Ex-Fermanagh chief executive mooted as agreed unionist

Rodney Connor is the former chief executive of Fermanagh District Council

The former chief executive of Fermanagh District Council has emerged as a possible agreed unionist candidate for Fermanagh, South Tyrone.

Rodney Connor retired from his council post after 10 years on Wednesday.

Mr Connor refused to confirm speculation that he is interested in running against Sinn Fein's Michelle Gildernew, MP.

The DUP and UUP have had discussions about an electoral agreement on several seats.

It is understood the DUP and the UUP locally see Mr Connor as an ideal compromise candidate for Fermanagh, South Tyrone but they cannot agree about what label he should stand under.

The sticking point appears to be the Ulster Unionists' electoral link with the Conservatives and David Cameron's insistence that a joint UUP-Conservative candidate stands in each constituency.

The DUP have only said that they are desperate to see an agreed unionist candidate but its understood they will not endorse anyone standing under the Ulster Unionist and Conservative banner.

Negotiations are said to be at a sensitive stage but an agreement on this key point has so far proved elusive.

The DUP said it wanted to reach an agreement with the UUP over South Belfast and Fermanagh/South Tyrone.

Those seats are currently held by the SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell and Sinn Fein's Michelle Gildernew respectively.

This week the DUP announced it will not be fielding a candidate in North Down, currently represented by former Ulster Unionist Lady Sylvia Hermon.

Lady Hermon resigned from the UUP last week having refused to support its pact with the Conservatives. She will now run as an Independent in the forthcoming election.

On Thursday the Ulster Unionist mayor of Antrim called his party's link-up with the Conservative Party "a dictatorship".

Councillor Adrian Watson, who had hoped to the be the UUP candidate for South Antrim in the General Election, said he was "totally against" the alliance.