Former Ulster Unionist to fight general election for DUP

The Reverend Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists have selected a former Ulster Unionist as a candidate in the next General Election.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone Assembly member Arlene Foster vowed last night to win back for unionism the constituency’s Westminster seat which was won by Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew in 2001.

The former UUP honorary secretary is the first candidate in Northern Ireland to be chosen for the next Westminster poll.

Mrs Foster defected to the DUP in January along with Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson and their Assembly colleague Norah Beare after years of feuding with David Trimble and his supporters.

She narrowly missed out on becoming the UUP’s candidate in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the last Westminster election, losing out to James Cooper.

Mr Cooper lost the UUP seat in 2001 by 57 votes to Michelle Gildernew in a controversial election.

Accepting the nomination last night, Mrs Foster was grateful that DUP members in the constituency had chosen her to take on the difficult task of unseating Sinn Féin’s MP.

“I know the damage that having a republican MP has done to the unionist psyche in Fermanagh and South Tyrone,” she declared.

“We have not been well served by a Member of Parliament who denies us a voice at Westminster, but it is about much more than her refusal to swear the oath.

“We have not been well served by a Member of Parliament when she and her party remain connected to an armed and active terrorist organisation.”

In last November’s Assembly Election as an Ulster Unionist candidate, Mrs Foster secured 5,019 votes while the DUP’s candidates, Maurice Morrow and Bert Johnston, got a combined total of 8,630 votes.

If all that were to transfer to her in a Westminster election, it would give the DUP a total of 13,649 votes.

Sinn Féin’s three Assembly candidates including Michelle Gildernew secured 15,901 votes.

The total Ulster Unionist vote was 13,229 but, subtracting Mrs Foster’s support, it was slashed to 8,291.

Mrs Foster’s Westminster bid will depend on how much of the disaffected Ulster Unionist vote she has been able to take with her to the DUP.

The DUP hopes the announcement that she is running will also put pressure on the Ulster Unionists to stand aside but this is thought unlikely in a constituency where the UUP has tended to outperform its rival.

Mrs Foster’s candidacy may also spur one of her biggest critics in the UUP, Mr Cooper, to run again.

In 2001, Michelle Gildernew captured the House of Commons seat for Sinn Féin with 17,739 votes to Mr Cooper’s 17,686.

The DUP did not contest the seat but an independent unionist, Enniskillen bomb survivor Jim Dixon went forward and received 6,843 votes.

SDLP Assembly member Tommy Gallagher also ran and got 9,706 votes.

DUP chairman and local Assembly member Maurice Morrow welcomed Mrs Foster’s candidacy.

The former Stormont Social Development Minister said: “This will not be an easy battle but we are determined that Sinn Féin/IRA must be challenged and the Westminster seat wrestled from their grasp.

“Arlene is best placed to mount that challenge on behalf of the unionist community in this constituency.

“The people of Fermanagh/South Tyrone have been poorly served by their present Member of Parliament, failing to represent constituents at both Westminster and in Fermanagh/South Tyrone. Now is the time to focus on remedying that situation.”