Sinn Fein wins legislative election in Northern Ireland for first time

Nationalist Sinn Fein has won the most seats in the Northern Ireland legislature for the first time in history, UK media reported on Saturday.

According to Sky News, Sinn Fein has won 27 seats in the 90-seat Assembly, pushing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) with 24 seats into the second place and becoming the first nationalist party to take control of Northern Ireland's legislature.

The broadcaster noted that the DUP had lost ground among unionists due to its reaction to Brexit and North Ireland trading arrangements. This split the vote between three unionist parties.

Ireland was separated into Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland by an act of the parliament in 1921. In 1922, Southern Ireland became the Irish Free State, which in turn became the independent Republic of Ireland in 1948. Northern Ireland remained part of the United Kingdom.