The Reverend Kyle Paisley, brother of DUP MP Ian Paisley, has described Gavin Robinson's acceptance speech after winning the East Belfast seat as 'quite disgraceful'. Robinson ousted Alliance's Naomi Long, but failed to mention her in his victory speech, later admitting he should have recognised her contribution.
Robinson, who benefited from a unionist pact between the DUP and UUP, beat Long by over 2,500 votes. In his speech, he spoke of a 'new dawn' and said voters chose 'somebody they can trust' over a party offering a future only if they share their view.
On Friday, Robinson told BBC's Talkback that the campaign had been 'very difficult and bitter', and he should have been more gracious. 'Set party politics aside, I think Naomi Long is a formidable politician,' he said.
Long responded that the DUP's actions never shock her, while Alliance leader David Ford called Robinson's speech the 'nastiest' acceptance speech across the UK. DUP leader Peter Robinson defended the speech, noting that after a bruising campaign, people express what is on their mind.
