The electoral map that most of the broadcasters use misses off Northern Ireland
entirely. But if the election is as close as people expect, then those 18 seats across the Irish Sea could become vital.
The first thing to note is that Sinn Fein remains committed to its policy of not taking its seats at Westminster. So every Sinn Fein MP elected reduces the number that a party needs to have an effective majority in the Commons.
Iris Robinson, expenses and the rise of Traditional Unionist Voice have all rather dented the DUP, the largest party in Northern Ireland at the last election. But it should still send back a fair few MPs. The DUP’s modus operandi during the vote on 42 days suggests that in a hung parliament they will try and extract as many perks for their constituencies as they possibly can.
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