Unionists unveil local election line-up
The Unionist Party will contest 11 seats in the local Government elections, it was announced today.
The anti-Good Friday Agreement party, led by North Down MP Robert McCartney, is fielding its candidates in six council areas.
Five Unionists will seek election to North Down Borough Council with Valerie Kinghan running in Abbey ward, Alan Field and Bill Keery in Bangor West and Harry Gordon and Charles Taggart in Ballyholme and Groomsport.
The party’s deputy leader David Vance is hoping to win a seat in Craigavon Council in the Lurgan ward.
The UP will also field David Fairfield in the Pottinger ward of Belfast City Council, Grant Dillon in Castlereagh Central, Alan Madill in the Enniskillen ward of Fermanagh District Council and two candidates in Banbridge - David Hudson in the Banbridge ward and Stephen Briggs in Knockiveagh.
In the Westminster election, Robert McCartney is defending a 1,449 majority in North Down in the 1997 General Election over the Ulster Unionists.
The UUP candidate for the seat is Lady Sylvia Hermon, with Alliance’s Stephen Farry, the Conservatives’ Julian Robertson and the SDLP’s Marietta Farrell also in the race.
