Adams and McGuinness Elected

Sinn Fein has benefited from a hardening of the republican vote in parts of Northern Ireland. The party gained two MPs and took 16% of the vote over the whole province.

Sinn Fein's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness, won the much-changed Ulster Mid seat for the party - which had been in third place behind the Democratic Unionists and the SDLP in the old Mid-Ulster constituency. His majority was 1,883.

Sinn Fen crowds celebrate victory

Sinn Fein's president, Gerry Adams, took back the Belfast West seat held by the SDLP's Joe Hendron for the past five years. Mr Adams held the seat from 1987-92. His majority this time was 7,909.

Both have said they will not take their places at Westminster.

Mr Adams said his victory was a very "humbling" experience and pledged to do his best to represent the people of the area.

"Mostly this election sends a very clear message to those in high places in London and in Dublin and everywhere else that the people of West Belfast have the right to be treated as equals, have the right of a future as equals."

And he said that it would impress on the "establishment" that they must "urgently restore the peace process on the basis of equality".

However, Labour's Dr Mo Mowlam, expected to become Northern Ireland Secretary, has reiterated that there has to be an IRA ceasefire before Sinn Fein could be admitted to peace talks.

Gerry Adams: message for Blair

In a personal message to Tony Blair, Mr Adams had urged him to "seize the opportunity to resolve the single biggest issue which besets the relationship of the people of his country and the people of our country and be the prime minister not just to lead Britain into the next century but to lead Ireland and Britain into a peaceful next century".

Jubilant Sinn Fein supporters chanted, clapped, shouted and waved Irish tricolours as Gerry Adams led them from the count centre to start the celebrations. As they left, news filtered through that Martin McGuinness had taken Mid-Ulster and the chant went up: "Easy, easy, easy".

Despite his pressure for dialogue, Dr Marjorie Mowlam, expected to be confirmed as the new Ulster Secretary within the next 24 hours, had made it clear earlier that there was no place for Sinn Fein in the talks process until there was an IRA ceasefire.

She said: "I have made it very clear none of my colleagues will have any contact with Sinn Fein while the IRA makes that impossible.

"However, there is a door open there and they know the conditions through which they will facilitate and permit others to pass through."

Ms Mowlam's views were echoed by the Irish Social Welfare Minister, Proinsias De Rossa. He said it was imperative to encourage Sinn Fein "to persuade the IRA to call an unequivocal ceasefire". Mr De Rossa also condemned Sinn Fein, saying that a vote for the party was "a vote for continuing IRA violence".