New Poll Shows Sinn Féin Is Largest Party

According to a new opinion poll from the Belfast Telegraph, Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness is on course to be the next First Minister in the North.

If an assembly election were to be held soon, Sinn Féin would be the largest party at Stormont, the newspaper claims.

The poll, conducted over a five-day period after the Hillsborough deal, also shows strong unionist support for a DUP-UUP pact.

It also reveals that the gap between the DUP and Ulster Unionists, in terms of support, is closing.

If a snap Assembly election was called, 21% of those surveyed said they would vote for Sinn Féin, compared with 18% of voters who said they would back the DUP and 15% the UUP.

Last week, the UUP leader Sir Reg Empey dismissed talk of a formal link up with the DUP, despite secret talks between the two parties.

The UUP and the DUP met at the Orange Order headquarters in Belfast in December 2009.

Further talks were also held at Hatfield House in England in January, chaired by shadow Northern Ireland secretary Owen Paterson.

The UUP executive reaffirmed its commitment to its relationship with the Conservative Party earlier this month, passing a resolution to agree joint candidates for the forthcoming general election as soon as possible.

Sir Reg confirmed the move on Thursday night.

"Our process will go through its rigours and we will have announcements to make in the very near future," sir Reg said.

Meanwhile, the TUV leader Jim Allister, who is only credited with 6% of the voting intentions, has dismissed the Belfast Telegraph poll as "farcical."

"It's absolutely laughable," Jim Allister said.

"Ask yourself where has the unionist vote gone?  If you add them all up the total unionist vote is languishing 10 points behind what we know it was in the last election."

"It just does not add up."

Mr Allister, who opposes power-sharing with Sinn Féin, has vowed to stand in more than half of the North's 18 constituencies.

He said he won't stand in constituencies where he may split the unionist vote and allow a nationalist or republican win.

The next general election in the UK must be held before June 3 this year.

The next Stormont assembly will take place in May 2011.