Pre-election boost for Trimble
David Trimble's electoral hopes of seeing-off a challenge from Ian Paisley's DUP were given a boost last night when a pro-Agreement candidate won the party nomination in North Down.
Sylvia Hermon was chosen to fight the seat after the previous candidate, Peter Weir, an anti-Agreement candidate, was ousted.
This is a significant blow to the anti-Agreement wing of the Ulster Unionist Party and shows that the party leader and his camp can be ruthless when required.
Peter Weir had been selected to fight the seat, but because he had rebelled at Stormont in a series of votes, he was deselected.
He fought back through the courts, lost and has now been replaced.
Sylvia Hermon, the wife of former RUC Chief Constable, John Hermon, is the new candidate.
She won by 112 votes to 29 against the only other hopeful, anti-Agreement Eric Culbertson from Co Tyrone.
It will now be a straight battle in North Down between Hermon and the anti-Agreement leader of the UK Unionist Party, Robert McCartney.
