The Green Party’s Steven Agnew has stated that it has been a positive result for the Green Party in Northern Ireland and across the UK.  Mr Agnew who received 1043 votes in North Down stated;

“Firstly I’d like to congratulate Lady Sylvia Hermon who received a fantastic endorsement from the people of North Down.  I am pleased with my own result in what was always going to be a difficult campaign for us with such a popular sitting MP.  I am happy that I ran a positive campaign at no point resorting to slurs on any of my opponents.

I understand that a number of people who would otherwise vote Green decided to back Lady Hermon in this election.  I hope that she will bear this in mind and represent those people and the one thousand others who voted for me, by taking green issues forward in Westminster.  I sincerely wish her well.

I would also like to thank all of you who came out and voted Green and I assure you that I will continue to work at a local level to represent your views and continue to push the Green agenda in North Down.  Your endorsement in this election has given the Green Party an excellent platform from which we can contest and win more seats in the local elections next year.

I’d like to congratulate my colleagues Adam McGibbon in South Belfast, Cadogan Enright in South Down and Martin Gregg in East Belfast who got excellent results in their first time out for the party.  They are all worth keeping an eye on.

I am of course delighted that Caroline Lucas has been elected as the first ever Green Party MP and I have no doubt that she will make a real difference to the lives of all the people of the UK.”