Congratulations to her. I haven't taken much interest in this contest but I don't like by-elections in multi-member constituencies. There's just something not right that the biggest party, whoever that may be, tends to have the most to gain from forcing the issue to a by-election, regardless of whether it was their member who won the seat in the first place. I won't pretend to have a solution to hand, but there's definitely something not right in it.

Thankfully it didn't happen in this case.

Congratulation Carol, this is a great victory for grass roots politics and shows us no matter how many big names are paraded infront of the electorate and how safe any seat is percieved nothing is certain. Across Northern Ireland the DUP will be beginning to shake in their boots for the first time in a decade.
THE UUP IS BLACK IN BUSINESS

It would be wrong to read too much into one local by-election, but the DUP will be worried by this result. It shows that there is a possibility that the TUV will effect their vote. It also shows that those who may be tempted to support the TUV are disillusioned totally with the DUP and are prepared to transfer to a party they perceive as more moderate rather than giving the DUP's hypocrisy credence.

Come an Assembly election of course the DUPes will play the SF 1st minister card.

"Come an Assembly election of course the DUPes will play the SF 1st minister card"

Yes and that fabled "Unionist Unity" will once again become the DUPes one and only election slogan.It's only a very minor council by-election, but still it'll be interesting to see how the DUPes play it now,I guess their Black Propaganda deptis rolling into action as we speak.