NI elections 2023: Recount due for disputed Derry seat

A recount of votes for a disputed seat on Derry City and Strabane District Council is to take place this week.

It follows an Alliance Party legal challenge relating to the result of the Waterside ward in May's council election.

Phillip McKinney, one of the party's councillors, lost his seat by just 49 votes.

The party questioned why its candidate was eliminated when there were still about 150 votes to be transferred.

The last seat went to Martin Reilly of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

The Alliance Party lodged an election petition with Belfast High Court after John Cartwright, a self-confessed election enthusiast, alerted the party to the potential discrepancy.

He said he was scanning through the election results for Derry City and Strabane District Council when he noticed the issue and contacted candidates in the Waterside ward to raise his concerns.

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long subsequently said she had it confirmed by both the council and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland that there was an error in the count.

The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland said that on Monday the court ordered that the counting of the votes should resume.

The recount will take place in the Foyle Arena on Wednesday, starting at stage seven of the count.

BBC News NI understands that the SDLP did not oppose a recount of the votes.

The Alliance Party lost its only two councillors on Derry City and Strabane District Council - Rachael Ferguson and Mr McKinney - in the election in May.