute David McShite
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:10 PM

    I was one of the lucky few to attend a private screening and it was EPIC!
    I didn’t expect Han Solo to die of a chronic case of Aldebron Piles though.

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    Mute Ken Pepper
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    Dec 15th 2015, 1:13 PM

    The last scene is amazing…. Who would have thought Jar Jar Binks was really Luke’s father ???

    17
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    Mute Edward
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:28 PM

    passes the bechdel test.

    thejournal never fails to get a liberal feminist dig in.

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    Mute just readin
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:24 PM

    Did Luke pass his repeat Jedi exams yet?

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:33 PM

    He passed something, it had to be tested, lol.

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    Mute Lad
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:12 PM

    Perhaps getting reviews from crazy excited fans happy just to be there is a bad idea for expectations. I think a critical view might be better from a journalism perspective.

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    Mute Tim Outrage
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:21 PM

    How dare you bring logic and reason to the Journal.

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    Mute Bunny
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:20 PM

    It’s sad that people watch movies testing if they pass that Bechdel shit

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    Mute Uncle Monty
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:23 PM

    I haven’t seen any of the films. Are they any good?

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    Mute Ryan Hardy
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    Dec 15th 2015, 1:41 PM

    No

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    Mute Ciarán
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    Dec 15th 2015, 12:03 PM

    I’m fully prepared for lots of poetic rhyming with the original trilogy, fan service and general enjoyment followed by an uneasy sense of disappointment. If it exceeds this then I’ll admit that I’ve misjudged JJ.

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    Mute Peter
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    Dec 15th 2015, 3:00 PM

    Should I watch any of the previous ones for this new one to make sense? I’d like to see it but I want to understand it. I haven’t seen any of the movies.

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    Mute Dean Anderson
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    Dec 15th 2015, 3:29 PM

    @ignoreland he could have been and a lot less annoying too if he wasn’t a cgi caricature. What was Lucas thinking. I really don’t know

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:27 PM

    In a toilet far far away, use the force Luke…

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    Mute Michael Sands
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:26 PM

    I loved it when they blew off his legs, lol.

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    Mute TommyRyder
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:36 PM

    Anyone else think some scenes resembled Skellig Mikel?

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    Mute Thomas Delaney
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    Dec 15th 2015, 7:57 PM

    That was the most whimsical jape of the season old bean.

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