Paisley Jnr to fight father's seat
Ian Paisley Jnr to contest his father's North Antrim seat for the DUP
Tuesday March 09 2010
Unionist figurehead Ian Paisley, who is stepping down as an MP, passed the political torch to his son, with their party pledging that Ian Junior would also fight "Dublin rule" if elected to Westminster.
A Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) meeting unanimously selected Ian Paisley Jnr to fight for the North Antrim seat that his 83-year-old father has held for 40 years.
The move sets up a bruising political contest between the son of the former firebrand and the leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice Jim Allister who has emerged as the new hardline voice of unionism since the DUP decided to share power with republicans.
On Monday night, the DUP leader Peter Robinson said: "Selecting a successor to a towering and iconic political figure like Dr Paisley was never going to be easy, but in selecting Ian, I believe the members in North Antrim have picked someone with a strong track record of hard work for his constituents.
"Ian has proven over more than 14 years in front-line politics that he has the stamina, skill and determination to deliver for the people of North Antrim.
"I look forward to fighting alongside Ian in this election to ensure that North Antrim is retained by a unionist who will fight for his constituents and never condemn them to unaccountable Dublin rule."
Ian Jnr, who is a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, said he had been a longtime political representative for north Antrim in his own right and looked forward to the fresh opportunity.
"It is a great honour to have been chosen by my party colleagues to contest this important election for the community," he said. "I am looking forward to this election and will be asking the people of North Antrim for their continuing support and friendship."
He added: "My campaign will be a positive one. I am seeking to make a further positive and meaningful contribution to the North Antrim constituency."
Mr Paisley, who founded the DUP, is relinquishing the seat he first won in 1970. His decision, coming two years after he stood down as first minister and gave up the leadership of the DUP, paves the way for a fiery election battle between his son and the leader of the hardline Traditional Unionist Voice party.
