Edwin Poots hit out at media leaks and insists he 'hasn’t gone away' despite South Down selection blow

On Friday night DUP party officers selected Diane Forsythe as the candidate for South Down ahead of Mr Poots, who was attempting to switch to the constituency from Lagan Valley

Edwin Poots. Picture: Liam McBurney/PA)

Former DUP leader Edwin Poots has insisted that he “hasn’t gone away” after he failed to secure the party’s nomination to run in the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in the South Down constituency.

Mr Poots also said that he had been engaged with Jeffrey Donaldson for two months on a process to ensure that the party leader could return to Stormont from Westminster at the elections in May.