THE LACK of reporting of the recent council elections in the North of Ireland might have something do with the Tory crisis following the district council elections in Britain two weeks earlier. More likely, it was because of the results.
Sinn Fein increased its share of the vote - up to 12.5% (its 1983 peak was 13.4%) and gained 8 seats. You can be sure that if they had lost seats or would have been more prominent in ine brush press reports Sinn Fein's vote increased by more than 1%6 overall and 5.5% in Belfast, where they are the now ine largest party in terms of the percentage of the vote (23.76%), and the second largest party on the City Coun cil. Overall, Sinn Fein increased their seats by 8 to 51.
Lost seats
The result for the Tories was no better than in Britain, losing one of their 7 seats. The Workers Party lost 3 of their 4 and.
the split-away Demo. cratic Left gained a seat, their 1%.
Some of Sinn Fein's gains came from the SDIP in West Belfast where they seem likely to win back Gerry Adam's seat. Part of the increase is due to an because of population changes.
If Patrick Mayhew was looking to these elections to boost his plans for devolved govemment. he has had a serious serback.
The British proposals, a rehash of the 1974 proposals, have now apparently been shelved. lan Pusley's Democratic ionist Party, the only party with fewer council seats than 1989. anyway refuses to participate until Dublin drops Articles 2 & 3 from the Constitution, an uplikely outcome at the moment.
Mathew is now in a very ex seei position. The talks started