Sam McBride: DUP are in trouble wherever you look, but picture varies for unionism

There will be awkward questions for a DUP leader who has barely started the job – and not all of that can be blamed on Donaldson

DUP candidate for East Antrim Sammy Wilson at the count with party colleague Gordon Lyons

Sam McBride

The picture emerging in the hour before we went to press at 3am was complicated, and, inevitably, uncertain. But one thing was clear: This is a very bad election for the DUP.

Everywhere, the party’s vote appeared to be down — in many places, substantially down.