Counting of votes underway following Stormont Assembly election

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Northern Ireland Protocol has cast a long shadow over the election campaign following the resignation of First Minister Paul Givan in February in an effort to force the UK Government to act over the post-Brexit trading arrangements. He told the BBC: “I’ll tell you one thing, if there’s no legislation in the Queen’s speech and no plans to deal with the protocol then we’ve made it very clear the assembly can’t function if the poison of the protocol is still there.” But Sinn Fein MP John Finucane said people were more concerned about bread and butter issues. Next was the SDLP with 12 seats, the Ulster Unionist Party with 10 seats, Alliance with eight seats, the Green Party with two seats while People Before Profit and the TUV had one MLA each. The Irish Republican Socialist Party and the Socialist Party are each fielding two candidates while the Northern Ireland Conservatives, Cross Community Labour Alliance, Resume NI and Heritage Party are each running one candidate.