SUPPORT for the DUP has slumped to just 16 per cent, according to a new poll, posing a major challenge for incoming leader Edwin Poots.
Sinn Fein the largest party on 25%, giving it a 9% lead on its nearest challengers and putting Michelle O’Neill on course to take the role of first minister at the next election in May 2022.
The DUP and the Alliance party are now level on 16%, while the Ulster Unionist Party has risen to 14%, overtaking the SDLP, down one point to 11%, according to the LucidTalk poll for the Belfast Telegraph.
Sinn Fein's leader Mary Lou McDonald (left) with deputy first minister Michelle O'Neill
There were also gains for the TUV, up one point to 11%, in what is perhaps a sign of fracturing support among Unionist parties.
The polls will make troubling reading for recently elected DUP leader Edwin Poots.
In addition to falling well behind its Sinn Fein rivals, Poots’ personal rating among DUP voters is low.
The survey found that his leadership rival, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, was more popular among their supporters by a three-to-one margin.
Two thirds backed Donaldson to replace the outgoing Arlene Foster, while only a fifth backed the man who ended up taking the job.
When asked which candidate they would back if they had a vote in the DUP leadership contest, 64% of the party’s voters said Donaldson, while just 21% opted for Poots.
A Belfast Telegraph poll four months ago put the DUP at an all-time-low of 19%. Another drop of 3% represents a new nadir for the party.
Other Unionist parties are set to profit off their falling support. Among those who voted DUP at the last Assembly election, 29% say they will now vote TUV, while 10% will vote UUP.
Another 4% said they would now vote for the Alliance party.
Things are looking considerably better for Sinn Fein, whose support has steadily climbed since 2019.
The party secured 23% of the vote that year, rose to 24% in January, and 25% in the latest survey.
READ MORE: Edwin Poots wins razor-thin DUP leadership election race
The Alliance is level with the DUP as the second-most popular party in Northern Ireland, but that support is down 2% since January.
The UUP has enjoyed the leadership bounce that seems to have evaded the DUP.
It increased support by 2% to 14% after Doug Beattie succeeded Steve Aiken in the top job.
The Green party is unchanged at 2%, People Before Profit is up a point to 2%, while others & independents were up one to 2%.
The online poll was carried out from May 14 to 17 among 3072 people and was weighted to reflect the population of Northern Ireland.
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