John Finucane claims Belfast North seat in good night for lawyers

John Finucane

Mr Finucane, the Lord Mayor of Belfast and son of murdered lawyer Pat Finucane, previously contested the seat for the party in 2017, winning 19,159 votes (41.7 per cent) but failing to unseat DUP MP Nigel Dodds with 21,240 votes (46.2 per cent).

He was interviewed by Irish Legal News in August about his legal career and term as Lord Mayor.

Carrickmore solicitor Órfhlaith Begley, a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast and the Institute of Professional and Legal Studies, held her seat in West Tyrone.

In Scotland, the SNP’s Joanna Cherry QC was re-elected for Edinburgh South West with 24,830 votes, a share of 47.6 per cent, an increase of 12 per cent on the last election, while Scotland Secretary and lawyer David Mundell held his Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale seat, with 22,611 votes, 46 per cent of the total.

In England, former Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC was ousted from his Beaconsfield seat by Joy Morrissey, who won with 15,712 votes for the Conservatives. Mr Grieve had held the seat for 22 years for the Tories but stood as an independent after his opposition to a no-deal Brexit saw him expelled from the party.

Labour defector Chuka Umunna, a former solicitor, lost in his attempt to take the Cities of London & Westminster constituency for the Liberal Democrats. Mr Umunna took 30.7 per of the vote, losing to Nickie Aiken, who won with 17,049 votes for the Conservatives.

Sir Keir Starmer QC, the former Director of Public Prosecutions, held his seat of St Pancras and Holborn for Labour, with 64.5 per cent of the vote, or 36,641 votes.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, a former Linklaters solicitor, held Esher and Walton in Surrey, despite a Lib Dem surge. Mr Raab won with 31,132 votes, 49.4 per cent of the total votes. Lib Dem Monica Harding took second place with 28,389 votes.

Barrister Anna Soubry, who stood for the Independent Group for Change after leaving the Conservatives, lost her seat of Broxtowe to Tory Darren Henry. Ms Soubry gained just 4,668 votes, a share of 8.4 per cent.