McGimpsey seeks to contest poll

A former Stormont minister was waiting today to see if his bid to run for Westminster's parliament will get the backing of colleagues in South Belfast.

Michael McGimpsey, who served as culture, arts and leisure minister in the last devolved government in Belfast, is one of four candidates vying to replace Martin Smyth as the UUP’s standard bearer in the constituency following his decision to stand down as their MP.

Friends of the Union member and former aide to ex-Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, Christopher Montgommery, Belfast’s city councillor Bob Stoker and Jack Irwin are also battling for the nomination.

UUP sources said they believed Mr McGimpsey was the front runner for the nomination, having missed out at a selection meeting in 2001 in a battle against Mr Smyth.

“Michael McGimpsey would be strongly fancied,” one source said.

“However it will be interesting to see how Christopher Montgommery does, given the backing he has received from the Reverend Martin Smyth.”

Mr Smyth is stepping down after 23 years of service as the constituency’s MP.

He was elected in a by-election in 1982 after the IRA assassinated his colleague, Robert Bradford.

Mr Montgommery has been lobbying local members in recent days to back him as the only candidate who can prevent South Belfast from falling into nationalist hands at the next general election.

Ulster unionists have been concerned by the rise in the nationalist vote in recent years.

They are defending a 5,399 majority in the 2001 election when Mr Smyth was given a clear run by the rival Democratic Unionists.

However in the 2003 Assembly election, the UUP secured the most votes with 8,469 for its three candidates.

However that was only 1,293 votes more than the nationalist SDLP whose deputy leader Dr Alastair McDonnell is running for Westminster.

Unionists will be looking carefully at what the DUP will do after tonight’s selection meeting in the Belvoir area.

In leaflets circulated to South Belfast UUP members, Mr Montgommery had said he is the only candidate who can ensure that the DUP will not contest the seat.

“I recognise the threat posed at the forthcoming general election,” he said.

“If there is a split unionist vote there is every possibility that nationalists will gain the seat much as they did in Fermanagh and South Tyrone at the last general election.

“I believe I am the best placed to ensure that there is only one unionist candidate in South Belfast.

"Should we split the vote and lose the seat we will experience all the problems we have historically faced whenever we have lost a seat to nationalism.”