Taylor confident party will hold seat

John Taylor is to step down from parliamentary seat

The Ulster Unionist deputy leader has predicted his successor as the party's parliamentary candidate in Strangford will retain the seat for the UUP.

And John Taylor denied Democratic Unionist Party claims it was a fear of losing his seat which prompted his decision to retire from Westminster at the next election.

Mr Taylor was speaking after announcing he will step down from his parliamentary seat at the next election.

The Strangford MP told his shocked constituency association of the decision at a meeting in Newtownards, County Down, on Monday evening.

Mr Taylor said he was withdrawing his candidacy because his current workload was too demanding.

Candidate

Mr Taylor said: "We always beat the DUP here and we have one of the strongest majorities over the DUP in Northern Ireland in Strangford.

"And we defeated them in the assembly election."

Mr Taylor also said the new Ulster Unionist candidate would have his full support.

However, the DUP are confident that their candidate, Iris Robinson, will take the seat.

DUP deputy leader and east Belfast MP Peter Robinson said: "First of all, we must put on record - Iris beat him in the assembly election when she topped the poll.

"However, it was also becoming apparent from our private polling that we were going to win this constituency especially after the defection to our party by an independent unionist who stood in that election.

"I suspect his polling was saying the same."

According to BBC Northern Ireland political correspondent Mark Simpson, the shock of Mr Taylor's announcement is still sinking in with his constituency association.

And they have decided to take their time in choosing another candidate. The selection meeting will not be held until 5 March.

UUP Strangford constituency chairman Jim Hamilton keen to take nomination

Jim Hamilton, chairman of the Strangford association, who stood against Mr Taylor in the candidacy selection, has already expressed an interest.

Names of other possible contenders include Stormont arts and culture minister Michael McGimpsey who was brought up in the Strangford constituency.

Others include David McNarry, a leading Orangeman, and the former RUC chief constable's wife Lady Sylvia Hermon, who was unsuccessful in securing the North Down candidacy.

On Monday, Mr Taylor said he wanted to concentrate on the Northern Ireland Assembly and a new position as a UUP representative on the Police Board.

Another strong supporter of the increasingly embattled leader, Ken Maginnis, announced in January that for personal reasons he would not stand again for his Fermanagh/ South Tyrone parliamentary seat at the election.

Mr Taylor was an influential supporter of Mr Trimble's policies during meetings of the party's ruling Ulster Unionist Council at key moments in the peace process.

The most experienced politician in the new Stormont assembly, Mr Taylor was a minister in the old Northern Ireland parliament and also served 10 years as an MEP.

James Cooper: Pro-agreement candidate won selection battle

Meanwhile, in a boost for the pro-agreement faction of the UUP, solicitor James Cooper won the General Election candidate selection battle for the Fermanagh/South Tyrone seat to be vacated by Mr Maginnis.

Mr Cooper beat outspoken anti-agreement assembly member Arlene Foster by just nine votes, polling 178 votes to 169.

A lawyer in the same office where Mrs Foster is also a solicitor, Mr Cooper was Mr Maginnis's election agent.

Mr Maginnis had a 13,688 majority at the last Westminster election.

However, the DUP is going to stand for the seat for the first time since the unionist parties established an election pact aimed at keeping a nationalist candidate out.

DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson confirmed that his party's candidate would be Maurice Morrow and said the Ulster Unionists had "blown it" by selecting a pro-agreement candidate.