Allister may force DUP challenge

Jim Allister said he looked forward to 'testing the water' in North Antrim

Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister has indicated his party will force a Ballymoney council by-election.

The TUV took almost 70,000 votes from the DUP at the European election, and Mr Allister may contest Ian Paisley's North Antrim seat in the next election.

The Dromore by-election in February 2008 helped to build the profile of Mr Allister's hardline unionist party.

Ballymoney is in the DUP's North Antrim heartland, and Mr Allister said he was looking forward to a similar challenge.

DUP councillor Roy Wilson stepped down from Ballymoney Council last week.

'Opportunity'

Mr Allister said: "My understanding is that councillor has resigned not just from the council but from the DUP because of his principled objection to the DUP's present political stance.

"Of course it throws up the opportunity of a by-election, and we're not ones to run away from such opportunities.

"I look forward to that testing of the water in a constituency which is for some reason attracting increasing interest."

The DUP said Mr Wilson had not resigned from the party and his decision was a personal matter unconnected with its power-sharing policy.

Mr Allister was the DUP's member of the European Parliament but quit the party in 2007 in objection to Stormont power-sharing with Sinn Fein.

His party made its electoral debut in a council by-election last year - its 739 votes effectively stopped the DUP winning the seat.

In last month's European election, Mr Allister failed to hang on to his seat and DUP candidate Diane Dodds was elected.

However, the DUP's first preference vote fell to 18.2%, from 32% in 2004. It appeared most of those votes went to Mr Allister.

He has indicated that in the next general election, he will take on the DUP in the North Antrim constituency held by Ian Paisley since 1970.