Trimble faces pressure to bow out after UUP routed

THE political career of Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his efforts to bring peace to the North, lay in ruins last night after he lost his Upper Bann seat in the Westminster elections.

In addition, his party went into freefall after retaining just one of the five seats they held prior to polling day. Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party were the big winners, gaining three seats to increase their tally to nine half of the available seats with Mr Trimble their most notable scalp.

SDLP leader Mark Durkan breathed a heavy sigh of relief after fending off the challenge of Sinn Féin's Mitchel McLaughlin to retain his seat in Foyle. Both the DUP and UUP said some of their supporters in Mr Durkan's constituency had voted tactically for him to ensure Sinn Féin did not win there.