08/04/2010
Empey Will Vie For South Antrim
Sir Reg Empey will fight Rev Willie McCrea for his South Antrim Westminster seat at next month's General Election.
Ulster Unionist party members in the constituency chose Sir Reg as their Parliamentary candidate last night.
Rev McCrea secured the seat for the DUP in 2005 with a majority of 3,448.
The sitting MP has sought reelection this year, and will battle it out with UUP leader Sir Reg, (pictured), Traditional Unionist Mel Lucas and Alan Lawther of Alliance on 6th May. Sir Reg Empey will stand under a joint UUP and Conservative banner.
The Tories vetoed the original Unionist South Antrim candidate, Adrian Watson, over views he expressed regarding homosexuals.
Sir Reg, the Stormont Executive's Employment Minister, has previously stood as a Commons candidate in East Belfast.
He currently represents constituents in the east of the city at the Assembly.
Alliance Deputy Leader Naomi Long, an East Belfast MLA, criticised Sir Reg's decision to represent another constituency in the General Election.
She said: "It raises serious questions - will Reg stand down as MLA for East Belfast if elected in South Antrim? Will he, despite his criticism of others for double jobbing, now try to do not just two jobs, but for two different sets of constituents?"
(PR/BMcC)
Ulster Unionist party members in the constituency chose Sir Reg as their Parliamentary candidate last night.
Rev McCrea secured the seat for the DUP in 2005 with a majority of 3,448.
The sitting MP has sought reelection this year, and will battle it out with UUP leader Sir Reg, (pictured), Traditional Unionist Mel Lucas and Alan Lawther of Alliance on 6th May. Sir Reg Empey will stand under a joint UUP and Conservative banner.
The Tories vetoed the original Unionist South Antrim candidate, Adrian Watson, over views he expressed regarding homosexuals.
Sir Reg, the Stormont Executive's Employment Minister, has previously stood as a Commons candidate in East Belfast.
He currently represents constituents in the east of the city at the Assembly.
Alliance Deputy Leader Naomi Long, an East Belfast MLA, criticised Sir Reg's decision to represent another constituency in the General Election.
She said: "It raises serious questions - will Reg stand down as MLA for East Belfast if elected in South Antrim? Will he, despite his criticism of others for double jobbing, now try to do not just two jobs, but for two different sets of constituents?"
(PR/BMcC)
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