This election was about standing up to austerity. The Workers Party took that stand and brought that message to the voters.

With the return of a Tory government we will feel the full brunt of further cuts to public services, redundancies and a withdrawal of funding for the community, leisure and arts sectors. Our health service will suffer and opportunities in training and education will be lost.

Of course it is disappointing to see parties who have signed up to an austerity agenda secure large numbers of votes and win seats. In the months and years ahead Northern Ireland will pay dearly for last night’s results. Those who have been elected have an opportunity to oppose further cuts, reductions in benefits and tax breaks for the rich – but the reality is that they won’t. They are already implementing that agenda at Stormont and if unchallenged will continue to do so.

The quality of people lives, their opportunities and their futures are too important to be ignored or left to the mercy of the Sinn Fein / DUP Coalition at Stormont or the Tories in Westminster.

We thank everyone who voted Workers Party and who helped out with our campaign in any way. We will continue to present a class analysis and the socialist alternative and campaign on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland.